Government Shutdown Analysis

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The New York Times article that I am using is “Senate Passes Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown.” I picked this article less for what its content is, but what the article’s title conveys in regard to our recent discussions on the constitution and founding of our government system. As somewhat of a side note I will mention that I highly dislike American news outlets (I read BBC articles because there is a clear separation between opinion/analysis and facts, that is not usual seen in many American articles); which is a contributing factor to why I am writing my paper in a slightly modified structure. The main idea I want to briefly analyze and discuss is the functionality of our government system from a constitutional standpoint. The New York Times article that I am referencing focuses on the inaction of America’s two main political parties, Republicans and Democrats, to compromise and pass efficient legislation. However, I disagree with the notion that this is just a problem with the political parties; instead it is a deeper structural issue that stems from the Constitution.…show more content…
The document itself setting up a unique three tiered government system with ways to adapt to the current needs of the country and set up a system of checks and balances. However, as we read and discussed in class, the Constitution is far from a perfect political document— by leaving out a definitive answer on slavery, not being wholly inclusive of the country’s different groups, the lack of references/ systems of citizenship, and leaving many questions about state/ federal powers. The question I look to analyze is whether the perceived shortcomings of the Constitution are planned systems by the founders, if they were just a product of another time, or possibly are meant to be updated as time
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