WEEK 1

1/4/2016

Consent in politics

"Social contract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, is the view that persons’ moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Social Contract theory explains how political authority can arise in a governing system. According to social contract theory, consent is the basis of our government's control. It is because people have agreed to be ruled that governments are entitled to rule.

Based on this theory of consent, name three examples of government actions from U.S. history that U.S. residents have given consent to? When describing these three historical or contemporary moments please tell why and how the people have given consent. Tell who was or was not impacted by the government action taken that we have given consent.

NOTE: These moments in history should be directly related to the U.S. governments action or lack thereof.

Requirements for BLOG POSTS

You must write 250 words each post (due Thursday @ Midnight), Responses to two other students 50 words each (due Sunday @ midnight)
Students must post during the week the blog is assigned or it will not be graded.

109 Comments

Elena Saldivar

1/6/2016 12:35:02 pm

The 3 major government actions, which many Americans consented to that came into my mind, was the interment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. Due to that many Americans were in fear that many Japanese people living America were somehow involved in the attack or Pearl Harbor. People gave the government consent by passing the law and locking up many families of Japanese decent, many Japanese families suffered the most by this government action. The rationing of food, gas, rubber, metal and other items during the first and second world war. Many Americans consented to this was by doing what the government said. Many Americans felt a need to help at home while many of the men went off to war and this was one of the ways. If affected many people because there were certain food products that they could not make because they need a certain ingredient which was being rationed. But most learned how to make due during the time. The last government intervention which people consented to was the FDRS first part of his new deal to closed the banks for a certain amount of time which FDR called a bank holiday after the stock market crash in 1929. The way that Americans consented to the bank holiday was by letting the bank holiday take action. Many Americans need to find a way out of this depression and were allowing the government to intervene. The depression affected everyone, but the end result was excellent.

Yunlin Xie

1/7/2016 11:52:40 am

When it comes to the internment of Japanese, first I want to say people's consent is understandable because of Japanese's attack on Pearl Harbor. However, I have to say it was really a huge disaster for Japanese people, they were just ordinary people, they worked for America and paid tax for America, they did not do anything wrong. They were so unfortunate comparing to a lot of lucky illegal immigrants nowadays. Recently, some illegal immigrants own American citizenship, have the citizens' right to vote, and enjoy the government welfare, even though they entered this country illegally and they do not work hard to make a living by themselves. This is also a tough issue for government, so government collect money(high tax) from native workers and legal immigrant workers.

Jesmane Sanches

1/8/2016 01:11:42 am

Your sentiment towards "illegal immigrants" is exactly why so many are victims of violence and trafficking within the U.S. system. Immigrants do pay taxes regardless of it being under the table because of their status. They do have to pay taxes when they purchase things whether it's gas for a truck or groceries. Not to mention that they also pay income taxes and even Social Security with their fake numbers--if they have them. Not all immigrants are on welfare and if they are it should be more concerning why people are pushed to be a part of these programs in the first place. That being due to economic disparity which is linked to class, race and gender. Approximately 14,500-17,500 undocumented immigrants are forced into human trafficking and that is every year and rough estimation. These are women, men and children--many of whom are too poor to obtain citizenship or are in too much danger back home to wait to be processed. Many immigrants come to the U.S. for political asylum and the oppressive governments that the U.S. put there or encouraged to spring up. Your sentiment displaces and rips apart whole families some of whom are deported and gruesomely killed for even leaving. It is not about paying higher taxes, it's about dividing people of color up and scapegoating each other like the people in power want us to. So we don't notice what they're up to. Undocumented immigrants are the backbone of agriculture, construction, security and the food industry. They are exponentially more likely to be victimized by those native workers and are forced into field work slums where their employers withhold wages, unlivable housing situations which doesn't have to include plumbling, with 80% of women and children being raped crossing the border and enduring further violence from employers. ICE is raiding homes as we speak all because the U.S. doesn't want to take responsibility for their poor immigration policy and the violent government regimes they placed in those countries. It is not fair these people have known nothing but fear no matter where they live.

Justine Calso

1/7/2016 05:25:07 pm

During the time of internment camps, Marshal Law went into play for Japanese-American citizens. I understand why the government felt they had to relocate Japanese families, but in retrospect, the whole situation could have been handled a lot better. I also didn't like how the government paid reparations to families, thinking the amount they gave was enough. These families lost their homes, belongings, the trust of their neighbors, their reputation and jobs.

Justine Calso

1/7/2016 05:26:13 pm

Martial Law*

Kevin Manago

1/10/2016 08:47:44 pm

One thing I noticed with what you wrote is that you mention Japanese a lot with the internment camps. I think that not just Japanese were involved with it, but anyone of Asian descent. Even though it was labeled as the internment of Japanese Americans, in reality, it was the internment of Asian Americans.

Lawrence Erispe

1/10/2016 09:43:46 pm

It is unfair that they put Japanese-Americans in internment camps and not German-Americans in internment camps as well. Though most of the United State’s focus was on Japan so I could understand why they would do that, but they should be fair. If anything German-Americans would be a more dangerous threat given you cannot tell whether they still have ties to Germany and how many generations has it been since their family moved to America.

Tyler Standlee

1/6/2016 04:00:39 pm

The first major government action that Americans gave consent to was the patriot act. After the attacks on the twin towers the people were terrified and wanted something done about it so the people's elected officials wrote the patriot act in an attempt to prevent these attacks from happening again. The majority of the people went along with the belief that giving up some liberties for more security was a fair trade. However fourteen years later people have second thoughts. Another major government action was the manifest destiny country expansion of the nineteenth century. The government wanted westward expansion but to get the people on there side they told the people it was there manifest destiny to expand from coast to coast and that it would provide the people with more financial oppertunites. However this also led to a war with Mexico and the relocation of countless Native American tribes. A final major government action was with the Zimmerman note before world war one. The note was Germany asking for a partnership with Mexico in the case of America entering the war. Even after finding out about the note President Wilson still had no intention of bringing America into the war. However after finding out about the note the people demanded that something be done and America stepped into the war.

Adriana Serna

1/7/2016 01:40:28 am

I also thought of writing about the patriot act. I had mixed emotions about the whole thing. Yes, during that time we were all scared and out of desperation we thought that the governments access to our personal computers and information would protect us against terrorism but how much is it really helping? With the governments eyes watching our every move is it hurting us instead? I've heard of young toddlers not being able to board a plane because their name is the same as another suspected terrorist. And it did nothing to stop the San Bernardino shooting, however much it was involved with terrorist. It's such a controversial subject.

Trevor Davies

1/10/2016 05:39:59 pm

After 9/11 Americans’ mindsets have shifted from feeling relatively safe in the confines of the United States to feeling fear and planning retribution. I agree that people, without a doubt, allowed the government to implement laws, like the Patriot Act, intended to monitor the people’s safety. But as today’s technological savviness has increased, the governments reach into our lives has increased, whether or not individuals have proven to be criminals. In my opinion if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.

Lawrence Erispe

1/10/2016 09:49:52 pm

I actually did a speech/debate paper on the Patriot Act and I was against it, not because I actually am but because that was what the teacher told me to write in perspective of. In all honesty, even though it infringes on personal privacy I am willing to let that go if that means that my family and I will be safer. With that being said, it seems the United States is not using it the right way and using for other things than the safety of the citizens.

George Boxberger

1/10/2016 11:48:09 pm

I agree that the Patriot Act was technically consented to by Americans, but you also do have to remember the post-9/11 atmosphere and Americans' unwillingness to question anything that their government did. 9/11 increased a nationalistic sentiment across the United States that pushed more and more people to support Bush's policies. Often, terrorists' goals include causing people to act irrationally and make poor decisions, so the United States government played right into their hands by passing the Patriot Act, which resulted in the sacrifice of various civil liberties that Americans are entitled to.

Justine Calso

1/6/2016 10:06:23 pm

One thing U.S. residents gave consent to during the 1920’s was prohibition. Women were afraid of being abused while men were under the influence of alcohol. They also didn’t want men to spend their income and the money they had saved on alcohol when it could have been used to buy more important things. They advocated and wrote pamphlets to get their message out. In the end, the 18th amendment which prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol was passed. The next thing that the U.S. government acted upon due to the consent of its people was to end the war in Vietnam. Those who were sent to serve in Vietnam were mainly young men in college. After the Tet offensive, a number of American soldiers died. Because radios and television broadcasted the unfolding events, U.S. residents saw the mass casualties. Americans knew the truth without the government being able to censor it. Protests broke out all over the country and eventually, Nixon pulled us out of the war. Lastly, FDR’s New Deal saved Americans and solved problems that the Great Depression had left. Citizens lived in tin roof houses, had little to eat and needed work to provide for their families. They also wanted a president who could pull them out of economic turmoil after Hoover left office. Since FDR focused on reform, relief and recovery, he was able to provide just that. His New Deal provided jobs for men all over the country, which was favored by many.

Adriana Serna

1/7/2016 02:01:16 am

What I find interesting about the Prohibition is that it had good intentions, like improving character and reducing crime but it actually caused more crime then ever seen at that time, creating hundreds of criminals like Al Capone among others. The economy lost well over a billion dollars from lost tax on liquor. And hundreds died from tainted bootlegged alcohol. If there was a prohibition today, it might go the same way, downhill. Although the amount of underage drinking and drunk driving has been a big problem for awhile.

Chrissy Bishop

1/7/2016 04:20:31 pm

Funny thing is Al Capone didn't have the greatest if IQ's and yet he was a crimal mastermind. I agree with you that prohabition did have good intentions but it didn't stop people from gettting their booze. No matter what if a person wants something they will find a way to get it. I think ending it was a good idea, I think now liqur can now be moderated in a way.

Kerem Celik

1/10/2016 01:10:12 am

I think it goes to support the age-old cliche; when there's a will, there's a way. It also shows how uprooting a long-standing tradition affected people, but people still found a way to produce and distribute bootleg alcohol.

