Government
Introduction
As we approach November 6th, we are once more hearing the calls from the political activists strongly insisting on the fact that it is not only a right but also the responsibility of the Americans to vote in the approaching election. It is also the responsibility of the American Citizens to vote in for an effective government. It is very sad to see that even those voters who seem to be informed have no proper understanding of the issues that are facing our country and this puts up the question of whether we are in a good position to decide on the policies that should be endorsed on a national level. It is proper that the electorate do understand the real issues on which their voting will be based on.
Major issues
The leading issue in the 2012 campaigns will be the economy which breaks down to taxes, debts and deficit and unemployment as the key factors in shaping the economy. Following the threat of the U.S. financial and banking system to collapse in 2008 and the high levels of unemployment, the tenure of President Obama has been described in different manners by the economy and the most terrible downturn of a lifetime. The republicans being led by tea party movement have been hitting on the fiscal and economic policy by Obama since the year 2009 and this has pushed the GOP candidates to grasp firm on to the pledges of cutting on expenditure and the pledge of not raising taxes. Headed to what is being referred to as the fiscal cliff due to the expiry of several tax cuts at the end of this year (half trillion dollars in tax hikes and budget cuts) which could lead the United States to another recession, the president and the Congress are bound for another fight. According to the CNN/ORC polls, the economy remains to be the most crucial issue for the voters in the United States in the coming election. The three major issues that will be key factors in the decision making of the American Citizen include: The economy, healthcare and immigration.
The Economy
The economy which is the basic aspect of putting bread on the table will with no doubt be the crucial factor in the decision making of most voters in the coming election. The major aspects in the economy are taxes, debts and deficits and jobs. The amount Americans are supposed to pay as taxes along with how the government is to spend the tax revenues is an important issue on the economic debate as America is heading towards what is being referred to as a “fiscal cliff”. Up for votes are the cessation of Bush tax cuts, protection of the middle class from Alternative Minimum Tax and the tax breaks that have been offered to businesses and individuals for years.
President Obama proposes that he will be extending the Bush tax breaks for those that make below $250,000 annually. Romney on the other side argues that the wealthier should not be punished for being successful and suggests that tax cuts should also be extended to every income level including the ones that are over $250,000. Even though Bush tax cuts have been given much attention, if the tax extension is left to terminate, it will be tax hikes for the middle class who President Obama is seeking to protect. The Congressional Republicans who are often favoring lower taxes may be tied politically as they go into negotiations since most of them have already signed pledges on not raising taxes.
On the issue of debts and deficit, following data received from Congressional Budget Office, the federal government piled up a deficit of $780 billion the first 6 months of 2012 fiscal year. The continuing deficit is making it impossible for government to balance the checkbook without having to borrow from other countries so as to pay its bills. The national debt plays a role in downgrading the rating of credit of the United States last year following the struggle by the Congress to lengthen the debt ceiling to borrow some more money so that they are able to clear the old debts. The national debt is made up of accumulated deficits which currently stand at $15 trillion.
The federal government last year in October closed its fiscal year with an annual deficit of about $1.3 trillion. It was the third consecutive year in which the deficit had gone above $1 trillion. It is also expected that the deficit will go above that point this year and that will be the fourth year in a row. This will have resulted from the combination of tax revenue declines due to the economy, continued amounts of government expenditure and the ongoing revenue reduction from the Bush tax breaks. The Republicans suggest that federal government should reduce its spending so as to minimize the deficit as an alternative to raising taxes. The Democrats on the other side believe that cutting on spending will only go so far and changing rules on payment of taxes or raising taxes are crucial steps in reducing the deficit.
Recovery of the economy has continued to be an important issue to the United State’s voters, with jobs and unemployment levels being at the core of this recovery. The growth of jobs has experienced a slowdown in the past few months and this has left the unemployment rate to stagnate at 8.2% even though in some communities the rate on unemployment is worse especially to the African American where the rates of unemployment are above 14.4 % while that for the Hispanics is around 11%. Since President Obama took over office, the United States government has improved from the shedding of jobs that had been experienced before to adding jobs evidenced by the 21 months of positive growth in jobs consecutively. However, with the increased cuts in federal, state and local spending of which much of the cuts were government jobs.
Healthcare
The ruling by the Supreme Court in June that the sole mandate of the health care reform law by President Obama could not be supported under the Commerce Clause in the Constitution but could only get support as a tax has had the Republicans and the Democrats at odds once again. The Republicans are endorsing for a repeal of most of the reforms that were signed into law in the spring of the year 2010. The Democrats in retaliation have told the Republicans to move ahead as the Supreme Court has given its word.
