Week 4 final draft- every student succeeds act

Running head: FINAL PAPER 1

Make-Believe Final Paper

Imaginary Student

POL – 201: American National Government

Kimberlee Neitz

December 12, 2020

FINAL PAPER 2

Make-Believe Final Paper

Discrimination may occur in several different ways. One of the most common forms of

discrimination used to be _______________________________________. The Make-Believe

Act of [year] is a law that was enacted to protect American citizens from __________________

______________ . The law was signed into place by President _________________ on [date]. In

short, the law ______________________________________________________________. The

only problem with the law is______________________________________________________.

Because it is enforced by executive departments at both federal and state levels, funded by

Congress and state legislatures, and has generated some controversy resulting in famous court

cases and rulings upon which political candidates have run for election, the law reflects

American federalism and constitutional concerns, checks and balances, public opinion, and

electoral politics all at work in the United States. I contend that the law is basically good and

very important; but it requires some minor revisions to make it even stronger, by changing the

way it ________________________________________________________.

History of The Make-Believe Act

The issue of __________________________ had been an issue until 1969 when the

_________________ Act was passed. Before that, there was a failed attempt to pass a law that

prohibited discrimination based on ________________________________ in 1938. However,

after the law was enacted in 1969, it became illegal to __________________________

________________________________ (Smith, 2009). Even though some states had laws that

protected their residents from this kind of discrimination, the laws in place had flaws that

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prevented justice from being exercised in most states. The main failure of the laws that existed

was _________________________________________________________ (Johnson, 2017).

The Make-Believe Act of [year] was designed to fix such issues. It allows for ______________

____________________________________________________________________________.

It has been a number of years since Congress passed the Make-Believe Act. Since that

time, the number of discrimination cases has __________________ significantly (Olley, 2020).

In the United States, all states are required to enforce the law with very few categorized

exceptions. The law allows individuals to file discrimination cases for

______________________________________________________________________________

(Jones, 2015). Further amendments on the law have been passed by Congress to ensure the law

protects all individuals who might be victims of this type of discrimination. A few years ago,

President ______________ signed an executive order that required _______________________

___________________________________________________________________. All these

revisions to the law ensured that Americans were protected by ___________________________

___________________________________________. Other modifications to the law have been

made on state levels, in states such as Florida and Oregon prohibiting _____________________

___________________________________________ (Olley, 2020).

The Make Believe Act in our Nation’s Checks and Balances

In addition to federalism’s differences of enforcement at the state and national levels of

government, checks and balances are additional principles outlined in our constitution to ensure

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that the branches of government control separate spheres of power while keeping each other in

check. These procedures were designed to minimize mistakes made and prevent any

inappropriate actions by government officials and groups. Checks and balances usually prevent

or reduce the chances or centralization of power within the government by ensuring no single

branch gains absolute control or forces the other parties into doing a specific task (Fine & Levin-

Waldman, 2016). The functioning of the Make-Believe Act demonstrates examples of checks

and balances within the government.

Executive branch agencies at both the federal and state levels are in charge of enforcing

the Make Believe Act (Jones, 2015). But, since the legislative branch in the United States is in

charge of government checkbooks, so to speak, those agencies are funded by Congress and state

legislatures. So, each year, legislators have to sign-off on how much the executive agencies can

spend in enforcing the law. Beyond that, some important lawsuits have been filed related to the

Make Believe Act. In 2012, the law was upheld by the Supreme Court’s famous ruling in

Sample vs Oklahoma. That case ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________ (Martinez, 2012).

The Supreme Court’s decision in that case recommended an amendment to the law that would

____________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________. So, in the following

year, Congress began drafting revised legislation, which it later passed on [date]. Those

provisions respond to the Supreme Court’s concerns by requiring that __________________

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__________________________________________________________ from now on (Martinez,

2012). In many ways, this made the law even more powerful; and it also reflects American

government’s checks and balances at work.