Trevor Davies

1/10/2016 05:39:18 pm

Alcohol has proven to have its place in society, however, it has proven to cause a series of societal and personal consequences both in history and today. People have always been abusing alcohol and as we take a look back into history, it was inadvertently effecting the image and functioning of America. Something had to be done and the first responders to this were the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Without action to regulate the abuse and consumption of alcohol, who knows what could have happened to the people. In my opinion, a lot worse could have come upon us without the efforts and organizational support of the prohibition.

Kevin Manago

1/10/2016 08:49:58 pm

Good point about prohibition! I honestly didn't even think about that till I saw it and just thought, wow, that's true! I think this is a good example of the giving of consent in U.S. history, because it came with good reason. But, as we all know, this law wasn't really followed, and most people just secretly had alcohol anyway. They would hide it everywhere, and I remember learning some people hid it on parts of their body and covered it in clothes.

Adriana Serna

1/7/2016 01:21:28 am

Three examples of government action in U.S. history that residents have given consent to are racial segregation, Japanese internment camps during WWII, and the recognition of same-sex marriage. Residents gave their consent on racial segregation in the U.S. for many years by allowing the Supreme Court to make law that whites and African Americans be separated. For many years legal racial separation were unchallenged by the citizens of the U.S., both whites and those of any color. By not opposing the law in any way residents gave their consent to allow this to continue. Most but not all gave their consent because they held ideals about race, like white supremacy, that made this law okay for them. The African American community were greatly impacted by this, often humiliated or dehumanized by the fact that this law is basically stating that they are of lesser value as humans to be using the same facilities as others. Residents gave their consent on the Japanese internment camps by allowing thousands of Japanese Americans to be sent from their homes and normal life to live in the U.S. version of concentration camps. They gave their consent out loud, often voicing their hate and fear of Japanese Americans and vandalizing their homes or businesses because of what happened at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese Americans were greatly affected, most lost their homes, jobs and business, as well as friends and family. Residents gave their consent to the recognition of same-sex marriage. For many years many citizens, both of the LGBT community and supporters, voiced their want for equality for everyone which includes marriage and the legal rights to that. They did this by petitioning against opposing law and showing their support in rallies and parades. The LGBT community was impacted positively by having the same rights to marriage as others. Those not impacted were everyone opposed to same-sex marriage. Why? Because it has nothing to do with them and to think that their marriage will be affected negatively by this is unfounded.

Yunlin Xie

1/7/2016 01:00:13 pm

I always think that homosexuals and heterosexuals should be treated equally. It is very ridiculous that people who like apples require others to like what they like. Personally, I will give my consent to this government action, but I do not encourage either homosexuality or heterosexuality. Marriage should be free. Laws made for marriage should be related to protection instead of restriction.

Justine Calso

1/7/2016 05:39:18 pm

What really irks me about our government is how we claim to have separation between church and state, when clearly, that is not the case. Society talks about the religious stance of our president and presidential candidates. The government thinks they have a right to tell women what they can and cannot do to their bodies. For example, they consider abortion a sin, even if it causes health problems to the mother or if the child was the result of sexual assault. From a young age, we memorize and recite The Pledge of Allegiance, which mentions God. And lastly, the government thinks they are able to tell us who we are able to love, marry, and rear children with. The bible states that marriage be between a man and a woman, and anyone who thinks otherwise is committing a sin. The idea that the LGBT party cannot have the right to be with who they want is greatly influenced by the church, and the government listened to that ideology when gay marriage was banned in the U.S.. The Bill of Rights were made to protect us from a tyrannical government, but they still try to take our basic human rights away.

Stephanie Posadas

1/10/2016 10:52:16 pm

I agree with you on these subjects, same sex marriage is a big achievement for the LGBT community. But I think it also did affect people outside that community in a good way to. For example, their parents and family members. If my child was a part of this community and could not wed their significant other, it would become a problem for me, it would make me feel horrible my child was being excluded. Not only are people being excluded in that form, but also in your other subject about racial segregation. It is still happening today throughout the country with immigrant workers, students and communities. I am born and raised in east side San Jose, it isn't one of the best communities compared to Palo Alto or Fremont or even Campbell. Why? Because most of the people living here are minorities or immigrants, the schools are horrible, the teachers do not get paid fair which in return do not teach or really care about students' success. How can we raise above these racial slurs about Hispanics or other minorities when our own educators or community is of no help.

morgan brum

1/11/2016 12:12:51 am

I really like the WWII examples that everyone pretty much agreed to, but as far as the same sex marriage wouldn't that be a power that we would be getting instead of giving up a right to the government. Like I feel that we got more power instead of giving it up which is the opposite of the social contract theory

Noel Alejandre

1/14/2016 11:07:27 pm

I agree that same sex marriage has a positive impact because now they all get to experience what marriage is like and live happy. This gives them legal rights too just like any other straight couple. other minorities should do the same thing they did to rally and fight for their rights.

Yunlin Xie

1/7/2016 02:02:06 am

The first government action I want to say is the Federal Personal Income Tax. The income tax was first established during American Civil War, that’s why people are willing to pay because it was necessary. The result is that government are used to and pleased to receive this amount of money from taxpayer. As we all know, it is not a small number now. The second historical event was the Chinese Exclusion Act. Before this event, a lot of Chinese laborers did very hard job but got very low paid, so they were tolerated. However, when the California Gold Rush became very popular, people tried to seek the limited gold, animosity towards Chinese increased. A lot of families were forced to separate. In 1882, in Wyoming, 28 Chinese were killed in China Town. There is a book named Ethinic America: A History written by Thomas Sowell. This event was talked in this book. The third government action I want to talk is the Prohibition in the United States. The alcoholic beverage was banned that time. People would agreed to this because they consider the bad effects brought by alcohol. However, it was really bad for wine culture and inheritance. And statistics showed that organized crimes increased during that time.

Noel Alejandre

1/14/2016 11:13:50 pm

Its interesting how the government banned alcohol but a lot of people were still drinking. The crime that grew were those of the mafia. They used to control the underground alcohol and made a good profit of it. I think that when they banned it, it did not made a big difference on who was consuming the alcohol.

Landon Tang

1/7/2016 01:12:17 pm

The first of my three actions the government has undertook and the public consented to would be the Invasion of Afghanistan. This invasion was predicated on the location and capture of Osama Bin Laden. Intially the people supported the invasion by joining our armed forces, and voting in favor of policies that supported the invasion. The local population of Afghanistan was the group affected most by the invasion although it is important to note that negative morale and conditions endured by the local U.S population and armed forces.
The second would be the Lend Lease Act of 1941. This act allowed the U.S to supply it's allies overseas with oil, food, and raw materials during the years of 1941-1945. This act directly affected the local population of said nations by providing them with food, materials, and machines of war used to combat Nazi Germany. With a Democratic majority of the time, the bill was supported arguably on the local population level. The last action taken by government that the populace supported would be the Patriot Act. Following the September attacks, both houses of Congress voted almost unanimously in support of the Patriot Act reflected by their constinuents concern about national secruity.

Kerem Celik

1/10/2016 01:15:57 am

I think the consent towards the Iraqi invasion was, in fact, based on widespread fear directly following the 9/11 attacks. Unlike some of the other topics posted, I find it interesting how the public generally did express consent towards these military actions.

Chrissy (Christina) Bishop

1/7/2016 04:09:00 pm

The three government issues I believe that are important that we as people have no say in would be Minimum Wages, Gay Marriage and cost of schooling. We give consent to these things without even knowing. Minimum wages are not enough to live by, and when they bump up minimum wages everything else around us also bumps up. Cost of housing, the cost of food, sure you’ll get paid more for the same work, but we have to pay more to live our daily lives. Gay marriage is a big thing for me, being gay myself. Yay cool, we get to marry now but why did it have to take so long? And why isn’t every state able to sanction same sex marriages? Granted lots of people have different views on marriage, maybe that could be why it took so long. We could have had domestic partner ship or what I like to say butt buddies, but that wasn’t enough. Cost of schooling is a huge one. If you lived in California for all your life you do pay less. If you are an international student you have to pay an arm and a leg to just attend one class. I can only afford to take two classes, I work full time and go to school part time. I don’t get paid enough in retail to afford to go to school full time otherwise I would. This effects more people then none. Also trying to find a balance between school, work and your personal life. The struggle is real.

Eskarletl Ruiz

1/7/2016 10:59:51 pm

Cost of school is insanely high. Why should we have to pay for school when it used to be free/some what cheap. Financial aid only helps a bit, and doesn't offer it to everyone, like people who work, because they are making their own income. But do the financial aid offices think our work wages are going solely into education? We have other bills to pay and feed ourselves. I also know many people that are really bright and actually know what they want to do in the world, but can't afford schooling and/or have to work to help their family out. It's just sad that this is a truth in many people's lives.

Nimsy Velasquez

1/10/2016 09:54:36 pm

Yeah the cost of schooling definitely has to be a big one. Its crazy to think that if you want to be a Doctor or a Lawyer have to pay so much to have an education that will get you there. Yeah they offer help like FAFSA but some people aren't able to qualify because their parents "make to much money" and have to end up getting a loans and being in debt all their life just because they wanted to succeed.

