Assignment #4

Assignment: Due 10/8 Choose one Article from the Constitution and choose a specific Section and a specific Clause or short paragraph (for example Article 1 Section 8 Clause 5). Write out the clause, interpret it, and explain why you chose this passage.

Choose an article from either Roll Call or Politico in the list of links on the blog page. Post the link to the article and underneath write your reaction. Do not summarize, but write your response to the article and why you chose it.

Article 1, Section 8

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; —And To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."

Clause 1

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States"

Money is power and the constitution gave congress the right to lay and collect taxes. The president has no involvement when it comes to the money but congress has all the power to it. With the power to collect taxes they must use for the debts and the protection of the United States.

I chose this passage because it can relate so much to whats going on in today's world. Especially recently the government shutdown. The differences between republicans and democrats are in every issue. Like stated in the CNN news "Congress has one key duty in the Constitution -- pass spending bills that fund the government. If it doesn't, most functions of government -- from funding agencies to paying out small business loans and processing passport requests -- grinds to a halt. But some services, like Social Security, air traffic control and active military pay, will continue to be funded. Oh, and Congress still gets paid, too." All they care about is money since they have the power of it things like this can occur. As the president unfortunately he doesn't have the power to the money but if he wants funding for something and congress wants to just be stingy because its not going to benefit them he took a step and put the government on shutdown. Health insurance is important to people and money is they key to most of these social issue. This is why i chose this clause because it is very important to our everyday life's.

POLITICO:"Lew: 'No option' for Obama if debt ceiling is hit"

My reaction: The president is a president for a reason he should

have a part of say into what’s going on. They making it seem like since he's trying to make it better let’s just make it better for us first. I honestly think this whole shutdown is a waste of time. They can’t get to a conclusion there's so many people in the congress and not one conclusion can be figured out. They just need to break it down and go through the obstacles if this goes on for long is going to affect the people worse as the days go by, whether the obstacles are good or bad the wise choices they should be making could make a well end result. I think that now nobody does anything for free. Nothing is done just because it benefits mankind we are always looking for profit or what do I get for helping u. basically if there’s no profit coming out of Obama care then why fund it or vote for it right?. We will never come out of debt and the way republicans and democrats are behaving is insanely wrong and a bad example to the people. The rich just wants to get richer so what happens to the poor!!