Voter ID Laws and Their Impact on American Democracy: Analysis Example

Discussion 1

Voter ID Laws in the states of America have been recently changing. For instance, Wison and Levendusky (2018) argue that in Arkansas Constitution Amendment 51, section 13 provides for the following. Firstly, a voter should confirm registration by producing a document indicating his or her name and photograph. This document must show the use-by date, and it should not have lapsed for a period exceeding four years ago. Secondly, a voter who may not have dispensed the necessary document or I.D. may toss a provisional ballot but with a vowed declaration that he or she has inscribed to vote in the state, and demonstrate that he or she is the said voter. In the recent advancement, Arkansas approved HB 1047 on March 24, 2017, that reestablished a non-strict, photo voter I.D. prerequisites (Wilson & Levendusky, (2018).

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Pros of Voter I.D. Laws

There are various arguments for voter I.D. laws in Arkansas. First, the laws furnish a dependable method of recognition, by showing the name, photograph, and the expiry date on a voter's I.D. (Abraham, 1955). These details give individuals an official registration. Second, the laws supply for several discerning attributes for validity. The said features include a photograph, signature, personal information, and fingerprints. It assures poll staff of the voters' rights. A third benefit is that the laws on voter I.D. lessen the possibility of voting severally by a single voter, hence avoiding election malpractices.

Cons of Voter I.D. Laws

The opponents of the voter I.D. laws base their argument on the following. Firstly, the laws deny citizens' right to vote if one does not carry dright identification. Further, the implementation of the regulations requires that voters spend more money on the ID; thus, a costly exercise (Sobel & Smith, 2009). Secondly, laws reduce voter turnouts. For example, the harsh photo I.D. requirements affect mostly the poor, minorities, and the aged hence discourages them from voting.

Is Voter Fraud a Significant Problem in the Democracy of the USA?

From my perspective, voter fraud could exist, but it is not a significant problem in our democracy. The legislation inflicted on the voter I.D. is designated to demoralize the poor and the old population from enjoying their right and freedom of vote. To illustrate, the requirements like the photo constitute a tedious and costly exercise, especially to the poor. These laws have a tremendous effect on suppressing the voter turnout as many citizens will not want to go through the rigorous registration process, which is an added burden. On the one hand, Act 633 of 2017 did not give an alternative that allows those who lack I.D.s to pen sworn affirmation and cast interim ballots.

The Media Impact on the Voter I.D. Laws

Both mass and social media have significantly impacted public opinion on voter I.D. laws. For instance, Media upskills the public on how to exercise their representative rights by voting. It informs that the election process is free from malpractices when the voter information is correct and that the best way to ensure this is through embracing the implementation of voter I.D. laws. It also takes the public views on the voter I.D. laws to enable relevant authorities to act on public opinions.

How did the Media and Voter Laws Impact the 2016 Elections in the USA?

The media had a significant influence in the 2016 elections. For instance, the social media played a crucial role in molding the pathway of essential events, which permitted citizens a great interplay with the disputes, political topography, and the talks adjoining Trump and his opponent, Clinton. On the other hand, voter laws had a remarkable influence. For example, the Democrats mentioned the requirements as an instrument to subdue voters. This mention made Clinton a winner on the popular vote, but she lost the electoral.

Differences in Voter I.D. Laws in States

There exist some differences in voter I.D. laws in different states. The existing differences may include if a voter tosses a provisional ballot in Alabama. He or she has till 5.00 PM on Friday succeeding the election to produce the indispensable I.D. In Arkansas, the same happens only that here, the voter has up to noon on Monday in the wake of the vote to present the necessary document (Highton, 2017).

Discussion 2

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The feedback provided was helpful. In a way, it motivated me to work extra hard on my final paper. However, I experienced challenges in analyzing the input to enable me to make improvements. For instance, I found the comment to be inconclusive. It lacked convincing power due to a single-sided response. My take on the same would be that the feedback, if possible, highlights both the strengths and weaknesses since, by doing so, one will be able to work on the gap the next time an assignment efficiently.

In my final paper, I will try to consider the feedback positively to permit me to do the best. Specifically, I will consider writing a final essay, with all the questions attempted logically and critically. I will also abide by all the requirements for the paper to attract an excellent remark. Nonetheless, the previous feedback gave me an insight that my Article was checked, which is a bright idea.