Antonio Villa

1/7/2016 04:27:24 pm

Three examples of government actions that required the consent of the governed public in the United State would be the War on Drugs in 1971, Roe v. Wade in 1973 (supreme court ruling on abortion), and the Sleepy Lagoon trail in the era of the Zoot Suit Riots in the 1940's. When President Nixon created the Drugs Enforcement Administration and declared drugs to be the public enemy number one, paranoia swept the nations and the lack of understanding that drug abuse/addiction is a crime rather than a medical issue destroyed communities and families the same. People lost careers and loved ones and instead of receiving help which the desperately needed, they spiraled into a system which just labeled them as outcasts of society unsuitable for any workplace and removing them from the nations GDP, which is the ultimate goal, isn't it?.. To make shit. Roe v. Wade is another case that ruled in the favor for women's rights, so regardless of which side of the fence the public may land on such a sensitive issue; a woman's choice is a women's choice, and the influence of religion imposed on recent decisions for women's health coverage is ruining the well being of people who cannot afford such simple hospital visits that could be covered by clinics like Planned Parenthood, and the silent consent the public is providing is crushing the citizens of these communities. The Sleepy Lagoon trail is an example of how much media plays a role in government decisions; and how racist ideas of minority youth in possession of Marijuana can cause them to murder. This exaggerated claims of a drug the public barely understood lead the jury to believe that these Mexican-American teens were guilty of outrageous behavior in riots that were instigated by sailors in Los Angeles and guilty of another teen in Sleepy Lagoon. The public blindly follows the claims and quick-conclusions the government authority provides through fear. It is also in their agenda and best interests to keep the public deprived of knowledge of their true objective, and to keep us oppressed with the illusion of freedom and security. We all have privilege, and the incidents that occur around us while most idly watch gives them the consent to strip us of that privilege, not our rights. Rights are part of that illusion.

Melissa Nevarez

1/7/2016 10:15:11 pm

I believe that drugs did destroy a lot of the people in the communities and families out there. They cause death, crime, and abuse. Some drugs are used for medical purposes, but too much can lead to death. So to me it's more of actual drugs as in people taking them to feel good even though it's harming their body than medical purposes.

Chrissy Bishop

1/10/2016 05:36:25 pm

It is true that some people do abuse drugs and abuse others on drugs as well. But there are those whom also use drugs to medicate themselfs. I think the war on drugs made it worse for everyone. To me because drugs are so low key and hard to come by that it becomes more interesting to use for others, or they become curious on what its like to be on drugs. There are some countries where there is no war on drugs and crime rate dropped as well as abuse as well as less and less people inside rehabilitation centers.

Andrew Luft

1/9/2016 10:43:01 am

The “War on Drugs” at face value looks to be a way for the Government to deal with drug abuse through punitive punishment in the hopes of quelling national drug use altogether. However, over the past 45 years or so, drug use has remained relatively the same, while our incarceration rate has skyrocketed. While in various European countries drug use is viewed as a public health issue and as a result both their drug use and incarceration rates are much lower than ours. The real repercussions of War on Drugs have more to do with the restrictions and disabilities that are attached to people charged with felonies. Depending on the state they live in various rights are affected or temporarily removed. For example, most convicted felons lose the ability to vote, which has been viewed as a new way of establishing Jim Crow laws.

Payton Palazzolo

1/7/2016 05:44:04 pm

Although this has been previously mentioned by other classmates, I believe one of the best examples of consent in the United States occurred when the Japanese were forced into internment camps during WWII. Not only were Japanese Americans affected by this, but so were other individuals of Asian decent who were stereotyped and thrown into these camps under the assumption that they were Japanese as well. Another example could be the Government's use of our tax dollars. If you live in the United States, whether you like it or not, you have to pay taxes for just about everything. With that being said, one would think that the people paying these taxes should have a say in where these tax dollars are being spent, and how the budgeting of such tax dollars are being handled. Unfortunately, the public really has no say in how those dollars are being spent, and every year the budget is shifted towards spending 40-50% of tax dollars on our Military, 20-25% on Health, and a lowly 4% on education. My last example is the Indian Removal Act of 1830, set in place by president Andrew Jackson. The law authorized the president to "negotiate" with southern Indian tribes for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their ancestral homeland. The reason I put the word negotiate in quotation is due to that fact that there really was no negotiating when it came time for the federal government to seize the Indians land. Considering the fact that the Natives were out manned and out gunned during these "negotiations" the Natives were forced to comply and packed their bags. During their journey of relocation, up to 4,000 Indians died due to starvation and illness. This relocation process in more commonly known as the "Trail of Tears" and is truly an incomprehensible tragedy.

Eskarletl Ruiz

1/7/2016 10:48:06 pm

It really is a tragic shame that these things happened. With the Internment Camps, many races were affected because of stereotypes. Stereotyping is something that is still present today and affects people greatly. History is there to learn from past mistakes, but it seems like it has stayed the same throughout the years. People get pre-judged all the time, and after that are given labels that they did not earn or do not deserve. The same happened with the Chinese, when they could not be identified between the Japanese and both races got put into camps, unfairly.

josue monroy

1/9/2016 07:05:55 pm

the relocation of Japanese americans into internment caps during ww2 was one of the most flagrant violations of civil liberties in american history and i don't understand how they were quick to sent them to camps but still allowed them to serve in the military and put there lives in the line for the country that was keeping there family in an interment camp

josue monroy

1/7/2016 06:46:30 pm

The first major government action that people gave consent to was the sedition act during World War 1 in 1918. This act prohibited people from expressing or publishing anything that would interfere with the United States and its military forces. It was illegal to speak out against war and any act of disloyalty to the country was to be punished. This act violated the first amendment, our freedom of speech and press. People had to stay quiet and keep their opinions to them selves or otherwise face the consequences of being fined or sent to prison.
The second one occurred in late 1940s and early 1950s during the cold war this was know as the “red scare” or the “McCarthyism”. During that time the U.S feared of the expansion of communism in Europe and inside America they feared that soviet spies would pose a treat to U.S security, U.S leaders decided to take action and president Truman issued an executive order know as the “loyalty order” this order would test the loyalty of all federal employees. The paranoia soon spread all over the country this affected everyone because Saying or doing the wrong thigh could get you into trouble simply standing out from the crowd could get you labeled as a communist. People became scared of just being theme selves they felt the need to blend in with the rest
The third one is the Vietnam War from 1955 to 1975 the Vietnam War was a very unpopular war. This government action affected everyone because a lot of our money was going to the war and a lot of Americans solders were dying. Most Americans believed that our involvement in Vietnam was not accomplishing anything.

Brandon L

1/7/2016 11:22:37 pm

One interesting thing to think about is that during the early 20th century most people if not all were pro-American. Although the occasional possibility that someone wasn't, I suppose it would install some doubts about the American Government and start to dissolve the trust in between the people and the state.

Elena Saldivar

1/8/2016 11:25:23 am

First I have to say that I never knew that these laws were enacted during those time periods, even though I was very much aware of what was happing I was never fully aware of all the laws that the government put into place during those important times in history.

Stephanie Posadas

1/7/2016 07:24:30 pm

One Government law we gave consent to and is a problem for many individuals, including myself, is gun laws. The right to bear arms and not allowing people who are mentally ill to buy them. We gave consent for anyone to buy and own a gun. I feel like this affects families especially those, like myself, who live in low income communities and are surrounded by gang affiliated people who can buy these guns and be reckless with them.
Another one that I feel we gave consent the government to do, and we do not do anything about, is the government listening in into our phone calls, going through emails and etc. Most of us have these apps, such as Facebook, that ask for our consent to read, delete or alter our info. This is just said to "better" our experience on the app. When in truth, it is to sell our info and interest to 3rd parties or companies to get us into consuming their products. It reminds me of when Bush wasn't telling citizens that their phone calls were being listened into to stop any "terrorist threats or attacks".
Lastly, as most of my classmates have mentioned, deportation laws. Lately with Obama ending his presidency, raids have been happening, which I feel is wrong and only a tactic being used to scare people. My family was impacted heavily when my father was deported in a random citizenship check point on a freeway while driving his job's delivery truck. This affects many working class families and minorities who are the ones spending hours on end commuting to get to work are getting paid minimum wage or less just to make ends meet.

George Boxberger

1/10/2016 11:54:39 pm

Americans have largely given consent to the loose gun laws and gun culture that engrosses the United States, however, many members of Congress (primarily Republican) are actively trying to prevent any sort of reasonable gun control measure passed, as well as blocking funding for federal research towards gun violence. This is caused largely by extensive funding and lobbying from pro-gun groups such as the NRA, as well as hardline, uncompromising attitudes regarding the second amendment and gun ownership from Republicans. Americans are largely powerless and unable to give consent in this matter, short of a violent revolution, which is very unfeasible at this point. Congress, in this day and age, rarely follows public opinion and what everyday Americans want. The issue of gun control is no exception in that matter.

Charbel Mawad

1/15/2016 10:35:10 pm

I personally think there needs to be further verification of individuals and more intense background checks done before selling them a gun. This can also include more responsible, experienced, and aware people to work at the stores that distribute firearms. It is not the gun that is the problem. It is the person holding the gun. Just my two cents.

Kevin Manago

1/7/2016 08:07:09 pm

Throughout the course of history, consent is given for everything. Not just the action of giving consent, but the lack of consent is also a form of consent. Three specific things in US history where the form of consent was shown is on the debate of same-sex marriage, the Affordable Care Act, and the defunding of planned parenthood. Same sex marriage right now is being legalized in many different states. Same sex marriage will and always be a controversial debate because there are people who are against it. Even though we have separation of church and state, there are people who always relate gay-ism to the Bible where it mentions that "sleeping with another man" is a bad thing. Through legalization of gay marriage, consent was given through voting. Voting on allowing it, or not allowing it. I believe the only people who were really impacted by this would be same sex couples. Heterosexual couples are not really affected by legalizing this, because their lifestyle remains the same. Some only believe that it affects their life.
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is something that has been given consent by the people. The purpose of the ACA is to provide health care for low income citizens. For people who can't afford it, Obamacare exists. People give consent to Obamacare through part of their taxes. It is partially self-funded, but also takes some funds from taxes. People who aren't impacted by ACA are ones who can easily afford proper health care.
Lastly,
Planned Parenthood is important to many. As discussed in class, there are many who view this as bad, where people supposedly get abortions. What people don't realize is it also acts as support for everyone. Check-ups, birth control, and the like. Not everyone can afford amazing healthcare that takes care of all these things, and that's what planned parenthood is for. Unfortunately, people gave consent to defund planned parenthood, which impacts many people who leaned on it for support that they could not normally get anywhere else.

Landon Tang

1/10/2016 05:23:39 pm

I for one appreciate the effort Obama undertook to reform our healthcare system. I however believe that as funding and usage of this act by the public increases there needs to be higher requirements for acceptance. Someone who willingly chooses to consume drugs which deteriorates their own body siphons funding which could be used for a family who needs affordable heath care.

