Judicial System Supporting Freedom

What role do judges and the judicial system play in supporting freedom? Judges and the judicial system play one of the most important roles when it comes to supporting freedom. There would be no freedom without laws restricting others from infringing on ones freedom and laws which protect an individual’s freedom. Although the laws to restrict and protect are immensely important and necessary they would mean absolutely nothing without a system to enforce them. The judicial system applies the law to each separate case. Due to every case being treated individually by the judicial system it also creates a certain degree of freedom. If cases were al treated in the same manner as every other case that would eliminate any type of freedom to defend or prosecute a case freely within the law. Other than being able to handle a case freely judges and the judicial system practice freedom by hearing cases about actual laws. The laws concerning abortion, gun control and religious practices all went through the court systems in order to determine the fairness and circumstances’ where they are needed to be restricted. it is because of the judges and judicial system that a woman has the freedom to practice abortion, or if a man has the freedom to uphold a religion publically. The courts are considered both powerful and weak when compared to other branches of government, as said by The Politics of Power (p. 238). This must also mean they play an equal part in supporting freedom as do the other two branches. In order to support freedom a system must have equal views and actions of fairness. Thus reaching a conclusion that to bring freedom to all sometimes individuals will feel as if he or she is being treated unfair; not to say individuals are being treated unfair, but can one really have complete freedom in every aspect of life without infringing on another individual’s freedom even in the tiniest measure? I do not believe so. This is why judges must apply the laws to individual cases and the judicial system should keep the laws precise and have equal consequences for varied infringements. This makes the judicial system of most importance when supporting freedom.

Chapter 7 Congress

How does the U.S. Congress, as it exists in its current structure, support and/or limit authentic representation? Congress supports authentic representation because of the way it is set up. Authentic representation is derived from the fifty States who elect and “send representatives to Washington. The reason every State is included in representation is so every State is considered while deciding laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the following powers and responsibilities of the capacity to declare war; to build support, and control the Army and Navy; to collect taxes, borrow money, and pay debt; to control immigration; to regulate commerce and set rules for overseas trade; to create courts inferior to the Supreme Court; and to establish networks of post offices and roads. Taking into consideration how much responsibility is behind all of the foregoing powers it is impossible not to have a flaw or two in the representatives of congress and the system in which each member works. A fascinating theory about congress is found in the works of John Locke, who placed legislature at the center of his vision for a good political system; unlike others who envisioned a monarchy. The role of congress is to balance powers to insure the country is never ruled in the manor of a monarch or dictatorship; it insures democracy. Congress limits authentic representation because the house and the senate are not made up by an equal amount of representatives from each state. Also Congress members do not have enough guaranteed time in office to focus on issues at hand as opposed to their personal career. Members of congress are also being ridiculed and judged unfairly based on a few unprofessional members accepting bribes; providing that all of congress is corrupt. A wider set of broad national concerns along with particular preferences and specific interests of all of the districts could be better focused on if the pressure to get reelected was taken away by not being able to serve more than one consecutive term and the corrupt greed to better ones career was taken away by having one single base salarie an no chance of gaining more money; only the chance to lose it. Here is a question, "why is congeress only split into two powers? why not give them a break and add a few more to help delegate the responsibility and power a little more thouroughly for a longer period of time?"

Public Opinion

Critical Question. Who created the criteria for which public opinion could be influenced by? Why were democratic societies even brought into function if public opinion is based upon the influence of political figures in a government, or other powerful indivduals?