The guidelines of what congress is supposed to be about goes as follows: "Article I, section 8 enumerates Congress's powers to levy taxes, borrow and spend money, regulate interstate and foreign commerce, declare war, support the armed forces, create cours inferior to the Supreme Court, and, more generally, 'make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other power vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or any department or officer thereof'"(p.174). Overall Congress has held up to the majority of their Constitutional rights and laws. Congress is the one that passes those acts proposed by the president and the people, however the question of influence is a forbidding factor. "Those with the most political resources outside of Congress are in the best position to take advantage of Congress's accessibility, to cultivate relationships with its members, committee and subcommittee chairs, and party leaders" (p.201). In respect to this factor, influencing Congress and Presidential matters shifts the judgment from one side to another to create acts that might not need to be placed. This leads me to a cousin side note. My mother, Jayne Bail is a member of the Colorado Association of Mortgage Professionals. She currently is on a trip to Washington D.C. for a legislation day where state affiliates get together to see Congressmen. This may not be an area of interest to most but the view she expresses in her interview is just an example of how this system works.
Currently the mortgage industry is having major issues about the structure of their pay. She and others in the committee set out to D.C. to stop section 14-01 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which regulates how a loan originator can be paid from a transaction. They will ask Congress to impead the federal reserve board from trying to implement the regulation. Under her perception, the act should not include the section because the act was passed without proof that there was abuse or dishonesty in the first place.
"Congress is usually quite vague in its legislative instructions for agencies because it cannot anticipate all the contingencies and agency might encounter and because Congress hopes to avoid criticism and controversy by being too specific"(p.197). The previous quote illustrates that it may seem that Congress is more worried about its own reputation then setting down clear stated rules. In addition the Federal Reserve Board has not provided clear regulations and procedures of how mortgage loan orginaters are supposed to be paid or structured. Ms. Bail's hope is to get Congress involved, especially those part of Congress that don't want to get involved and would rather avoid the subject and move on. (Jayne Bail)
References: "The Politics of Power," Katznelson
Interview with Jayne Bail, Main Street Lending Corp., Secretary of Colorado Association of Mortgage Professionals.
I read Sarah’s most current post in regards to Congress and how they either support or limit representation. In my on going critical review posts, I am a big fan of reviewing someone who has chosen to review my blog. In this review I will go over both positives and negatives of Sarah’s blog, including things I think really stand out and things I think need improvement.
ReplyDeleteSomething I really like about her blog is the overall layout. I really like the background she has chosen and the color scheme throughout the entire page which makes it easy on the eyes, which is a problem in a lot of blogs. Another thing I liked was her use of references and that she provided a list of sources at the end of her posts. In her Congress post, I really enjoyed that she had an interview, which really shows she is going that extra mile to learn more about how Congress can help an industry. Pictures are always a great thing to have in your post as well; it can really help a reader get pulled in, when you have a picture.
Although I said I liked it above, I think too many quotes from a book can make a reader lose interest, especially in a blog. To me a blog is all about YOUR opinion. I like the use of sources, but I felt in the Congress post it cluttered up the real message, also in the President post as well. I want to read what Sarah thinks about the situation, but that could be just my personal opinion of blogs. I also think you need a title to your blog and that would make it even better. I didn’t see a critical question that you asked the readers either.
Overall, I think this is one of the better student blogs I have read. I hope that my comment will help Sarah to improve her blog. I will probably say it in all my critical reviews, but I really want to read a student’s personal opinions. I think a lot of students are thinking the blog is like what we post in Blackboard, but I really want to see a student get out of the mindset of “my blog is a homework assignment” and into “I want voice my honest opinion to my peers.” Great job Sarah, keep it up!
Kevin Daniel
Garrett M Law
ReplyDeletePeer Blog Review #2
MSCD Psc 1010
I chose to read and review Ms. Sarah Cozzini’s blog. I find that Sarah’s writing is insightful and intelligent. I really love the completeness of her thoughts and I wish I could incorporate in my own blog entries the required quotes as gracefully as she does. I also find that she is personally vested in many of the issues as described in her cousin side note from her most recent blog post. Her arguments are clear and well supported with more fact than inference.
Sarah’s blog posts are also very fun to read. I found that many of them incorporate meaningful pictures or graphics that support her argument and prove her understanding of the materials we are required to read. Sarah’s blog has a finite sense of critical thinking and isn’t just another college assignment to her. I really wish I had the passion she displays in her writing. I guess I’m just jaded by too much life in the underprivileged middle class.
The only weaknesses I find are in some of Sarah’s tangents. While inference and personal experience is the basis for our opinions it can make certain arguments illegitimate because of her relationship with the subject matter and her bias because of it.
Overall I haven’t read another blog with so much valid information coupled with a real sense of understanding of American government. I will make it a point to follow her posts because I enjoy her perspective and writing so much. I’m not being facetious either. I really like her blog. I’m not sure of her age but if she is the normal 19-23 college age, I would assume she is only going to get better with time.
Sarah Cozzini’s Blog: Critical Review #2
ReplyDeleteThe mission of this blog can clearly be defined as a discussion of political topics. This blog does an excellent job of defining each topic, followed by a complete explanation and support for the author’s opinion.
One of the great components of this blog is that the author presents a question for discussion under each topic. This is a very nice element because it invites the reader to think a little bit about their own opinion on the matter and makes the discussion less one sided. This is an excellent idea in regards to getting the reader involved and also learning something about other people’s opinions. Another aspect of the blog that is very enjoyable are the graphics presented along with the text. In particular I really liked the cartoon on Democracy because it adds an element of humor to the blog.
The blog is very well written and well supported with visuals. One element that could be improved is to make the blog a little bit more visually appealing. This can be accomplished through the addition of more visuals, such as pictures, videos and perhaps political surveys.
Clearly the writer has done an excellent job of discussing the various political topics. The blog employs excellent graphics, which contribute greatly to the appeal of the piece. All in all the blog’s content is very well written.