Keyan Mehrabi link

1/16/2016 11:43:57 am

I agree that not giving consent is a form of consent, but i also believe that unless something will specifically affect someone, then their consent or lack of consent is irrellevant. For planned parenthood and same sex marriage, that would not harm me in any way so that is why I am okay with it. As far as the healthcare goes, if the taxes is coming out of my pocket, then yes my consent or lack of consent would be relevant.

Eskarletl Ruiz

1/7/2016 08:52:47 pm

One Historical event that needed the consent of the people was the prohibition law passed, that banned the consumption of alcohol in the United States. People agreed to this because they believed with less drunk people everyone, especially women, would be safer, which is why they passed the law. However people who did not agree with this were impacted because they did not want to give up their alcohol, so they started bringing it in and selling it illegally. This brought more crime in the United States, which impacts everyone, because in an area where there is always crime people are not safe. Another example where U.S. residents give consent to government actions is when they passed segregation laws. Residents passed it because they believe themselves to be superior to every other race at the time, so they wanted separate everything like, bathrooms, schools and drinking fountains. This impacted every person in the "inferior" race because they did not choose this for themselves, and then when they have kids, those kids would suffer the same discrimination for something they cannot change. The final example is the consent to war/military. When we pay taxes half of them go to the military. A more specific example is during WWII when women filled mens jobs to make war machine parts in factories, while the men that lived in town left to go fight in the war. The people impacted mainly are the children because with their dad at war and mom working in the factory the kids were subjected to daycares full of strangers or left home alone. Another one is wanted to add, but wasn't sure about was the Lynch Laws, that were unwritten laws, but used quite often in the 1900's. People consented to them because they wanted to get rid of people they thought to be criminals or simply did not like. These laws did not need a trail so it was easy to lynch any person you did not like. You just had to accuse them of something and boom tragedies happened. (This one I was not sure of, just an extra one.)

Melissa Nevarez

1/7/2016 10:05:57 pm

I agree that alcohol pretty much provokes the crimes that go on. For example, drunk driving which causes death for both the driver and the passengers, and also rape or sexual assault towards woman. So again if there was was alcohol it could possibly decrease the crimes we have today.

4Head

1/7/2016 11:44:29 pm

sexual assault is not always towards woman FeelsBadMan

Kappa

1/7/2016 11:47:00 pm

womans*

Elena Saldivar

1/8/2016 11:38:13 am

To me it is confusing that these laws were passed, even though we live in a modern times I still half remember that it was a different time and these were the actions that the government had to make for during that time whether the intention was good or not.

Nadia Villanueva

1/7/2016 09:12:49 pm

The first example that I want to say is about the actions of the government when they deport the immigrant parents to their original countries even though their children are U.S citizens. Those kids are left here alone, specially when they are very young. There is no law for kids under 21 that can ask citizenship for their parents. I believe that those actions of separating families are very cruel, and unfair. Those families don't bother anybody do they? when people say that it is easier for adults to come and just have kids so they can get papers, that judgment it is not fair at all. Usually when people come to this country is to get a better future, many people work hard and they contribute to this country in many different ways and what do they get? being separated. Of course that this is not the case for everybody, it is just an example. Government should help these families.
The second would be the patriot act, where after 9/11 during the Bush government, it was intended as a public protection where this unconstitutional act has enable the government to invade the privacy because of the race, culture, religion. They violated the rights of every human being, and even though people get the citizenship to be free, actually they agree to be watched, followed, before they will be victims and suspects. And finally the third is about the injustice when people dont pay their taxes or they find ways to cut back significantly on their taxes and they receive benefits while many of US citizens are forced to give up money that they have worked for, while others sit comfortably on their own earnings. If we analyze better, the current income tax system is discriminatory against the middle and lower classes because it allows the wealthy to be exempt from much tax, while forcing the wage-earning worker to pay full taxes.

Melissa Nevarez

1/7/2016 09:45:19 pm

The three government actions that we gave consent to would have to be Same-Sex Marriage, National Child Search Assistance Act and Incarceration.
First is Same-Sex Marriage, it has been legalized nationwide since June 26, 2015. Sadly the court ruled the denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples and the refusal to recognize those marriages. They were more performed in other jurisdictions violates such as the Due Process and the Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Civil Rights campaign took place in the 1970s and it became an issue around 1993. The ruling led to actions by several states, to restrict marriage to male-female couples. They actually called it the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA was responsible for the federal government refusing to acknowledge State sanctioned same-sex marriages. The Supreme Court addressed the question two years later in 2015, so that same-sex married couples can be constitutionally accorded the same recognition as opposite-sex couples at state/territory/federal levels. As much as people don't approve of it till this day, same-sex marriage isn't any different, it's just like male-female marriage. It has caused many violence, but now equal rights happened which provoked any violence from happening again.
Second is National Child Search Act, it started in 1990 and it requires each Federal, state, and local law enforcement agency to enter each case of a missing child under the age of 18. About 800,000 children a year which is 2,000 a day go missing in the United States. They are either abducted by family or by strangers. Yes...the law helps on finding them and solving their cases, but what is an issue for a lot of people is that they only help when the child is under the age 18. Multiple people reported that because their child wasn't under the age of 18, the police say they couldn't do anything about it. The people were very impacted by the act, but sadly they couldn't do anything.
Finally third is Incarceration. It's one of the main forms of punishment rehabilitation, or both for the commission of felony and other offenses. The United States has the largest prison population in the world. In 2013 in the United States, there were 698 people incarcerated per 100,000 population. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2,220,300 adults were incarcerated in the US federal and state prisons and county jails. About 0.91% of adults (1 in 110) in the US resident population. 4,751,400 adults (1 in 51) we're on probation or on parole. In total, 6,899,000 adults were under correctional supervision. It impacted many people. Especially the families.

Andrew Luft

1/9/2016 10:56:56 am

The United States accounts for 5% of the world’s population, yet our prison system makes up 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. Despite many contradictory effects this has, such as all the stigma and actual deprivation of rights the title of convicted felon has, the United States has been quite resistant in changing the status quo.

josue monroy

1/9/2016 07:16:49 pm

all this money (our tax money)being wasted to build detention facilities and to keep inmates incarcerated why not use this money to keep inmates out! to create more jobs and opportunities for them to be able to sustain a life outside bars to help them create and adapt a new way of life. great blog

Trevor

1/7/2016 09:46:27 pm

Three examples of government actions that we as US citizens have given consent to are the imprisonment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, the war of drugs (specifically marijuana), and Japanese internment camps during WWII. Guantanamo Bay was repurposed after 9/11 as a detention facility to house detainees/’enemy combatants’. Citizens of the US followed in suit with the Bush Administration in holding and denying suspected terrorists of key legal rights. Upon further further conversation about the Geneva Convention, the Supreme Court decided to consider prisoner rights, but lacks in specifying how to do so. We were in fear after 9/11 and in the beginning of our ‘War on Terror’, but in allowing the US government to hold and deny detainees of human rights in order to protect ourselves from terrorists, many Afghans and Pakistanis have been impacted negatively, to say the least. Shortly after Pearl Harbor the attitude of the United States towards Japan was filled with hatred. In fear Japanese internment camps were form to contain the people during the war. The Americans gave their constant to imprison the people of that race for the duration of the war. Doing this action was against our constitutional amendment because people of all kinds have the right to a trail. Lastly, the war on drugs is a huge issue in the United States. Funding to fight against marijuana has been debated because most states now are starting to accept it to be distributed. This has become such a debate for that we have given our consent to buy and sell marijuana but when it comes to the federal government it is against the law.

Mark Joseph Eroles

1/7/2016 09:56:08 pm

One government action that the US residents gave consent to was legalizing gay marriage. Though not many liked the idea the gay marriage, those who fought for what they believed in spoke up and got their voices heard. I remember being in HS when one of the laws to legalize gay marriage did not pass. And I was going to my math class who the teacher was gay. He was crying. He gave us a short speech about equality and then kept on teaching. I'm sure my teacher is very relieved now that it has passed. What's important about this, is that this shows how much impact some people can do if they spoke up.
Another government action I think was important was the Chinese Exclusion act. Which prohibited the immigration from China.This was the first act that targeted a certain ethnic group from entering the U.S. This act would also lead to excluding other immigrants from around the world. The reason for this act was because U.S. citizens were blaming the Chinese for taking their jobs for ridiculously low wage. This created hostility among the U.S. citizens and the Chinese.

One other government action that is pretty important were the segregation laws that led to our equality. There was a lot of racism in the U.S. Before there were a lot of seperation laws that made certain ethnic groups feel either inferior or superior to each other. One of the things were that blacks and whites had seperate bathrooms and drinking fountains. Whats sad is that if you were born during that time and you weren't of the same ethnicity of the whites, you grew up to believe you were inferior. Many believed that everyone was created equal but many were also scared and did not want to fight for what they believed in.

Chelsea Payaqui

1/7/2016 10:12:20 pm

Three actions of government that we have given consent to are schooling costs, wages, and same sex marriage. It is stated that there is a division between state and church, but the government chose to create a law restricting same sex marriage over religious belief. Schooling costs are something we all have to pay. We choose to continue paying these because our society is set up as going into school straight away to get a job and try to live a prosperous life. We believe that without school, there is less of chance at a better future. Now in the world we live in, it's all about networking, but we still choose to stay in school because any extra chance is better than nothing. This ties into our wages when we get a job. Yes, I see that they're trying to raise minimum wage, but that doesn't help much when the cost of living is also rising. The wages of the working people are also skewed. There is a huge issue with the inequality of wealth distribution. It’s a problem when the top 1% of our working class makes 40% of the nation’s total income and these are data from 2012. We are at a place where the poor are stuck scraping change and the rich get richer. Then again, something is better than nothing. I believe a lot of the time we consent to these actions because we have grown up to believe that this is the way society has to be. We are constantly and consistently exposed to a world where we are told what to do that we oblige by habit.

