Immigration
President Barack Obama once said, “we didn’t raise the Statue of Liberty with her back to the world” (“Immigration” par. 1). American public policy welcomes immigrants because “generations of immigrants have made this country into what it is” (“Immigration” par. 1). However, in recent years, the US immigration system has been broken, and now, more than ten million people in the US live in the shadow.
To deal with this problem, Barack Obama has decided to take three actions. Firstly, he is going to secure the borders to make sure that if an individual is trying to enter the country illegitimately, he or she will be caught. Secondly, people who jeopardize public safety are to be deported. Finally, he has contributed to the accountability of undocumented immigrants.
The article is brief and precise. Besides, as far as it is published on the official site of the White House, it provides people with reliable information only.
The Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act was signed and entered into force in order to strengthen American medicine in general and Medicare in particular. This act provides people with “the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health” (“About the Law” par. 1).
Its main strengths are the coverage for young adults, the absence of limitations because of pre-existing conditions in child healthcare, a guarantee of the right to appeal, better insurance coverage, etc.
As the practice shows, people rarely read the whole law because it usually takes a lot of time. In view of this, the article is useful since it provides readers with brief and structured information regarding the differences that The Affordable Care Act makes. Besides, the Full Law is available at the same site.
Marijuana Legalization and Regulation
Marijuana legalization is one of the most topical issues of drug policy in the United States. Many people think that the prohibition of marijuana should be abolished, and cannabis products should be “regulated in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco” (“Marijuana Legalization and Regulation” par. 1).
The article shows at what stage the movement to legalize marijuana is at the current moment, and what has already been done for effective regulating, standardization, and testing of marijuana in areas where it is legal. For example, to guarantee safety and quality, “cannabis products sold to consumers should include cannabinoid profiles” (“Marijuana Legalization and Regulation” par. 8).
The article contains useful and reliable information on the topic, gives historical and statistical data.
Death Penalty Disparities
The death penalty policy is a huge part of the Criminal Justice of the United States. The recent study conducted by Frank Baumgartner and Tim Lyman in Louisiana reveals “stark disparities in the use of the death penalty, depending on the race and gender of the victim” (1).
As the study shows, people taken into custody for murdering white victims are more often convicted to death that those who have been arrested for murdering black ones. Moreover, they are four times likely to be executed. What is even more interesting is that the researchers have found “no cases in the entire history of Louisiana where a white person was executed for killing a black male” (Baumgartner and Lyman 1).
The article provides statistical data, many diagrams, and schemes, which makes the information comprehensible.
An Overview of Abortion Laws
Besides the laws that are established and regulated by the federal government, every state has its own as well. And an abortion law is not an exception.
The article overviews the states’ laws regarding abortion and summarizes the regulations and limitations, as well as determines “when and under what circumstances a woman may obtain an abortion” (“An Overview of Abortion Laws” par. 1). For example, 43 states allow this manipulation only in particular cases, 38 states require it to be performed by a licensed physician, 27 states want a woman to wait a few days before a procedure is performed, etc.
The article is useful since it provides detailed statistics, which is presented in both the text and a table. The table contains information about every single state in the United States.
What is EPA Doing about Climate Change?
Since EPA (or the United States Environmental Protection Agency) is aimed to protect the environment, public safety, and human health, the problem of climate change is one of its primary concerns.
To address the climate change issue, the agency takes several actions. First of all, it collects and analyzes different types of emissions data and tries to reduce those emissions (“What EPA is Doing about Climate Change” par. 3). Besides, EPA contributes to various studies concerning climate issues and participates in both local and international activities. Finally, this agency is a connecting link between all state governments.
The article is brief, well-structured, and helps to comprehend the principal tasks of the Environmental Protection Agency in the frames of the climate change problem.
Civil Rights and Violations
America has strong laws and government regulations aimed to protect and strengthen the powers of basic human rights. Nevertheless, there had been many cases when those rights still were violated.
The article reveals the weaknesses of different categories of American public policy and gives the examples of particular situations when the law has been broken, but the justice system “has failed to bring those responsible for torture to justice” (“World Report 2015” par. 4). The article discusses several controversial topics such as racial disparities, harsh sentencing, drug policy, health policy, the rights of women and girls, national security, and some others.
Although the information provided in the article is rather interesting, further examination of additional sources would not be superfluous.
State and Local Sales Taxes
Sales taxes are the ones that people pay when they buy different products or goods. Those are the most transparent and understandable – “consumers can reach into their pockets and see the rate printed on receipts” (Drenkard and Walczak 2). Besides sales taxes established by the federal government, the majority of the US states have the local ones as well. A study conducted by Drenkard and Walczak brings this topic to light and reveals the tax rates that people paid in 2015.
As statistics shows, 38 states have established their own local taxes, and those vary widely (Drenkard and Walczak par. 1). For example, the highest sales tax rate is 9.45%, and it is collected in Tennessee (Drenkard and Walczak par. 1). Besides the differences between the tax rates, the article also discusses the consequences of those differences.
The information is clear, comprehensible, and useful because it helps people to understand how much they pay and for what.
Money in Politics: State Campaign Finance Laws
Although “there is no right answer to the question of how large role money should play in politics,” many laws and legislations still regulate this impact (Cruikshank par. 3). As far as money can significantly affect the outcomes of political events, such as elections, its usage in politics should be as transparent as possible. And that is the central aim of the majority of the state campaign finance laws.
The article focuses on several methods of the regulation of political spending. The first one is reporting and disclosure, the second is the limitation of the amount of money that can be contributed to candidate’s campaigns, and the last one is public financing of elections.
The article is laconic, concrete, and easy to understand. Besides, it provides additional materials for a better understanding of the concept.
Illegal Immigration in the USA
Illegal immigration is one of the biggest political problems, which the US government has been trying to deal with for many years. As Krogstad and Passel state, the process of illegal immigration has noticeably slowed at the current moment, even though it still remains on the high level (par. 1).
As a proof of it, there have been “11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the US in 2014,” and this number is hardly less now (Krogstad and Passel par. 4). The article gives interesting statistics on this topic and provides a brief explanation of the US President’s actions towards immigration.
The article is interesting and easy to read. The information is well-structured and laconic. However, to explore this subject deeper, additional sources should be used.
Works Cited
About the Law. 2015. Web.
An Overview of Abortion Laws. 2015. Web.
Baumgartner, Frank R. and Tim Lyman. “Race-Of-Victim Discrepancies in Homicide and Executions, Louisiana 1976-2015.” Loyola University of New Orleans Journal of Public Interest Law (2015): 1-10. Print.
Cruikshank, Brian. State Campaign Finance Laws: An Overview. 2015. Web.
Drenkard, Scott and Jared Walczak. State and Local Sales Tax Rates. 2015. Web.
Immigration. 2014. Web.
Krogstad, Jens Manuel and Jeffrey Passel. 5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S. 2015. Web.
Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. 2015. Web.
What EPA is Doing about Climate Change. 2015. Web.
World Report 2015: United States. 2015. Web.