Opinions require thought

"For too long, the American people have had the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."  This quote is attributed to John F. Kennedy, and it perfectly crystallizes my goals for the blog assignments in GOVT 2305, U.S. Government.  Ours is a political system based on divergent views, but those views need to reflect thoughtful attention to particulars and to supporting evidence.  It's not enough to say that "Obama is harming the country", or "a good government takes care of its people", or "the government should restrict itself to its constitutional mandates".  None of those statements has any meaning without evidence, examples, clarifications.

Let's take the first statement above:  "Obama is harming the country".  In what ways, and with what decisions or actions is Obama harming the country? What is the evidence of this harm and how is it manifested?

Let's take the second statement above:  "A good government takes care of its people".  What is meant by "taking care"?  And who is meant by "its people"?  Some would argue that a government takes care of its people with assistance and support (farm subsidies, Pell grants, regulation of the stock exchange, federal insurance on bank deposits).  Others would argue that a government takes care of its people by withdrawing from such programs and letting "the market" take over.  Some would argue that subsidies to farmers only help a small group of agribusinesses, not "the people", while others would argue that agricultural subsidies have beneficial effects in the grocery aisles for ordinary Americans.  Broad statements need clarity of detail that reflects gathering of evidence and thoughtful analysis.

Let's take the third statement above:  "The government should restrict itself to its constitutional mandates".  What are the government's constitutional mandates, and are those limited grants of authority appropriate for a government of 308 million people today?  What should the government quit doing in order to return to its constitutional roots?  Should it abolish Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the CIA, regulation of food and drugs?  Did the Founders intend for the government that they created to be frozen in time, or did they intend for it to change and grow and adapt to the changing needs of the polity?

So as your blog posts this semester are drafted, edited, revised, and rewritten, please remember - opinions without thought are meaningless (and they won't get you full credit!).