American Government Essay

has reached a dead end when it is no longer intrigued by its myths.” For a story to be considered part of a nation’s mythology it has certain criteria it has to meet. “Rip Van Winkle” is a short story written by Washington Irving right before the American Revolution. This story does not just meet all of the requirements to be considered part of our nation’s mythology it surpasses them all. The short story “Rip Van Winkle” meets all the characteristics of any mythological story, and makes an…

jury is to decide the fate of the said person on trial. The American jury trial is a constitutional right. It says so right in the sixth and seventh amendment. The jury system keeps America’s check and balances in check by giving power of fate to the hands of peers. The system of checks and balances makes sure none of the three branches have more power than the other branches. By putting the power of choice into the hands of the American people it does exactly this. With jury trials it prevents…

problems. However, the people of Guatemala know that corruption is a very real and formidable foe that plagues democracy. After living through a brutal thirty-six year civil war and the reinstatement of civilian rule, corruption became rampant. Government officials used their influence for personal gain instead of representing the people of Guatemala as they had promised. Even the most powerful officials in the country have been taken down by corruption, with…

For us Americans, the word democratic carries a special meaning that is of the utmost importance for our system of government. A democratic system of government;, also known as a Democracy, is a system in which the collective majority selects the system of government to maintain civil authority. More specifically, the elected officials within the government pass and enforce laws. In the United States, this system is maintained by checks and balances across three branches of government. Abraham…

and competent governments everywhere and an overall better society. Or not, bureaucracy can’t be all that bad and their existence was essential to a lot of human development. But first, we must consider what a bureaucracy is; according to the dictionary definition provided by ABC Clio, “a bureaucracy is an administrative system based on standardized procedures, a hierarchy of offices, and specialization of functions among experts. Although almost indispensable to modern governments,…

to be more precise. A place where citizens are oppressed under one undefeatable superpower government that has complete control over everything that happens. It’s an ugly truth that not many people know that is a reality in countries like North Korea. The novel, 1984, by George Orwell is about a dystopian world called Oceania. The main character, Winston Smith, does not agree with the overruling government (The Party) and tries to rebel against it. Much like Oceania, North Korea shares many…

the program or sent to prison. (“New Welfare Law Reduces Food Stamps Benefits” p. 32). According to Forest Jones, one in seven Americans is using their food stamp for their form of payment at the grocery store. Food stamps have always had a lot of attention and many proposals to lower the deficit (“One in Seven Americans Rely on Food Stamps”). This is one way the government has tried to enforce people abusing the program. According to, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, said, “There is a real…

In the story “Harrison Bergeron”, handicaps are given to people who may be able to possess higher authority with their intelligence. The government assumes that handicaps will create a more equal society in which one individual does not have more power/intelligence over another individual. “The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?” (P.23) Once laws are broken and are no longer enforced, the result would be a chaotic society. Laws are used to form a society…

philosophical thoughts at that time in history. In Europe, the time of the Enlightenment was taking strides as enlightened thinkers became the new celebrities. As Americans, we all know what was going on in our future country at that time. Our country was just a new group of colonies that was just starting to feel the corruption of government and European society. While our country was being taken over and formed by the settlers of North America, Europe had many other things going on.…

Today’s government is flawed, it is not perfect and neither are the people under it, but the government situation that we have today is not even close to the troublesome governments that are found in the dystopian novels 1984 and Brave New World. The term utopia describes a world that is filled with peace and happiness. A dystopia, on the other hand is a world filled with manipulation, controlling government, and sadness. In Huxley’s Brave New World he shows the reader his idea of a futuristic…