Central bank

The federal reserve or central bank is a very bad thing for America and the people in it. Thomas Jefferson warned us that a central bank would be the destruction of this country, and it has been. Although the central bank has done good for the economy it has also done many bad things for it too. The central bank allow regular banks to take out loans for the people, but when some people do not pay their loans, and the bank doesn't have any money to lend out the central bank nails them out and gives them more money. America is in an immense of debt, the government borrows money from the Feds, and when they do so they have to raise taxes so the American people can pay back the Feds, this system affects the middle class the most, these people can not deal with paying more and more taxes. The federal reserve also almost destroyed the money system in America. When the Feds print large amounts of money the dollar depreciates due to it not being backed by gold. When the Feds do this it raises the inflation rate in the country which isn't good for the economy. Politicians should have listened to Thomas Jefferson because of we followed his advice we could have such a deficit in the amount of debt we are in.

Business Cycle, Recessions, and Depressions

It is tough for economists to predict the business cycle because businesses and households are constantly in a "tug of war" which means they are making plans based on how much they expect their wages and sales to increase (2 Ip). There are two different types of markets there is a Bull Market and a Bear Market. A Bull market is when economic activity is in a long term climb. Unemployment throughout the country is usually low during a Bull Market. A Bear Market is when economic activity is decreasing. High unemployment rates tend to happen more during a Bear Market. (3 Ip). The causes of economic patterns differed through history in the 1920's it was the stock market that crashed. In the 1970's and the 1990's it crashed due to a spike in oil prices. During the early 2000's it crashed from technology. Later during the mid 2000's it crashed due to a housing bubble. A recession is two consecutive quarters of declining GDP. A recession does not always become a depression, but when a recession does become a depression it usually occurs when the "bungee snaps" which means the economy stays at rock bottom for a while. (5 Ip).

The Underground Economy

"The underground economy is when people The shadow economy is a system composed of those who can't find a full-time or regular job. Workers turn to anything that pays them under the table, with no income reported and no taxes paid" (Koba 1). The underground economy is mostly people who have recently lost a job, or struggle to find a job, and take a job that pays in cash. For example someone could work with a friend who's job requires manual labor such as landscaping, or plowing. The underground economy could be beneficial because it would give people who just lost their job a source of income. It would also be beneficial because it gives blue collar workers money to put back into the economy. The underground economy could be detrimental because it causes the government to tax its citizens more to make up for the lost taxes the government didn't get paid. The underground economy also includes illegal ways of getting money such as, selling drugs, weapons, or becoming a hitman.

Spoil vs Merit System

Government officials typically use the spoil system to give friends, families, and sponsors jobs in a government position they might not be qualified for. Before 1881 it was common for presidents who just got elected to office to pick friends, family members, and sponsors or people who gave them financial help to win the election. During President Washington's campaign he elected all federalist to his cabinet positions. In 1881 James A Garfield started the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act which basically removed the spoils system, and brought in a new system the Merit System which made it harder for Presidents to elect people who didn't deserve the job into his cabinet. The Merit System gives people with proper qualifications to the cabinet positions.

Net neutrality

Net Neutrality is the "principle that internet service providers (ISP's) should give consumers access to all legal content and applications on an equal basis, without favoriting some sources or blocking others."(1). It's important consumers have net neutrality because it gives them easy access to the internet. It also gives people a right to post any idea they may have on websites. It's good for corporations like Verizon who would benefit the most because companies would pay them to have a faster connection. Businesses that are just starting off would not like this idea because they do not have the money the big companies have so their connection would not be as fast as the big companies. The FCC controls net neutrality due to the fact they control all of communications in the U.S that includes internet, and radio.

Cell phones

I believe all police officers need a search warrant to use a persons cell phone against them regardless of the situation. To use someone's personal items as evidence against them officers need a search warrant to go through the items. If the officers just went through people's phones with an unprovable cause information the person didn't want anyone to see would be exposed. In the article it states people are worried about information being deleted or remote wiping they should only turn their phone over when they see a warrant signed by a judge. In the case of Riley vs California police officers basically ruined the entire case due to a lack of precaution. If they got the search warrant and properly performed their duties then they would have proved that he was involved in the shooting. "These days law enforcement can sometimes use email to get a warrant within 15 min" (17). There's no excuse to not have a warrant if they want to bring these criminals to justice they must follow the right precautions.

Current event

The shooting of Mike Brown has taken the country by storm. The shooting not only sparked debate, but also caused riot in Ferguson MO. The question is was Mike Brown charging the officer or was he surrendering to him. Eye witnesses say they saw Brown step toward the officer. The officer then testified that he felt threatened so he fired. Although the placement of his shot could have been different the feeling of being threatened would cause anyone to do the same thing. The officer then testified that Browns fist caused him to shoot. His left was tightened as a fist, and his right reached under his shirt to grab as the officer thought was a weapon. I believe the officer could have shot Brown where he wouldn't have died, but enough for Brown to surrender. I believe this story received to much publicity. Due to the fact Brown was a young African American and the officer was white the story sparked a debate of racism. The media depict Brown as a scholar only showing him with a cap and gown on, but what they refuse to show is the life Brown really lived many pictures on the internet contain Brown with loads of money in his hands with weapons, and drugs and alcohol. I agree with the grand jury's decision with freeing officer Darren Wilson. I feel like what he did could be considered self defense because the officer felt threatened.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2014/11/29/b99ef7a8-75d3-11e4-a755-e32227229e7b_story.html