A S
One thing I am eager to learn in this course is whether or not there are any major differences between the Arizona Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. I wonder that because the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and I would like to find out what makes Arizona different from other states’ Constitutions and our nation’s. This class is also a requirement to obtain a teaching certificate, so it is important for me to understand the structures of my state government.
I am curious how the rules set in 1912 can still apply to the modern society because population/make-up of the people of Arizona has changed (I am assuming) over time. When we analyze the AZ Constitution, would I feel that it is a fair set of rules for the current people of Arizona? I am an immigrant from Japan, so my background knowledge of Arizona Constitution is basic. I would like to understand it better.
T P
Good Morning,
I can’t wait to see what this class has in store for me. I have never been the greatest in U.S history and state government so hopefully this class will help me with understanding the materials. My husband on the other hand loves U.S. history and government constitution stuff, if I ever needed help or had a question, he is always my go to person to ask. I did live in Arizona for about 3 years and never really paid attrition to their state government or laws while I was there. I am curious see the difference between AZ and the state I live in now of NC. I do remember when my oldest was learning about AZ state when we lived there that AZ did become a state on valentine’s day of 1912.
F M
Good Morning,
I am excited for this class to learn more about Arizona. I am originally from North Dakota, born, raised and still reside here; so I like to read and learn about the other states. Some states are just as conservative and others not so much. I find it fun to compare and learn about new states, as well as learning new facts about my home state of North Dakota. The one thing that I have figured out, and find really interesting is how Arizona does not change time like all the other states do! Haha! Now back to the constitution and Government, I do not know much about any of it, so I am excited to read and learn about as much of it as I can in the next two weeks.
part 2
T J
Good Morning,
This kind of empowerment and legislative freedom comes with several benefits for the citizen of Arizona. While it may seem unorthodox to be able to recall judges and remove them from the position in the context of any other career it does make some kind of sense. A manager can fire an employee for anything, let’s say you work at fry’s grocery and you show up late every day that you are scheduled to work that manager can actually fire you over it. The manager could say that you are unreliable.
The con of this makes the judicial appointments more political than they previously were. While there will always be consternation from the opposition over the appointment of a judge, particularly one with a political bend they dislike, this law allows opposing parties to remove judges if they gain enough power. While no one person should have all the power we should always look at what kind of job does that one person do and basis our decisions off of that.
A P
Good morning,
A recall allows citizens to remove a judge from office before the end of their term. While this can be an important and respectable right for citizens to maintain democracy, there can be some downfalls to this allowance. For one, recalls might persuade judges to make calls based off of “popular” opinions rather than what they felt was right (McClory, 2010). Some also argue that the use of media could make it too easy to “fire” people up and pin them against judges (McClory, 2010). In a similar way, initiatives and referendums also give power to the people by allowing them to create or reject laws.
A representative democracy is one in which the people vote representatives into office who then vote in their place. Oppositely, a direct democracy is one is which the people vote on policies for themselves. This can affect state and local governments because it is gives the people more or less of a say on specific regulations. Either the people get to vote for themselves or they have to put trust in an elected official to make the calls they are in favor for.
References:
McClory, T. (2010). Understanding the Arizona Constitution (2nd ed.). Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press. ISBN-13: 9780816529445 (Available as print text only)
N M
Good Morning,
There are many positives and negatives which come from any political parties principles being embedded into a specific states constitution, however, the leaders always feel they are deciding on such with the states best interest at heart. While reading through this weeks assignment I discovered many cons, as well as pros with the democratic principles. Here are a few of the cons, people are voted into office based solely upon their popularity, not on what they bring to the table. The pros; however, are utilizing democratic principles in the constitution as it helps to give the people of Arizona more power. The constitution was very progressive for its time, and needed to be rewritten before it was accepted. This was mainly due to the ideas in the constitution being very progressive for their time, and due to many political opinions, it was hard for an agreement to be reached. Arizona even had difficulty being granted statehood, however, the enabling act allowed the foundation for Arizona to be granted statehood. The best part I would have to say about the democratic principles and ideals of the state of Arizona is that the power is in the people’s hands, nothing can be added or taken away without the peoples opinion or them knowing.
McClroy, T. (2010). Understanding the Arizona Constitution (2nd Ed.). Tucson: University of Arizona Press