After the ruling by the Supreme Court on health care, Romney went on to renew his pledge of overturning the health plan by President Obama referring to it as the biggest tax increment that the U.S. has had in its history. With majority of the United States’ citizens being opposed to the individual mandate and only a small majority opposing ‘Obamacare’, the Republicans are not backing down any time soon. Headed to the election this year, the debate on whether the health care reform is tax or a penalty remains. The manner in which both sides will frame the issue will with no doubt be pivotal to both the Republican and Democrats’ campaigns.
Immigration
Two crucial decisions made over the summer relating to immigration raised stakes on the issue of immigration putting in mind that we are headed into the election in November. The first decision came in when President Obama gave a directive to the Homeland Security Department in creation of a path to the citizenship of most of the young people who would have been covered if the Congress had gone on to pass the DREAM Act. Obama’s political move was derided by the House Republicans even though it was an answer to the critics from left who had put up the idea that Obama has not done enough during his tenure to push through for the immigration reforms.
The second decision was made when the Supreme Court brought down the controversial immigration laws of Arizona. The Supreme Court said that states had no powers to enforce the federal laws in the local jurisdictions, a decision that pushed back the attempts of the conservative lawmakers and the Republicans to take matters in their own hands. This had come after they had complained that the federal government had not done enough in securing the borders. It is however not likely that the Congress will have the ability to take any action on the immigration reforms until the elections have been held.
My position on the issues
As our citizens know very well, the United States’ economy has over the times continued to face some enormous challenges. Most people and employers have been experiencing a hectic time in acquiring credit that would allow them to buy equipment, make large purchases, invest for the future and also support their day to day business operations. Most businesses are struggling to stay operational while others have gone under and as a result, workers are losing their jobs and livelihoods as families continue to be the victims of the economic storm. The top priority of the Congress should be to create jobs and get the economy running again. With the high rates of unemployment in the United States, it is the responsibility of the elected leaders to ensure that the policies that can drive entrepreneurship are adopted so as to create private sector jobs that are well paying.
Game changing ideas such as fundamental tax reforms are important in meeting the goal of improving the economy. The current income tax system is complex and punishes savings and work, also has high cost of compliance. It rewards lobbyists and special interest that have the ability to put in place tax holidays that benefit them at the expense of other people. It is the prime time that fair tax act and reforms are needed so as to increase investments, savings for growth of the economy and creation of jobs into the future.
A society that is productive is one that is healthy educated and hard-working. In America, poor health only results to decline of national wages and productivity while it increases expenses on healthcare. Lack of access to medical treatment and rising healthcare cost are an indication of a greater issue that should be addressed before any change can be felt in the current health care system. The Americans should therefore work together, think outside the box and come up with ways of improving and streamlining the current health care system. The leaders should have a stronger commitment to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of the healthcare system in our country.
On the issue of immigration, the federal government should take responsibility of securing our borders. Resources should be channeled on protecting our people from those who would want to harm our nation by preventing them from entering our country. The immigration laws should reunify families and also encourage the people trained in our institutions to develop new industries and technologies while they are still in the country rather than from abroad. The people living in our country illegally should comply with the law by going through the national criminal and security checks, registering, paying taxes and also learning English language before they are eligible for citizenship. The legal status of our country should be fair and a reflection of our values.
Opinion polls
The public opinion polls in the United States have shown a virtual tie between President Obama from the Democratic Party and Mitt Romney the former Massachusetts governor, presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. The recent Rasmussen Report Daily Presidential Tracking Polls have shown that Mitt Romney has attracted support from 50% of the total voters while President Obama has earned 46% of the votes nationwide. 1% of the voters prefer other candidates while 2% of the total voters are not yet decided.
Mitt Romney has attracted support from 89% of the Republican voters. President Obama on the other side has earned the vote from 82% of the Democrat voters. A poll by the Gallup indicated that data on foreign policy points out that President Barack Obama has a relatively good rating on the issue even though his economy has been rated to lag. At the start of September, the Americans had more confidence in President Obama than in Mitt Romney on the issue of handling foreign policy.
References
CNN. Health Care. 22 October 2012. 23 October 2012. <http://edition.cnn.com/election/2012/campaign-issues.html#healthcare>.
Economy. 22 October 2012. 23 October 2012. <http://edition.cnn.com/election/2012/campaign-issues.html#economy>.
University, Lynn. All Candidates. 15 October 2012. 23 October 2012. <http://2012.presidential-candidates.org/>.
Virgina, University of. News and Media. 20 October 2012. 23 October 2012. .
