Political Change essays

Political Change essays In the French and Russian Revolutions, could political change have occurred without bloodshed and the use of force? In the French and Russian Revolutions, there was a lot of force and bloodshed used. Can political change occur without the use of bloodshed and force? I think it can happen, although there are very few people that have done it. There is still many years to come yet so people still have their chance to change from wars and violence to means of peace to obtain political change. If people would compromise instead of using violence we wouldnt have to fight to death and we would actually have more people alive today. Mikhail Gorbachev was one person who sought to reform society by introducing perestroika (restructuring of the economy in the former USSR) and glasnost (openness in political and cultural affairs in former Soviet Union). These reforms met stiff opposition within the Communist party, in cracys control over m any aspects of Soviet domestic life. Gorbachev in 1989 and 1990 shifted some power from the party to popularly elected legislatures and greatly strengthened the powers of the presidency. Augmentation of his constitutional prerogatives did not, however, enhance Gorbachevs ability to control developments in Eastern Europe, where Soviet influence declined republics, where rising nationalism posed a serious challenge to the viability of the Soviet state. In international affairs, Gorbachev withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan, normalized relations with China, and, after a series of meetings with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, negotiated a treaty with the U.S. to eliminate medium, and certain shorter-range missiles from the two nations nuclear arsenals. In December 1989, Gorbachev conferred with U.S. President George Bush on nuclear and chemical weapons reductions. He also met at the Vatican with John Paul 2, the first Soviet leader to have an audience wit ...

How a bill becomes a law Essays - Statutory Law, Free Essays

How a bill becomes a law Essays - Statutory Law, Free Essays How a bill becomes a law How does a bill become a law? A bill is an idea for a new law, or an idea to change or do away with an existing law. Prior to a bill becoming a law, it must be approved by the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and the President of the United States. Anyone can come up with an idea for a new law. However, only a member of Congress can introduce legislation so any one with new ideas for a new law must contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. Once their idea is researched and agreed upon, the Representative writes it into a bill and talks it over with other Representatives to try to get others to back up the bill and sponsor it. When the bill has been supported and sponsored by Representatives the bill can be introduce to the House of Representatives. Then a bill clerk in the House of Representatives assigns it a number and a reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. A t the committee member who are experts review, research, revise and closely examines the bill then opinions are gathered before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. Oftentimes, bills are referred to a subcommittee for study and hearings. Hearings provide the opportunity to put on the record the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation. When the committee has approved a bill they send it back to the House of Representatives to discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it, or have changes then the bill is ready to be voted on. If the majority of the Representatives vote in favor of the bill, the bill has passed in the House of Representatives. It is then certified by the clerk of the house and delivered to the United States Senate. At the Senate, when a bill reaches there it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the House of Representatives. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then sent to the Senate floor to be voted on. If the majority of the Senators agree to approve the bill it passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President. When a bill reaches the President of the United States, he can make one of three choices. He can sign and pass the bill into law, refuse to sign it, or veto the bill and send it back to the. House of Representatives with his reasons for the veto. If the bill should be vetoed by the President, back at the House of Representatives the bill will be voted on again. As a result, with two thirds of the Representatives and Senators support of the bill it can override the President?s veto and the bill can become a law after all.