$2 trillion underground economy may be recovery's savior

The underground economy is the work the US citizens do under the table. In this line of work no incomes are reported and no taxes are paid. The income this hidden economy brings in is beneficial. Much of the money made goes back into the economy, boosting it. Also positively many of this work is not illegal jobs. This is another factor that plays into businesses especially small being saved by cutting expenses with these workers. This economy can affect businesses from hiring workers in the first place. Negatively these underground workers affect tax payers. Taxes could be lowered if the underground workers were paying taxes. These workers do not get benefits that many jobs do such as heathcare or social security. In conclusion the bad outweighs the good with benefits and negatives. 

Net Neutrality

"The principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites."Many believe net neutrality to be primarily important for the preservation of internet freedoms. A lack of net neutrality would allow network providers to charge consumers more. "Network owners may be able to block competitor Web sites and services, as well as refuse access to those unable to pay." Small businesses and entrepreneurs have been able to thrive due to net neutrality. For big businesses this would make competition between companies. The consumers would choose what service provider has the best websites accessible loading it's data faster. For compaines that are dominant in a certain area would benefit because it would force consumers to pay the extra cost due to lack of variety of providers.   

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality#Debate_in_the_United_States

http://www.savetheinternet.com/net-neutrality-what-you-need-know-now

Spoils System vs. Merit System

The merit system of th bureaucracy is based upon a canidates ability in the process of promoting and hiring within the government. In addition the spoils system is a process in which the governmnt uses. The spoils system is based differently than the merit. Once a candidate wins their election they give political positions in their party to supporters, friends, and relatives as a "reward" for working toward their victory. These candidates using members to have an incentive to continue working toward improving their party. The merit system is mainly based off one's education and abilities through testing. 

Andrew Jackson argued during his time in office that it is healthier to hire a candidate with experience in the workforce. Also in addition he believed there was less of a chance that they wouldnn't become corrupt due to them not coming for a high social background. In result from people who believed this way the merit system formed. This system dervied from China to British India during the 17th century and then into continental Europe. The advantage of one having political connections does not matter with this system. Mainting power was the key target. Background of a potenial official is not factored into the decision of hiring. 

Cell phone blog

In the case Riley vs California the courts were able to rule against the police after David Riley was sentenced 15 years in prison due to his phone linking him to a shooting. David Riley was pulled over by San Diego police in result of his car registration being expired, they found two loaded guns and saw text messages and videos in relation to a local gang. "It's the Supreme Court's job these days to try to balance the Constitution's somewhat antique values with today's technology" (14). The fourth amendment in the constitution prohibits " unreasonable searches and seizures" (15). The lack of a warrant or permission for them to seize the phone made this against the constitution. In addition the police looking through the cell phone. The Supreme Court overruled Riley's conviction. 

The difficulty is figuring out how the 18th century amendment applies to the 21st century electronic device, this problem lead to the overturning of this case. Our Founding Fathers wrote theses amendments with the purpose of to protecimg themselves against the British soldiers. Now Americans carry around these devices with all their information on them the making it their personal property. These devices can hold evidence making them crucial to open cases. "Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged that the ruling will make things harder for police" (17).  In conclusion the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of protecting the fourth amendment and many others, the court understands that digital information needs protection too. This is "the latest example of how the courts are trying to apply the basic rights enshrined in the constitution to life in the 21st century" (14). 

U.S Government Welfare Payment to Walmart.

Walmart recieves $2.66 billion from the government each year, about 420,000 per store and $5,815 per worker. Their full time employees seek public assistance in result from their low wages. The middle class is being destroyed because of companies like Walmart that do not provide livable wages when they easily could. When the middle class jobs disappear, their is no middle class. More compaines are giving the same treatment to benefit themseleves. Customers continue to reward the companies behavior because of their cheap prices. The Federal government has to take care of their employees through medicaid, food stamps, and other social welfare programs. The author believes the "pro-business" voices of our country are in reality "closet communists". They want everything to be made in China and Americans workers to be paid like the Chinese workers. 

The issue is that Americans feed into cheap prices of Walmart and are not taking any consideration of how their employees are treated. I do not agree with Wal-Mart's poor treatment to make larger profits.  "Today, Wal-Mart employs approximately 1.2 million people in the United States, and it makes a yearly profit of about 17 billlion dollars."  In addition, "Walmart is the leading food company in the U.S (taking a one of every four dollars spent on food in the U.S)". The author adds more evidence of Wal-Mart's business success, they have the largest fleet of trucks, a larger global computer network than the pentagon, and twice the number of employees than the U.S Postal Service. The amoutn Americans alone spend $36 million dollars per hour in their stores.

