In this editorial written by Peggy Ward-Smith with a PhD and RN degree, she discusses the history of presidential voting and how it differs from how a president is elected into office today. Our country’s first presidential election came about in 1789, with George Washington winning by a unanimous vote and Vice President John Adams winning the most votes among 11 other vice presidential candidates, Then, the 12‘“ Amendment was enacted in 1804, separating our country into two different parties: Federalists and Antj-Federalists. Today, we have the Democrats, Republicans, as well as third parties, although third parties get very little recognition. Back then, only white men that owned property were allowed to vote. After the 15′”, 19‘“, and 26’“ Amendments were created, voting rights were expanded to anyone who was of legal age.
Today, our country faces the challenge of not getting enough ballots to count because not everyone who is registered to vote actually does so. Peggy compares the transformation in voting to the changes that have happened in the health care field and encourages her audience to be active and engaged in our country and making our vote count. Debbie begins by discussing the authenticity of Barack Obama’s national identity, because the Constitution requires any presidential candidate he an American born citizen. Many debated the facts during his presidential campaign back in 2008, even after the release of his birth records, and arguments were still being made when Obama was re»elected for a second term in office four years later. This is not surprising, as “racial and ethnic exclusion are not new phenomena” (23).
Researchers conducted multiple studies and have linked the term American with a wider variety of nationalities such as African Americans, yet this political behavior persists. Research concluded that national identity, attitude, and cognition all have a direct correlation with voting responses, where American identity is highly favored with a positive regard. Previously, candidate support was based on factors such as competency, likeability, morals, and intelligence In general terms, this article talks about research conducted on individuals measuring the factors and likelihood of candidate support based on different aspects. Overall, voters favor Caucasian and American individuals for presidency of Spates, Kamesha, and Carlton Mathis. “Preserving Dignity: Rethinking Voting Rights for US, Prisoners, Lessons from South Africa. “Journal ofPan African Studies 7.6 (2014): 84- 105. Academic Search Complete. Accessed 9 November 2016.
Two professors from Kent State discuss the outcome of confiscating voting rights from anyone with a felony conviction. Research conducted has proven this to be detrimental to our democratic society, considering that “In the United States, an estimated 585 million people are currently ineligible to vote under these statutes. The article goes on to inform its audience of recent changes made in South Africa, where prisoners are now allowed to vote. This notion has set forth a reconsideration for the rights of incarcerated individuals here in our country. The majority of the article focuses on critiquing the progression of incarceration and the effect on African Americans living in the United States. Emphasis is put on how all of this has created social inequality. The professors use the Critical Race Theory to analyze the effects of voting bans and how it has “silenced” a great portion of our population.
They end by suggesting implementing new voting rights in America by applying the knowledge learned of the voting system used in South Africa. This article is written by two professors who focus on political involvement of wealthy individuals and also compares it to lower-class families in the United States. They discuss several factors in detail, such as income levels and money spent, time put into campaigning events, knowledge and education, cognitive skills, support and encouragement spread through social contact, and any other abilities All of these contribute to positive political involvement and pursuits of self-interest, Wealthier individuals tend to make monetary donations to support the candidate of their choice and also directly contact public officials, as opposed to low-income individuals. Basically, the higher the income, the more opportunity to be politically involved.
Deborah Gardner looks at the presidential candidates running this year (2016) and their propositions. More specifically, issues involving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the effects it has on health care and health insurance. Statistics included by the Commonwealth Fund are based on consumer satisfaction rates. There is hope that the Affordable Care Act will compete with all other insurance providers and create positive changes for the future well»being ofAmerica. Gardner goes on to mention Democratic and Republican approaches to health care risks. The point is to inform her readers of how health care will be affected by each presidential candidate if they are elected into office this year.