Nancy Park

1/9/2016 08:51:33 pm

Same sex marriage was always a big issue in the United States. Before the ruling of same sex marriage to be legal all over the nation, we had to vote to give people the rights to same sex marriage. We allowed the lives of other fellow Americans be chosen through a ballot, regardless if the issue related directly to them or not.
Schooling costs are definitely something we all consent to. No one wants to pay over $30,000- $50,000 a year for college. However, the government sets education at such a high rate and deprives most of our nation's youth from attaining an education at a school of prestige. Those who can't afford to go to a 4 year private or public institution has no choice but to take loans and stay in debt, or go to a community. It's an issue that we consent to because that is the way the government sets higher education.

Charbel Mawad

1/15/2016 10:32:02 pm

There has been the debate over same sex marriage for far too long. People were able to vote and the law was just recently passed, making many gay men and women out there extremely happy. Also, the fact you bring up the poor reminds of a story I saw on the news this morning. A 5 year old boy in Lebanon was found sleeping in garbage bins on the street. Five. Years. Old. His father is no where to be found, and his mother claims to not have enough money to feed him. I was left speechless and very sad hearing his story.

Andrew Luft

1/7/2016 10:24:41 pm

Throughout the course of American history there have been countless instances of government actions that U.S. residents have given consent to. Three of these examples are drug use being treated as a criminal offense, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the recent 5% rise in tuition to attend University of California campuses. Drug use was initially criminalized in 1971 with the “War on Drugs” as someone has previously shed light on. In the following decades until the present day this punitive treatment of drug offenders has resulted in drug use being just as prevalent as ever and roughly 375,000 of our 2 million or so prisoners non-violent drug offenders who suffer not only from drug use, but also the limitations of the system, thus forcing them into a vicious cycle it is very difficult to break free of. After Pearl Harbor, which has plenty of conspiracy itself, the United States of America emphatically joined the Second World War with the newfound support of the American people. After a tedious successful effort to reclaim the Pacific the authorization was given to forever destroy the lives of many Japanese soldiers and civilians alike with the dropping of Little Boy and Fat Man on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The impact of this decision needs no explanation. More recently University of California regents pushed to increase tuition costs at UCs by 5% per year based upon the state government’s unwillingness to increase their funding. This impacts both students attending University of California campuses and tax payers in both scenarios. Whichever way you cut it someone has to shell out more money.

morgan brum

1/7/2016 10:52:31 pm

The first example of government actions from US history that US residents have given consent to was the Constitution replacing the Articles of Confederation. When our nation was born we first had the Articles of Confederation but then was extremely unstable and on the verge of collapse so we made our government more powerful by creating the three parts of a government and having a checks and balance system. Another example would be during the 1920’s when we had a prohibition law put into place to give our government more power and ban alcohol consumption. And lastly every time we pass a low to increase our taxes, we are giving up our hard earn money for whatever the government pleases. mostly for military use, taxes is a huge part of our government consent to do what they want with our money

Amit Waissman

1/7/2016 11:06:13 pm

The united states was founded on the basic principal that citizens must give their consent to new laws or acts to pass. Recently, our country's citizens all agreed that they will consent to gay marriage. Therefore a law was passed, stating that marriage is no longer restricted to just a man and a woman as it has been before. Also, by voting for certain bills and laws to pass, we can consent to where our taxes are allocated. Unfortunatley, most American citizens are blindly giving consent to tax spending, since the amount of voters is shockingly low. By continuing to pay taxes, and not bothering to vote or change tax allocation, we are consenting to go along with whatever the government has planned for the funds.A different thing we consent to is who is in charge of making the large overall plans for us, such as the president or congress. Every two years, if you choose, anyone over the age of eighteen who is an American citizen gets to vote for the president. While the president does not hold as much power as most of the people believe them to, they still hold a great deal and influence this country's future success or failure greatly. Great presidents such as Abraham Lincoln who abolished slavery, George Washington who founded this country, or Andrew Jackson who was the cause of the trail of tears. Unfortunatley, many United States citizens do not vote for congress members, or even the president. Americans seem to have a problem with blind consent, and not truly understanding how much power they hold with their vote, and the impact they can make.

Brandon L

1/7/2016 11:39:53 pm

I think the problem also lies in that certain votes do not really matter. As well as the electoral college does the voting for who becomes president. Also of course the populations density determines really how impactful your vote really is. A vote in California is much different from one of per-say Alaska's.

Brandon Lingerfelt

1/7/2016 11:06:31 pm

One if the U.S. historical moments that people gave their consent to was the Kellog-Briand Pact. A pact which did nothing to stop another World War from breaking out. It was in reality a bunch of men in a meeting signing a piece of paper because, paper could totally stop a war. I suppose the U.S. would later have this piece of written document to use against the people who have brought up the war (Germany, Japan, Italy). So written form could later be a legal basis for trials after the World War. I suppose I would personally consent to this seeing as it was a international law making war a crime. But, to really no avail did it do much for them to say it could prevent a war from coming. It didn't impact much so I could also say it didn't impact many people or any certain group of people. Only later after World War II did it have an impact, but doesn't really matter when the war is already over to have an anti-war pact that was directed at the war. Another event in history I would like to outline would be the McKinley Tariff. This Tariff Act of 1890 promptly raised the tax on many things imported to the U.S. which did help domestic companies in the U.S. But does of course restrict a lot of things that could potentially enter the U.S. either useful or not. A restriction on the U.S. people was placed just from this tariff, but obviously later they would lower the tariff tax because it appears to not be in every Americans best interest to have high tariffs. Lastly, I would include the Sherman Antitrust Act which prohibits monopolies which were rapidly growing. With enforcement of both penalties of being fined and imprisonment. Only thing is the government use this act to as well label labor unions, and farmers' co-op as forbidden trade monopolies.

brandon

1/7/2016 11:08:22 pm

of* (2nd word)

Mark Joseph Eroles

1/10/2016 10:09:45 pm

Can you explain more on the kellog-Briand Pact. What exactly was it suppose to do? And how exactly was it suppose to do it?
I remember learning about the Tariff Act. From what I remember, it was just like every other government action to help out big companies make more money while also hurting the people who needed imported goods.

Lawrence Erispe

1/7/2016 11:08:03 pm

Three examples of government actions from U.S history that U.S residents have given consent to are The Philippine-American war, The Vietnam War, and The Iraq war. The Filipino-American war began in 1899 and ended in 1902. It started after the the end of the Spanish-American war which the U.S won. After helping the Philippines win their independence the U.S turned against the Filipinos and decided to conquer the Philippines. The U.S citizens gave consent for this military action by paying taxes. By paying their taxes their money was allocated for this war. Though it was not an unpopular war it is still a human rights violation and people unwillingly and unknowingly gave consent for this war.
The Vietnam War is another example of U.S residents giving consent unwillingly. During the course of the war, it became unpopular with a significant population of Americans. As much as U.S residents did not agree with the war, they are giving consent by paying taxes. The only way around it is by not paying your taxes which is illegal and can be punishable by prison and or fines.
The last example is The Iraq war. With many people criticizing the Bush administration for their actions, this war was unpopular with people around the world and especially U.S citizens. Many saw parallels between the Iraq war and the Vietnam war as both faced harsh criticism. Specifically, the Iraq war was criticized for the legality of the invasion of Iraq, financial costs which ended up being $1.9 trillion by the end of the war, and the human rights violations. While U.S residents are questioning the Bush Administration’s policies they technically gave consent for what became a meaningless war. Again by paying taxes you helped fund the invasion of Iraq

Arienna Jones

1/10/2016 10:38:16 pm

Your post really interested me - because war wasn't the first thing I thought of, and also because it surprised me. Thats three wars that our tax dollars have funded that have caused controversies in our nation. You'd think after the first few, we'd find a way to change that. I obviously knew about each of those wars, and have relatives who have fought in them, but I never thought about the fact that even the relatives who stayed at home helped fight the wars with their tax money.

Arienna Jones

1/7/2016 11:08:05 pm

Three of the things that I believe that we, as American citizens, give silent consent to are military involvement, high cost of living, and the treatment of immigrants.
As we have discussed in class, over 50% of our taxes go to fund all military operations - even those that we don’t agree with or believe in. At some point, we don’t have a say in how our money is spent, and are forced to settle in silent consent to our authorities decisions.
The cost of living in the United States, and more specifically, in our Bay Area, is extremely high. The price things such as food and other commodities, housing, and education demand that we all, though in the richest 1% of the world’s population, pay more than is necessary to get our basic standards of living. Despite the ridiculousness of this, we still buy groceries, go out to eat, purchase homes, and attend school.
We, as citizens of this country, give consent, more often than we realize, for the government to mistreat those who are not. Because of America’s prosperity and power, many suffering people overseas throughout history have seen it as the perfect place to escape to – but there have been many times in America’s history that immigrants were not allowed to cross our borders, and if they were, they received very poor, even inhumane treatment. Through our taxes, votes and other forms of support for our government, we silently stood by while these people suffered in our country.

Nancy Park

1/9/2016 09:19:32 pm

I also mentioned in my post about the use and paying of taxes. It's so crazy to me that we pay almost 9% of a sale to the government. Despite the percentages that are given to us, we still don't know how every single dollar is exactly spent.
This nation is built on prosperity and consumerism. We allow this to be the value of Americans. People are categorized into how wealthy they are and most of the time, immigrants are on the bottom ladder of society. Many immigrants are given less priority than those who are natural born citizens. It isn't as apparent but it does happen.

Landon Tang

1/10/2016 05:28:09 pm

Federal and State budgets/spending are public record. You might not know exactly how each dollar is spent but you can generalize the direction tax dollars are used on both the federal and state level.