The Federal government programs should only be to help people in need, and should not be needed for employed Americans especially large companyies like Wal-Mart where they have the funds to  provide a liveable paycheck to their workers. In addition these workers seek heath care, $1 billion in heath care is provided from the Federal government. The essential question of this article the author is providing is "what is the society going to look like as millions more Americans become dependent on the federal government each year?" I agree with his concern to the nation and economy as a whole. If this one business can have this much affect on the people and economy of  our country what will happen when mutliple  businesses follow in their footsteps. 

Article: http://michaelsnyder.mensnewsdaily.com/2014/12/the-2-6-billion-dollar-welfare-payment-that-the-u-s-government-gives-to-wal-mart/

Images: https://www.google.com/search?q=walmart&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS621US621&espv=1&hl=en-US&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sboxchip=Images&sa=X&ei=iGWoVJ2mFoOVNtj0gPAB&ved=0CAwQ_AUoAA&biw=1024&bih=672#imgrc=1BXD5GoY_XKBmM%253A%3BOyOP62Njq599NM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fragingtantrum.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2009%252F02%252Fwal-mart-image.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.facebook.com%252FUSANWBM%252Fapp_190322544333196%3B344%3B343

https://www.google.com/search?q=walmart&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS621US621&espv=1&hl=en-US&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sboxchip=Images&sa=X&ei=iGWoVJ2mFoOVNtj0gPAB&ved=0CAwQ_AUoAA&biw=1024&bih=672#imgrc=3UZjEHEVIx_tXM%253A%3BaRUSEb6cN1vzwM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fvisually.visually.netdna-cdn.com%252FWalMartWorld_4f96d30f38e4c.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.reddit.com%252Fr%252Fvideos%252Fcomments%252F229ki5%252Fif_walmart_paid_its_employees_a_living_wage_how%252F%253Flimit%253D500%3B1400%3B1124

Electoral College

The Electoral College evolved from fear of factions. The people did not want the big government states maintaining their rights. The states handle the voting as they see fit and allow the Feds and States the conduct the election. The main reason for the creation is to protect the elite from the poor. Our forefathers feared large masses of poor. This system is fair, it contributes to the united of the country by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president. Electoral College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two party system." Direct vote, popular sovereignty. Also enhances the status of minority interests."It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution, tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does the Congress as an institution." 
In a direct popular election, incentives for a n excessive amount of minor parties to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a president. "The Electoral College has performed its function for over 200 years (and in over 50 presidential elections) by ensuring that the President of the United States has both sufficient popular support to govern and that his popular support is sufficiently distributed throughout the country to enable him to govern effectively." Maintains a federal system of government and representation.
In the George Bush vs. Albert Gore jr. Bush dominated the electoral college. Al Gore had state popularity, resulting in the electoral college succeeding.  

http://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon.php

Head of state

Chris Rock who played the role of Mays Gilliam a presidential candidate in the movie Head of State who comically satirized the trivial nature of political parties. He was a typical average man living in the city so being chosen as a candidate came as a surprise and it was the first party to nominate a minority. When Gilliam was first chosen as a candidate his advisors put out an election commercial promoting him as a candidate, but the commercial did not include a clip of him. He did not agree with this due to the fact he had no say in the making or in the way it portrayed him in the video. The political party used Mays heroic act of saving an old women who went inside a burning building to find her cat to further him in the election. "Big business loves a hero". The party wanted to tell the people what they wanted to hear and they knew that is the only way he would have a chance of winning, just as they do today in every election. The people like a "hero" figure to look up to. As Mays tours the states he realizes that his beliefs can be heard. He comes to this realization because he discovers his advisers he thought were there for him were only in it for themselves and truly did not believe he could win. Mays's brother gives him that inspiration he needed and his campaign takes off .Gilliam also experienced opposing commercial campaigns towards him. He knew it wasn't right to put false information about someone else out to the people. During elections opposing party videos are made in hopes to persuade the votes.  

Political parties ways of lying and cheating in elections were shown through Gilliam's campaign. They are in it mainly for the money aspect. Gilliam let his advisors walk all over him in the beginning and let them be the dictator of his campaign, until he himself had the courage to defer that and take action and make the choices he believed in. Gilliam being confident at the end of the election and telling the people his true beliefs and opinions gave him the win. The movie mainly satirized the typical candidate who goes in public and on cameras and says nothing of what they are about and their beliefs to the people. 

In conclusion Mays Gilliam learned from his peers who was there for him, his brother and people like his advisors who did not stand by his side. His maturity that he grew from the election and the positive choice he made to put the campaign into his own hands brought him success.