06 Sep What is one domestic policy that you would change? Why? Be sure to use your approved policy and sources identified in the Policy You Would Change activity you completed in Week 9.

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Week 10 Final Reflection:

A Policy You Would Change

Student Name

POL110 U.S. Government

Professor: Dr. Jane El-Yacoubi

I think the income tax policy should be changed. I believe that the tax system in the United States is far too complicated. I also believe if filing taxes were simplified it would let some citizens file with no return. In my opinion, America’s tax policy needs to be changed because it’s not fair as it is. Some people who work for cash are not paying taxes at all; other than paying local sales tax and taxes to drive a car or own a home. These citizens don’t put money into the federal tax system. Taxpayers’ compliance with the rules for paying taxes is so important to the functioning of the federal tax system. For these reasons, income tax reform is something that I support.

This policy can by changed using the legislative process. The first step would be for an elected Representative to sponsor a bill. For example, a bill implementing a return free system and change the tax code (Tax policy Center, 1). Next, the bill would be assigned to a committee to be studied. During this step, the committee would research the bill and revise it after careful consideration. Then the committee would vote on if the bill can be sent back to the House floor. Once the bill reaches the house floor, representatives will debate and/or amend the bill before voting (Keating, 2).

After the House votes to pass a bill to change tax law, the bill moves on to the Senate. Once the bill is in the Senate it is studied by another committee. Then the Senate will debate the bill once more and vote again. However, if the Senate decides to make changes, the bill must be sent back to the House of Representatives for concurrence. The bill will then return through the House and Senate for final approval. The last step in the legislative process would be for the bill to be sent to the President. The President is given ten days to veto the final bill or can choose to sign the bill into law (Keating, 2).

Another approach to changing the policy would be to change it through Presidential executive action. Executive action is completed by the President writing an executive order, which is a directive that manages the federal government and does not have to be approved by Congress. (Heritage, 3). Congress does have the option to turn down executive orders that exceed the scope of the president’s authority (Heritage, 3). In the case of changing tax policy, the President would write an executive order to implement a return free system. Congress can then make modifications to the executive order.

The American public can also influence a proposed policy change to implement a return free tax system. Members of Congress are elected by their home districts in their states. To be re-elected it is important for them to be accessible and keep in touch with the voters in their own districts. Voters can petition or lobby their Representatives to do something like implement a return free tax system by calling, writing letters and emailing them. Because these Representatives want to get re-elected, they want to keep their voters happy. This gives the American public a way to persuade their representatives to do what is important to them. The more persistent the voters are in asking for tax reform the more likely they are to get the attention of their Representatives so that one or more Representative will be persuaded to sponsor a bill. The same theory works for lobbying a President who has an interest in being re-elected. If a return free tax policy is important to the voters, he is likely to add it to his campaign policy platform.

Voter’s need to use this power of persuasion to make sure politicians make the American tax system more fair and less complicated.

Sources

1. Tax Policy Center. May 2020. How Could We Improve the Federal Tax System? .  https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-would-tax-system-need-change-return-free-filing.

2. Rep Bill Keating website.. No date. The Legislative Process.  https://keating.house.gov/policy-work/legislative-process.

3. The Heritage Foundation. No date. Heritage Explains Executive Orders.  https://www.heritage.org/political-process/heritage-explains/executive-orders.

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A Policy You Would Change

Matthew Jung

Strayer University

POL 110: US Government

Professor El-Yacoubi

Civil Rights Act

I want to change the civil rights act of 1964. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best policies in the history of the USA. It refers that all people should be treated equally and that discrimination against anyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, and country of origin is prohibited. The policy is complete in itself, but it is not entirely implemented. The issues of blacks, Hispanics, and immigrants are increasing each year. They are seen to be decreased in the broader range, but there are different phases and regions where civil rights are highly violated. I want the policy to include the penalty and punishment for the violation of civil rights. It will lead the change in the issues of all minorities, and the state will be prosperous.

References to be used in the discussion

Hahn, R. A., Truman, B. I., & Williams, D. R. (2018). Civil rights as determinants of public health and racial and ethnic health equity: health care, education, employment, and housing in the United States.  SSM-population health,  4, 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2017.10.006 .

Hayter, J. M. (2018). To end divisions: reflections on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In  Reconstruction and the Arc of Racial (in) Justice (pp. 130-142). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1339 HYPERLINK "https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1339&context=pilr"& HYPERLINK "https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1339&context=pilr"context=pilr .

Patel, K. S. (2018). Testing the Limits of the First Amendment: How Online Civil Rights Testing Is Protected Speech Activity.  Columbia Law Review,  118(5), 1473-1516. https://columbialawreview.org/content/testing-the-limits-of-the-first-amendment-how-online-civil-rights-testing-is-protected-speech-activity/