Government Critical Analysis

"We need a new Constitution" by Larry J. Sabato; Los Angeles Times; October 10, 2007.

The editorial's target audience was the people and the Government. Sabato used the media to connect this Government issue to the people through the Los Angeles Times. He also targeted all three policy making institutions which include: the congress, the presidency, and the courts. Sabato targeted the people, because they are the ones who can support him and bring more to the table in this debate. He target all three policy making institutions because they are the institutions that can actually change the constitution.

The first point brought up by Sabato is Restoring the war powers balance. Sabato states that the legislature and the President have unequal war powers and that the President has more control. He believes the President should have the freedom to commit troops for up to six months, then have both houses of Congress vote to decide if the troops are to stay at war or to be withdrawn. He then points out under which Presidents and wars this reform could have been used in, such as, Vietnam and Iraq.

The second point brought up by Sabato is Creating a more representative Senate. He first states that just 17 percent of the American population elects a majority of the U.S. Senate and that it's because the size of a state doesn't matter, they each have only two U.S. Senators. Sabato believes that larger populated states should have one to two more Senators.

The third point brought up by Sabato is Transforming presidential elections. Sabato first states that the nation needs a more sensible system so that it would no longer be subject to a few states. He believes that more populated states should receive additional electors so that a candidate who loses the popular vote can no longer become President; he wants a more simple, Electoral College based election.

Sabato's fourth and final point is Ending second-class citizenship. Sabato first reminds us that only "natural born" citizens can be elected as President, and that about 14.4 million Americans were not born in the U.S. and that there are 30,000 of them who risk life to defend those enjoying first-class citizenship. He believes that any American who has been a citizen for at least 20 years should have the right to aspire to the White House.

The points in which I agree with Sabato on are Restoring the war powers balance, Creating a more representative Senate, and Ending second-class citizenship. On the other hand I disagree with Transforming presidential elections.

Restoring the war powers balance is a good point because there have been a few wars, and more to come, that have needed and will need a better balance of war powers. For example, we could have used Sabato's new reform in Vietnam and Iraq. We were at war for so many years with just the President deciding what to do