Most Fascinating Concept

The most intriguing concept I came across during this week was the debate about whether there is voter fraud in our democracy or if there was a possibility of some groups attempting to suppress the democratic rights of the minorities. My conclusion on the discussion is that voter fraud may exist but, it is not a significant problem, and therefore, the poor minorities may be discouraged from voting due to the strict laws imposed.

Discussion 3

The United States of America confirms to be a perpetrator of voter suppression by implementing harsh voter I.D. laws. Unfortunately, the most affected people are the minority groups, Colour, the poor, and the old population. Consequently, the victims have been discouraged from practicing their constitutional right to vote, hence underrepresented. This report analyzed the historical and lawful basis of American government structure and its relation to the voter registration policy, the policy’s involvement in the checks, and balances. Importantly, it addressed the voter registration policy, and its relationship to the public administration, impacts on voting, and the election process. Fundamentally, the report concludes by giving some of the suggestions for improving voter registration.

The Historical and Constitutional Basis of American Government Structure

The founding fathers evolved the conception of America's constitution. These founding fathers had mastered through the incidents that when a government is conceded too much authority, there is a high possibility that it will maltreat its people (Verba & Nie, 1987). Having learned from England, they feared that the centralization of power to a monarchy. It was thus clear that for a state to achieve eternal sovereignty. It was essential to control the government

To effect power control for the government, the constitution was generated to ensure power split by offering sufficient checks and balances. This structure created the three arms of government, which would serve to permit checks and balances. The branches included, first, The Executive that was headed by the President. The President's functions were also outlined and included execution and imposition of the laws penned by Congress.

The President also proceeded as the chief of state in diplomatic relations and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Moreover, the President was responsible for appointing the leads of federal bureaus and the cabinet for effective legislation execution. The Executive arm also included the Vice President, who was constitutionally mandated to resume the President's office if necessary. This branch served to supervise, impose, and generate extensive laws and directives.

The second branch was the Legislature. One of the primary functions of this arm was to formulate the laws. In the United States of America, Congress is the legislative branch of government, thus responsible for forming laws. However, it is divided into two prime categories, the House of Representatives and the Senate. All these classifications are made up of the members who are elected from the different states. The Senate was represented by two senators from each state, whereas the House was based on population.

The third branch was Judiciary. The Judiciary served as a clarifier of the complex laws, and the decider of legal and what was not. It was composed of the Supreme Court, having nine members, and appointed by the President with the Chief Justice being the President of the Judiciary. Other members of the Judiciary include lower courts, federal court, and the district court.

The historical and constitutional basis of the U.S. Government structure relates to the policy on voter registration. For instance, the U.S. A is a democratic nation, and it allows citizens to vote. The voters must, however, be validly registered to take part in the election activity. Once they are proved legible, they vote in the President and the legislatures. The President will then appoint the chief justice and carry out all constitutional duties while the Legislature will represent voters.

How is Voting Policy Involved in the Process of Checks and Balances?

The voters play a crucial role in the checks and balances. For instance, it is the voters who employ the government's three arms, that is, the is executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. Since the voters will vote for the President and the legislative members, the President will appoint the Chief Justice to lead the Judiciary (Andrias, 2015). These arms of the government work hand-in-hand to ensure that no branch is senior to the others, and as a result, the voter is served diligently and with equal rights.

Besides, once the legislative members are sworn in, they make useful laws. The process of law formation is a perfect example of checks and balances. By illustration, the legislatures institute the proposal of the vote. This bill is taken to the government's executive arm, where the President decides the eligibility of the bill to citizens (Andrias, 2015). If satisfied, then the bill is signed into law. However, if the statement does not convince the President, then he disregards it. When this happens, and the legislatures perceived the bill as essential, and for the general public's benefit, they can seek another opportunity to make it a law. This chance is only gotten by the vote counts, in which case, should they have enough of the votes, then they overturn the executive's order, and consequently making the bill into law. This process signifies the impact of the voting policy on checks and balances.

Nonetheless, the process does not just end after the bill has been made into law. The citizens can experiment with the newly formed code in the court (The Judiciary). If the proposal is unsatisfactory, the lawyers can make their arguments for or against that particular law, and the judge will give a final verdict. Again, if the Legislature is not comfortable with the Judiciary's decis...