Kays Nassman

1/7/2016 11:16:29 pm

I am going to be honest and say that is it 11pm, and I have been blank all day on this subject, so I am sure that I am struggling to understand what this is about. Its definitely something I do not understand, however, I think 3 simple "Social Contracts" that we agree to in todays society, are things like driving on the road, and this entails, responding to law enforcement, the rules of the road or when they have a checkpoint and check every single car for IDs, and info. Another one I can think of, is something like "drug testing" for jobs. I think that, yes its important, but also feel like if someone is applying for the job, and they are qualified , and have a good history of work they should be able to interview and be eligible to be hired. I think another form of social contract is when we sign up for anything social media related. I know i definitely do not read through those "agreements" that we all just "check the box" and sign up. I can say that I don't want my information shared, but thats exactly what happens. When I search my name on the internet, pictures pop up, links to my other social medias pop, and tons of other stuff that is somehow linked to me.

Mark Joseph Eroles

1/10/2016 10:21:39 pm

It's okay, I didn't quite know what to post for this assignment either. Your first example is sort of a government action. the Government did make up a bunch of laws for the safety of everyone on the road. Your other two examples are more of contracts with companies. You don't exactly have to work for them or use their stuff, but if you wanted to, you had to agree to their rules.

Nancy Park

1/7/2016 11:29:12 pm

Three events or issues that occurred in the U.S. that residents gave consent to include the creation of the Constitution, minimum wage laws, and the paying of taxes. The Constitution is written for the People, however, the People were represented by a group of white males. Once it was written, it became the “supreme law of the land” and has been upheld since that time in history. No one during our period of history weighed in on it, but yet, we follow the laws that were written by men who we only know from history books.

Many people complain about minimum wage, but when it is time to vote, they don’t voice themselves. Not too long ago, Oakland voted on the proposition to raise the minimum wage. There were those who were for it and those who weren’t. When the proposition passed, it affected those who were making minimum wage, because they will now have an opportunity to make more money. It affects those who were against it because they have to deal it.

So why do we pay taxes on clothes and groceries? The government makes it mandatory for us, the consumers of the U.S. We don’t know why exactly we have to pay this every time we shop or where that money is being put to use, but everyone still pays it. We the People give consent to the government to enforce such action. This action affects everyone who buys consumer goods in this nation and anyone outside of this country, or those exempt from taxes, aren’t affected. Lucky them!

Arienna Jones

1/10/2016 10:32:51 pm

Your first point is a good one, and not something I've really thought about before. Its true that many people were misrepresented or just not represented at all in that time period! But my thought is that the amendments that were later "added on" to the Constitution have allowed for growth in that area. Since the time of the writing of the Constitution, many new laws have been put into place - such as women's suffrage, the abolition of slavery, etc. So yes, nothing has changed in the Constitution, and we still follow what it says (for the most part), but I think that our period of history, and all other periods between ours and that one, have had the opportunity to contribute to the way we live.

Maria Garcia

1/7/2016 11:31:08 pm

Three government actions that US citizens gave consent to are tuition fees for colleges, segregation, and police brutality. Tuition fees are a problem for a lot of people because they can be so outrageously high. Yet we give consent to the high prices by continuing to pay them to get an education in order to live a decent life. The people that are mostly impacted by this are students from low budget households. Another thing US citizens gave consent to was segregation. For years people just let segregation happen in the US without doing much to stop it. The government let it happen and the citizens just followed behind which was just like giving consent. The people most affected by this were the citizens that were not of that white race. one more thing US citizens have given their consent to are the lack of consequences of police brutality. This has most definitely been a huge thing in today's society. When police brutality happens it becomes a huge thing that everyone wants to talk and do something about. Although once that things settle down regarding the case that police officer usually gets off with little or no consequences for the act they committed. We, as US citizens, are giving consent to the fact that these police officers are not receiving any consequences. Any US citizen can be affected by police brutality. With no major consequence for police brutality I feel like it will just continue to happen more often.

Matthew Mullen

1/9/2016 12:16:13 am

Though all three of your points are compelling, the one that I am most passionate about is police brutality. I agree, U.S. citizens lash out against it in these terrible, barbaric ways in the streets for example, but that doesn’t really bring justice to the situation. Right now, I think laws should be put in place to have higher consequences for police who commit brutal violence on the job and have voters take away the consent to these blatant injustices at once.

Jessica Peregrino

1/10/2016 12:34:22 pm

I certainly agree with your statement about tuition fees for college and that they have raised to a point where it is ridiculous to pay when some people have low income. They can get help from the government by receiving money from the government but they must obtain the qualifications they are looking for.

Kays Nassman

1/10/2016 08:22:20 pm

I agree with the high costs of school. Its difficult for one to pay school tuition. For me, its working full time, and 4 classes per week. When you d both they take time from each other, which means less money. On top of that, if you don't take enough credits... you are limited to the amount of help/ financial aid you can receive, BUT we pay it, and those who work and go to school and are independent students struggle.

Rohit Mathew

1/10/2016 10:41:57 pm

Its really easy for me to relate to the segment where you spoke about the tuition fee's being so high. Whats even worse is the lack of student welfare(aid) that the government fails to provide to those who are inquisitive to learn, but slightly less financially fortunate. Like said in "we should not have to pay to learn".

Rohit Mathew

1/7/2016 11:39:40 pm

Some examples of government actions that US citizens have given consent to are- 1) The invasion of privacy under President Bush's administration. In 2005, George W. Bush had authorized the NSA to monitor phone calls and emails as well. This started without the courts permission and without the consent of any of the citizens. Later, when it was leaked that such an act had been authorized, an argument arose as to whether it was morally right to give the government access to our private life. Majority of the citizens were in favor of this, as they felt and still feel... that this is the right way to tackle terrorism, even if it may be at the cost of ones privacy. Yet, recent surveys show that the NSA were unable to monitor any significant threat using this method. This general public had been affected the most by this as they were under constant surveillance, every message that was sent, every picture that was posted, even our web history's... they had and still have access to it all. Would a person truly be able to be themselves if they were constantly being watched?.
2) The Hiroshima bombings, occurred during WW2 and its impacts are felt till today. Mortality levels of people who were affected by the radiations have reduced, they face cancer threats, leukemia, birth defects, etc. Whilst these bombings may be justified in the American history books... in reality it seemed to me as though the Americans were getting back at the Japanese for Pearl Harbor. As a matter of fact, the Japanese were months into negotiating a surrender, yet their proposal was in vein as they realized Hiroshima had been bombed.

3) Deportation, Citizens had given consent to eradicate immigrants from entering America, they blamed them for taking up jobs and criminal activities. Some citizens even go to the extent as to say " how ungrateful these immigrants are, after all that we have done for them". Whereas, majority of these immigrants are just hoping to achieve a basic standard of living. The people who I find ungrateful are the people who don't appreciate the stability that these immigrants bring to the US. They do much of the dirty work that many of us would neglect and find beneath us to do. Their sheer numbers help run this country efficiently. The reason why things on the top of the table run so smoothly is because of the effort people are putting in at the lower end.

Antonio Villa

1/10/2016 09:29:03 pm

I feel the fear and hate in some of the speech used to keep immigrants out and support for the policies that enforce it. I notice the numbers that are welcomed in and serve as huge assets to the nation's top industries. Although their value isn't completely recognized, the fear of the southern border is far bolder of a presence in our government. It instills fear in the hearts of citizens who are misinformed and it brings fear to the lives of actual immigrant families who are seeking a better life. It contradicts the whole idea of this country foundation.

Nimsy Velasquez

1/10/2016 09:32:11 pm

I agree with you in all your points you mentioned on Deportation. It really has been a controversial topic for many years, but what i think is most important is that all the immigrants that come to this country is that they to be able to provided a better life and future for their families. and like you mentioned they are mostly the only ones who are wiling to do all the dirty and hard work that is working in the fields to be able to provided that.

Maria Garcia

1/10/2016 11:11:25 pm

I agree, I don't think it's right about the fact that the government has and still does monitor everything that we do on our phones. We as human beings have the right to our privacy and should not have to worry about being watched all the time. Sadly that's the world we live in though where no one can be trusted and everyone has to be watched.

Matthew Mullen

1/7/2016 11:42:38 pm

The first example of U.S. residents giving consent to a government action is when the U.S. dropped an Atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many U.S. citizens gave to consent to killing the 129,000 people who were killed because they were scared of the Japanese after the Pearl Harbor attacks and wanted to avenge the lives that were loss at Pearl Harbor as well as make sure this ended the Japanese’s aggressions in WW2 against the U.S. The victims of the bombings, as well as the victims’ families of the bombings, were impacted tremendously. The second example of U.S. residents giving consent to a government action currently is the re-appeal progressions of Obama Care. Conservative voters have fought against Obama care from the beginning, wanting what they believe to be a “better quality” healthcare for a specific group of people who can afford it. Obama Care provides ten essential health benefits for almost every American, which means that the re-appeal of Obama Care would affect people who can’t afford higher cost healthcare and the re-apple would not impact the people who have a higher income because they will be able to afford a more costly health plan if Obama Care is replaced. The final example of U.S. residents giving consent to a government action is how students give consent to pay for college. Students may disagree with paying for classes but they give consent for the government to keep the standard of paying for them in tact because students, in fact, pay. They don’t agree with this, but they do pay which is consent for the government to keep the students paying. Students and their guardians are directly impacted by this government action because they are the ones paying for college, which is true for most of the students who attend college.

Rohit Mathew

1/10/2016 10:49:30 pm

I agree that the Hiroshima attacks were in response to Pearl Harbor. Yet, I didn't sense the fact that the U.S were ever scared of the Japanese, but instead they wanted to exemplify their superiority over the Japanese and thus decided to bomb them. Japan were trying to negotiate a surrender as they felt highly threatened by the Americans.

Nimsy Velasquez

1/7/2016 11:48:58 pm

Gun control, deportation, and taxes are three examples of government actions that the United States have given consent to whether we are fore it or not.
Gun control is a great example of social contract. According to the second amendment we have the right to bear arms, but when a police officer sees people with guns the immediately think the worst. And it's understandable with many events involving guns happening around the world. A majority of U.S. citizens have coincide that guns are extremely dangerous, hence the laws that control a persons right to bear arms they voted in favor for.
Deportation for many years now continues to be a controversial topic. In the state of Arizona residents have consented to keep out and evict immigrants out of the country. People give consent by not doing much about the issue. In reality immigrants have a big impact in the work force that in return keeps the costs of things down. They are willing to do all the dirty work because they need the money.
Lastly people give consent for the government to tax. It helps fund the people and the government. Taxes impact majority of the society. And even if people don't do personal taxes they still have to pay for sales tax.

