An Analysis and Evaluation of Rep.Tammy Baldwin's Respect for Marriage Research Paper

An Analysis and Evaluation of Rep.Tammy Baldwin's Respect for Marriage Act - Research Paper Example If arguing from a utilitarian standpoint, I will be able to prove that the Baldwin’s decision to push for the Respect for Marriage Act is in fact a morally good decision. I will be able to do this despite rebuttals from the critics of utilitarianism and the proponents of Kantian ethics. The issue of same-sex marriage has always been a moral issue in the United States, as well as in the rest of the world. In the United States, despite the American Psychiatric Association declaring in 1973 that homosexuality is not a disease (â€Å"Facts about Homosexuality,† UCDavis), religious and conservative groups in the country have maintained their stance on homosexuality despite the fact that European countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as neighboring Canada, have instituted same-sex marriages (Robinson). Despite the fact that the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia have already begun issuing m arriage licenses to same-sex couples, 37 states are still under the Defense of Marriage Act (â€Å"Same-Sex Marriage,† NCSL). This means that the majority of the states, as well as the federal government, still do not recognize the sanctity and legality of same-sex marriages even in those states that allow such kind of marital union. This is where Wisconsin Representative Tammy Baldwin comes in and her Respect for Marriage Act. This bill, which is sponsored by 108 members of the Congress (â€Å"Openly-Gay,† NPR.org), is, according to Baldwin, the answer to the â€Å"unconstitutional† and â€Å"un-American† Defense of Marriage Act (â€Å"Openly-Gay,† NPR.org). The Respect for Marriage Act, if enacted, will repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and will restore the rights of same-sex marriage couples to receive the benefits of marriage as prescribed by federal law. Another purpose of the bill is for same-sex marriages in the states that institute them t o be recognized by the federal government as well as the other states that do not institute such a type of marriage (â€Å"Respect for Marriage Act,† HRC.org; â€Å"Political Positions†). In fact, the bill was re-introduced in Congress on March 16, 2011 (â€Å"Respect for Marriage Act,† HRC.org). Representative Baldwin, who is one of the staunch defenders of the bill and one of the six representatives who reintroduced it in Congress (â€Å"Respect for Marriage Act,† Okeq.org), pushes for the approval of the bill with determination and conviction perhaps due to the fact that she herself is openly gay (â€Å"Openly-Gay,† NPR.org). The fact that Baldwin is homosexual herself may somehow account for her purely altruistic motives in pushing for the bill, whereas the heterosexual congressmen who cosponsor the bill may somehow do it only for hidden political agendas. Baldwin, however, may actually be motivated to do it purely for the sake of all her gay f ellows. With around 9 million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, adults in the United States who are ready to benefit from the institution of the act (â€Å"New Research,† The Williams Institute), the question now is whether this decision of Representative Baldwin is morally good or not. Based, however, on a recent Pew poll survey, 45% support same-sex marriage and 46% oppose it (â€Å"Respecting,† LA Times). This data is hopefully representative of the currently 310.5 million Americans (Schlesinger, USNews).

Political science questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political science questions - Essay Example This came as a stark contrast with the Bush Administration, who continued to state and restate the need for American forces in Iraq to continue the humanitarian mission that was started in 2003. For international relations as a whole, the Obama Doctrine means that Americans can expect more open and collaborative relationships with foreign countries. However, according to some critics, it may also lead to more appeasement to corruption and violence overseas. 2. The â€Å"Great Recession† of the late 2000s started with the 2007 financial crisis and it has affected the global economy. In 2009, the recession ended because the United States experienced two consecutive quarters of growth in GDP. Despite the official end of the recession, the U.S. still suffers from high unemployment, low home prices, and inflation. Even while these problems persist through the official end of the recession, the world is arguably in a much better place than it was in 2007 and 2008 when the financial crisis began. The global economy has adjusted by changing who is growing and who is not growing in their economies. While the United States, Russia, and much of Europe remain slow to grow after the recession, China and India continue to grow despite the slowdown. In this sense, growth in the world economy did not decrease and instead, it shifted elsewhere. 3. The American Tea Party stands for any number of populist and conservative ideals, but the members of the movement consistently state their desire to lower the national debt. They claim that the most direct path to that goal is fiscal responsibility and accountability from legislators. The primary method the Tea Party uses is protests, which they organize and carry out very effectively. Because the Tea Party is a grassroots organization, it has a broad range of support from everyday Americans. The Tea Party is also increasing in power and in the attention they receive from the national media. By having a larger number of party m embers and more attention, the Tea Party is able to put more pressure on politicians to create fiscally responsible legislation that is either neutral to the national debt or reduces it. The Tea Party puts the most pressure on Republicans because the Tea Party is often seen as an outgrowth of the Republican Party. For that reason, some prominent Republican in Congress are shifting over to embrace the Tea Party label, which appeals to a wider base of supporters and plays into the Tea Party goal of making a more responsible and accountable federal government. 4. In 2011, President Obama handed over control of the military intervention in Libya in order to allow the United Nations to carry out its long-held responsibility to maintain peace in the country. Earlier this year, a number of countries decided to take immediate military action to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya, which involved missile strikes and fly-overs by American forces. Although the United States has participated in bo mbings and surveillance of Libya, the United Nations is largely organizing the military intervention. Allowing NATO and the UN to take over but keeping a large role for the United States was an intelligent move on President Obama’s part because it demonstrates the collaborative spirit of the Obama Doctrine and it avoids the costly role that the United States took in Iraq and Afghanistan. In late March, the NATO