Kays Nassman

1/10/2016 08:30:07 pm

Awesome topics! I think the one that speaks to me most in your post, is the gun control. I find it odd, that YES, guns are clearly dangerous, and we do have the right to bear arms, but we are now doing the opposite? Yet I have found that more often than not I hear someone questioning this issue when we have scary events like "isis attacks" and such things happening around the world. I think that the people that own the guns are to be what is wrong with the situation not the actual guns themselves. (obviously) Super interesting to me.

Janet Cisneros

1/7/2016 11:54:35 pm

"Silence implies consent" and there are many government laws we have given silent consent to because we do not do anything in our power to change it. For example I do not agree with military, and immigration actions. However, I admit that I have never voted in my life therefore my voice is not being heard. The reason why I have never voted is because I am not well informed or educated well enough on all the issues that are currently going on in the United states. I have never found myself indulged in any political discussions because at the end of the day I felt like they are all lies anyways. Now that I am getting older I am interested in learning about the government laws and the history of the united states. I have always been against war, I don't see a reason why human beings have to kill each other to obtain property and goods. But yet i pay taxes which means i am giving silent consent to support something I despise.

Jessica Peregrino

1/10/2016 12:25:46 pm

This is exactly what I do as well. I do not vote because I am not informed of what is happening and I pay taxes which is something that I despise as well. I agree that we should be against wars because the the world we live in is violent and they learn from the others which leads to everyone killing each other.

Keyan Mehrabi link

1/16/2016 11:40:04 am

I agree with this and to continue what you were saying, yes we pay taxes for things we may not support and it is a shame because we have no choice. If we don't pay the taxes, we will end up getting screwed anyway so it really doesnt make any sense. Freedom is just a title they give you, but it doesn't mean you actually have it. You only have freedom when it benefits the government. And as far as immigration, i wish they would allow every single person that wants to come to America come, it would be fun.

Lorena Gonzalez

1/7/2016 11:59:08 pm

An example of consented government would be based on the second amendment of the United States constitution. This was implied consent that states "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,..." This represents that people give power to the government to make decisions based on what the government feels is appropriate and fare. One example of this would be when the government feels they need to go to war, the citizens of this country really don't have a standing on the decision. They have to trust the government will succeed and defend the country.

Jesmane Sanches

1/7/2016 11:59:50 pm

I think a few instances where U.S. citizens fall into complacent consent is in it’s attitudes or lack there of towards immigrants or refugees. These are evident in instances of the the 2009 Operation “Fast and Furious,” repeated assassinations and murders of democrats in Central and South America, and trade agreements like CAFTA and NAFTA. The U.S. has repeatedly intervened in Central and South America under false pretenses. Operation Fast and Furious allowed the Bearau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed hundreds of guns to be smuggled into Mexico to “combat narcos” when they were arming them. These guns contributed to full massacres, entire families dead--indirectly to this covert supplicant. A subdivision of the Operation called “Castaway” where they intentionally supplied criminals and arms traffickers in Colombia, Honduras and Venezuela. An estimated 2,000 guns were supplied to high-ranking cartel. U.S. citizens wouldn’t have known about it en mass if not for the death of a Boarder Patrol officer and even then Attorney General Eric Holder called it political theater. The deaths of hundreds was entertainment! The U.S. CIA has intervened repeatedly in the political affairs of Central and South America: from overthrowing liberals from 1927-1980, killing the democratically elected president Salvador Allende only to put in a puppet politician to spy and control Chile, or the 1927 Treaty of Bucareli prohibiting Mexico from making advancements in large technology such as airplanes, industry machines and motors which the details won’t be available to the public until 2023. CAFTA and NAFTA have displaced hundreds of workers in unlivable conditions as deforestation and environmental hazards skyrocket. The U.S. Has left these places in disarray that’s one of the reasons why so many people immigrate to the U.S. We are the backbone of your agriculture. It’s not a matter of luck and yes. We do pay taxes.

Matthew Mullen

1/9/2016 12:02:48 am

You have written about very specific instances about consent to government actions that I actually never heard of, so thank you for shedding some light on this. So the reason you say Americans gave consent to these government actions was through taxes? Or is the point that that is not consent at all and the government is totally taking advantage of the tax payers? I find it interesting that U.S. citizens would not have even heard of the horrific events you’ve spoken of if it wasn’t for the murder of the border patrol officer. I will definitely research further into these terrible events.

Jesmane Sanches

1/9/2016 03:27:58 pm

The taxes comment was in response to Yunlin's comment on how undocumented immigrants are lazy, welfare queens that don't pay taxes. The point is that not only is the U.S. government enacting these motions with tax dollars and are not held accountable because we have media meant to keep citizens distracted with information they think they want which leads to political motions and corporate censorship under the Bill Clinton, but I mean presidents before him have modeled news outlets and newspaper to keep citizens ignorant. The issue is a lot more complex than pointing fingers at just the government. It is the government, corporations and the people who buy into those corporations that then loop into how our government runs for corporations--not the people. Even then there is the social sickness of dominant culture not caring about what happens on the boarder and or further south. Going even further as to scapegoat or exploit people crossing over. What I have mentioned doesn't even begin to describe why Central and South America are suffering at the hand of the U.S. directly and indirectly. What has been happening on the boarder and in a much broader history are crimes against humanity all the way back to colonization. The U.S. has never stopped doing what happened then, they've simply more surreptitious about it.

Jessica Peregrino

1/8/2016 12:00:21 am

Taxes, gay marriage, and church and state are three examples of government actions that the United States have given consent to. When we pay taxes, they are going towards railroads, buildings, streets, etc. But most of our taxes have gone to plan parenthood and many people have complained about it sine they do not support abortion. Gay marriage on the other hand is a problem to many people in this country because there are a lot of people who are against gay marriage. They also think that gay people are different from heterosexual people but they are not. Gay people are the same as heterosexual people. Then, as for church and state, in the Constitution, it is clearly stated that there is the word "God" or "he" is stated in the statement. But these three government actions are not the only ones the government has given consent to.

Antonio Villa

1/10/2016 09:39:06 pm

The need for the government to loop-hole their way into incorporating God and religion into it's politics and on it's currency is because it causes deep fear, glorifies them as divine and with God, while all who oppose us are demonized, wrong and to be feared. Religion is a double edged sword because it is all in it's interpretation that leads to individual's action and agency. It can lead to many good things but it causes just as much damage and has no place in the government and especially not in the education of our youth in publicly founded schools.

Maria Garcia

1/10/2016 11:18:34 pm

I agree with you completely about Gay marriage and homosexuals. Homosexuals are no different than heterosexuals. I don't understand why people make such a big deal about being gay. There is nothing wrong with it in my opinion and gay people should definitely have all the same rights as heterosexuals.

Juan Espinoza

1/8/2016 01:07:28 am

Racial borders is one of my issues that we all give unknowing concent to. Racial borders divide our people into different classes ad certain ideologies ab

Juan Espinoza

1/8/2016 01:51:22 am

Racial borders is one of my issues that we all have given unknowing power too, I say power because it created this wall amongst all races that everyone has there own perspective about a certain race which is not ok. It has created a belief amongst lower class people "people of color" (doesn't apply to all) that we are not smart enough to work for something better than a minimum wage job or hard labor. I have had my own family state that me becoming a doctor is only a dream and that I should be more realistic because I will never get that opportunity due to the color of my skin. I chose to become a doctor and earn my degree that will cost me 12 agonizing years in order to complete the requirements of becoming an anesthesiologist. Not only am I chasing a dream with my career, I'm also looking to change the boundaries amongst race and color. I want to show those youngsters in the streets that gang violence isn't the only outcome of my people. Because as a Mexican American born and raised by the Bay Area I've seen many of my friends and family members become a victim of the streets. They get involved in gangs because they see this as a family who is going to protect them from anything and anyone at any cost including death. For me to see my own people become a part of this violence is insane because they don't see any other way that in a way they feel obligated due to the color of there skin. It involves an easy way into prisons, drug addictions or your grave. All of which I feel like my government has a role in playing this out because it's towards there convenience because it eliminates us, weakens our people, and provides free labor as soon as we get into prisons. I've had swat teams arrive in family events and have us all on our knees with guns pointed at our heads because of false accusations towards family members. I know that this racial border amongst us all has been created to keep us apart but I know that my purpose in life is to end all that is unequal, unjust, and unfair. Ending racial inequality would bring peace and peace in my community would mean that friends and family members can find a better job than slanging drugs to our own people. Less prisons more schools. No ideologies about different race. No social status because of the color of my skin. No more blood on my streets

Stephanie Posadas

1/10/2016 11:20:41 pm

I believe what you are trying to say is that society has tried their best to bring down Mexican Americans in schools, communities and in jobs. It is true in a way and I agree, some people do not have options and are scared to reach out and find better jobs, some work in fields or big companies under false social numbers or under the table and do not get paid far. This is not enough for them to support their families, and what do youngsters do? fall into gangs where they feel accepted and do crimes to show a sign of rebellion against what teachers or managers who talked down on them. We should have clubs or organizations that are more available and welcoming into these low income communities to help our people rise above.

George Boxberger

1/8/2016 11:51:11 am

The first example that US residents had given to is the Iraq War in 2003. Although protests had occurred within the United States, public opinion surrounding the Iraq War had largely been one of support for military action. The United States, still in shock over the September 11 terrorist attacks, were convinced that Iraq posed a real and credible threat to the United States, and therefore permitted the Bush administration to unilaterally declare war on Iraq (without a declaration of war, or UN approval). Ultimately, all US citizens were impacted by the Bush administration's decision to declare war on Iraq, as it contributed trillions of dollars to our national deficit, which the taxpayers will pay towards for the foreseeable future. Additionally, the US’s decision to declare war on Iraq was largely viewed in a negative light in the international community, and contributed to a decline in American prestige and credibility around the world, which indirectly affects American citizens. The Iraq War also greatly contributed to the current state of instability in Iraq and Syria, as well as the Middle East in general, and arguably was the greatest contributor to the emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS), which poses a dangerous threat to the United States and its allies.

The second example of Americans giving consent to government action was during the Cold War. During the Cold War, the Second Red Scare occurred, part of a reaction to left-wing movements around the world, namely communism. During the Second Red Scare, the US government unconstitutionally limited the first amendment rights of Americans, the right to free speech, by suppressing left-wing dissenters and using censorship in order to prevent communists from influencing American society. American citizens, during the time, consented to its government's actions, believing communism to be such a significant threat that they gave permission to their government to unilaterally limit free speech based on the supposed threat of communism. The US government used fear mongering tactics in order to influence public opinion more and more against communism and the Soviet Union, and succeeded in doing so, largely due to consent from citizens, and the lack of a counter or reactionary movement. This also influenced American politics, in that it forced people to self-censor, and made it difficult for a left-wing political party or movement to gain traction in the US. Thousands of Americans were negatively impacted, as they were often interrogated and accused of being a communist, or sympathetic to communist movements, often despite a lack of evidence to indict them.

Finally, in the early 80's, Americans consented to the sweeping tax cuts enacted and lobbied for by the newly elected president at the time, Ronald Reagan. His ideology of Reaganomics and Supply-Side economics, or "trickle-down" economics was largely accepted by most Americans. Reagan proclaimed that these tax cuts would ultimately boost the economy, and boasted about their supposed benefit to business owners, and said it would lead to many jobs being created. These large tax cuts benefitted wealthy investors and business owners, and ultimately negatively impacted the middle class. Social spending was largely decreased, as Reagan's neoliberal ideology of less government was pushed upon the American people with little to no resistance at the time. His policy of lower taxes for the rich, and discouraging government assistance and social spending in favor of smaller government, arguably and most likely contributed to the high levels of income inequality seen in the United States even today. Wages have not risen for Americans in almost 40 years due to stagnation, which can largely be traced back to Reagan's policies. Ultimately, Reagan's supply side economics benefited large corporations and wealthy people, while going against the interests of the American middle class. The tax cuts, while across the board, gave the wealthy more power and influence in the government, and lowered the upward mobility and earning potential of the vast majority of Americans.

Kerem Celik

1/10/2016 01:24:46 am

Three examples of public consent towards government actions include the war on drugs, the Iraqi invasion, and taxes. In the mid-to-late 20th century, the United States launched a 'War on Drugs' that has been largely ineffective and created more harm than good. By using fear, the War has managed to incarcerate immense amounts of people, mostly minorities, and has torn families apart, as well as failing to provide proper rehabilitation for drug addicts. Selling less than an ounce of marijuana is a felony in most states, and can lead to a prison sentence. Following the September 11 attacks, the United States scared the public using buzzwords such as 'WMDs', 'Al Qaeda', and 'jihad', and used this to justify their attacks in Iraq, mostly based on speculation, and yet another example of the US meddling in foreign affairs. The existence of weapons of mass destructions was never proven and none were even found, but this did not stop us from entering and creating massive destruction, and killing countless civilians. We selfishly justify this as defense from terrorists, when in reality, to these people, we are the terrorists. A final example of consent are taxes. We are forced to pay taxes by living in this country. Every time we buy something, we pay sales tax as part of the full price. We are legally required to state our earnings and pay income tax. However, we do not know where the money we give the government goes, and unfortunately, the people do not get to decide where these tax dollars go.

Calvin Nuttall

1/14/2016 04:11:32 pm

Recently, one example of how the American people have given consent for a government action has been the decision to reform the healthcare system by electing now-President Barack Obama. Previously, a lot of focus had been on the broken and unaffordable healthcare industry in America, seen as a corporate scam by many, which makes the cost of living extremely high for individuals with health problems. When the presidential election of 2008 came along, Barack Obama was one of the main candidates for the Democratic Party. A key plank in his platform was the reform of the healthcare system, to make it more equitable so everyone can afford to have health coverage, and to make it accessible for those who have pre-existing health conditions which make it difficult for them to get coverage, because health insurance companies see them as poor investments. By electing President Obama, the American people gave direct democratic consent for the reforming of their healthcare laws. Even if they voted for Obama for other reasons, the consequence is their consent being given for healthcare reform, because electing a president is a package-deal.

Similarly, Americans agreed to conduct the War on Terror by re-electing George W. Bush. His presidency, while overall unsuccessful during his first term when he intended to become America’s “education President,” was rescued when the 9-11 terror attacks allowed him to hold the reigns of an enormous amount of nationalist energy in the country, and rode it to victory in his reelection. He took America into the Second Gulf War at the behest of an angry, fearful US electorate. The terror attacks provided an excellent opportunity for the president, who was able to ride the tides of war to popular success. Many blame George for the war, but the American people’s reaction to 9-11 gave him the opportunity.

More directly, in statewide politics, US citizens can give their states’ governments direct consent to carry out certain actions, and especially to enact or approve state legislature. The Initiative and Referendums system in many states, including California, allow a popular vote on what are called “ballot initiatives,” pieces of legislature which are on the ballot for voters to approve, or existing law which the voters are given the opportunity to strike down. In California, US citizens allowed their state government to ban same-sex marriage by voting in favor of Proposition 8 in 2008. The Proposition defined a marriage, as recognized by the State of California, as existing only between a man and a woman. This was an oppression expressly permitted by the people of California, imposed on a minority population within its borders.

Noel Alejandre

1/14/2016 09:48:24 pm

Some of the major consents given to the government by the people are Same Sex Marriage, Prohibition and The Patriot Act. Same sex marriage has always been prohibited in the US and no one could actually marry each other legally. After many many years of the LGBT struggling trying to have equal rights like everyone, they finally were able to get a license to marry each other and in every state of the country. The Gay community is the one that benefited from this and the anti gay protesters did not get anything for protesting. Prohibition was the stop of using alcohol because they all believed that it was not good to use it. They got rid of all the alcohol available and made it a crime to drink any alcohol or even have it. Of course not everyone follows the rules and there were a few people that still drink it. Most of the people drinking it had to do it on the low, so they would not get caught. The mafia during that time was the one controlling the alcohol, but they were doing it illegally. The other time when the US residents gave consent to the government was in the patriot act. They gave the government the right to be able to check backgrounds, keep an eye out for certain individuals and monitor what they do online. This is a way to fight terrorism in the US. this act passed right after 911 because the American people wanted to feel protected against any future attacks. After president bush signed the act, a few years later president Obama had to signed an extension to the patriot act. Giving more security to the American people. This are three consents that the American people gave the government.

Charbel Mawad

1/15/2016 10:24:05 pm

First of all, one of the most recent and events portraying U.S. citizen consent to their government, and detailing social contract theory is The Iraq War, which began with George W. Bush and his administration. Their actions, which ultimately led to the terrorist bombings on 9/11 and the formation of ISIS, created a state of crisis amongst Americans. Ultimately, the people of the U.S. bought into this fear, and sold themselves in multiple ways to become part of the governments work, either by physically joining the military or be reaffirming the administrations values they heard through the media. We are still being affected by the propaganda used throughout the past 14 or so years. We have only recently found out the extent to which the government spied and collected data on its own citizens. This is a second example of consent given by the people to the government in exchange for a false sense of security. The government and many citizens argue that if one is not doing anything wrong, they don’t have anything to hide. On the other hand, some argue that the principle of solidarity of citizens is being breached by the powers sworn to reflect the citizen’s values. Only in recent years, with the development of sites like Wikileaks and through the help of government agent snitches, have we discovered the deceitful non-disclosure of widespread government access nationwide. The third example is as follows. As U.S. citizens, we all understand our basic human rights, and many of us who have basic knowledge of the U.S. constitution know a little about our judicial rights as well. Most concerning of these is that our expectation of judicial sentencing only after due process is being undermined. In fear of our safety and freedoms as citizens, many citizens are having their freedom and safety compromised. Many citizens on U.S. soil have been detained indefinitely and citizens abroad, who have the same legal rights, have been detained and even killed without a legal due process. This shows us that fear is still very present nationally, even many years after Bush’s presidency.

Keyan Mehrabi link

1/16/2016 11:29:31 am

When I started thinking about this issue, the first thing that came to my mind was the Native Americans. Native Americans have had many issues with the federal government, because white Americans have given consent to push out and strip Native Americans from their land. Ran by white America, the Native Americans couldn't do much in the fight to keep what is theirs. This resulted in the suffering of the Natives. They still hold some land in which the White Americans don't appreciate, but there is not much they can do anymore. Not to point any fingers, but some people refer to undocumented people who have moved here to better their lives as "illegal immigrants," but they don't realize that everything that has happened in American history has never followed any rules. Do you guys really think that all the people that live here came here in a fair and legal process? The people that own all these businesses, hospitals, farms, etc, if they weren't born somewhere else, there is a great chance that someone in their family migrated here years and years ago. So it is not right for us to be against people coming to America, whether they have papers or not. In my opinion, the more people the merrier. Another issue that has happened in when we were all alive, is the war on Iraq. After what happened on September 11, Americans citizens or should i say "White America", gave consent for us to go to war. Till this day many people still believe that it was our duty to go to war, but the reality is that no, it was pointless and a waste of time, money and resources. Too many people were killed on both sides and that shouldn't have happened. Right now our economy would be way better if that war did not happen. Another thing that American citizens have given consent to in some states, is the legalization of marijuana. This has resulted in happy citizens and no more arrests for marijuana. What do you guys think on these issues in American History?

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Consent in politics

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THE BEAUTYOF BLACKCREATION

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THE BEAUTY

OF BLACK

CREATION

ABOUT US

JOURNALS

SUBMISSIONS