The Make Believe Act as Public Policy

Beyond basic checks and balances, one of the main duties of American government is to

protect its citizens. An important form of protection is the protection from discrimination. The

government fulfilled that duty to protect citizens when it passed The Make Believe Act of [year].

Even though many people accepted the law, others challenged it. For instance, the famous

lawsuits that were filed related to the Make Believe Act made headlines and have been discussed

a great deal in national and local newspapers, magazines, on television shows, and among

Americans on social media. The Pew Research Center has conducted public opinion polls that

show 87% of Americans are in favor of the law and report that it reflects important American

values. At the same time, 63% of Americans also believe it needs to be revised to

____________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________ (McIntosh, 2019).

In Jackson vs Harding, the plaintiff sued his employer for ___________________

______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________. The court ruled that

_______________________________________________________________ (Patasky, 2010).

When that case was in the headlines, some people argued that, even though the law would ensure

_________________________________________________________, more ______________

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might also happen at the same time. Some also predicted that the law would result in a decrease

in ___________________________________________________________________. That

decrease, however, has not materialized according to Pew Research Center statistics (McIntosh,

2019). Furthermore, critics, continue to speak out against the law on television news shows,

such as CBS’s 60 Minutes, demanding changes such as_______________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________(Morris et al, 2018). From their perspective, _____________

________________________________________________________________. Others agree

with the spirit of the law but claim that it needs to be revised to do ______________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(Morris et al, 2018). In summary, the Make Believe Act still stimulates public debate and ideas

even now. Public opinion for the law has been slowly increasing in recent years and continues to

evolve over time.

The Make Believe Act in American Elections

The evolution of public opinion on the issue has been a driving factor in recent elections

(Allen, 2019). _______________ discrimination had been an issue affecting American citizens

for a very long time. But media attention paid to the passage of the Make Believe Act

dramatically increased awareness of the law. Plus, the famous court cases surrounding the law in

recent decades have given political candidates an opportunity to show voters what they think

about the law when they are on the campaign trail. These public conversations help the citizens

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determine their own opinions of the law and its enforcement. But they also drive voters to the

polls sometimes.

To some people, the issue of _______________ discrimination seems like an issue that is

best prevented by ______________________________________________________________.

Research has shown that even though ____________________________________, _________

________________________________________ (Jones, 2015). A close analysis found that

many American voters believe ___________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________. Olley (2020) recently

proved that ______________________________________________________. Since that

research was published, several members of Congress have vowed to pass new legislation that

would affect the Make Believe Act by doing _______________________________________

_________________________________________ (Thompson et al, 2020). Olley’s 2020

research study has given American voters some new ideas to consider when they vote to elect or

re-elect their senators and representatives in 2022.

The Make Believe Act has already had a significant impact on modern society. Now that

we have _______________________________________________________, there is an even

bigger need for laws to protect our rights. If the law continues to be enforced as required, it will

continue to protect Americans from __________________ discrimination. But, if the law is

strengthened to ______________________________________________________________

_______________________________, it has the potential to drive more and more voters who

care about _______________________________________________ issues to the polls (Allen,

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2019). That, over time, could revolutionize American politics as we know it by encouraging

_____________________________________________________________________. As time

goes on, and more and more citizens learn the details of the Make Believe Act, more and more

members of Congress and presidential candidates will have to speak out about their positions

with respect to the law and its enforcement. Many politicians who have championed the law in

recent campaigns have been heavily rewarded for that by voters at the polls (Thompson et al,

2020). Therefore, it is safe to assume that they will continue doing so, and others may join them

in speaking more about The Make Believe Act on their own campaign trails in coming election

cycles.

Conclusion

The Make Believe Act of [year] had done a lot of good in protecting Americans from

________________ discrimination in the years since it was passed by Congress and signed into

law by President __________________. Thanks to The Make Believe Act, Americans can do

__________________________________________________ without worrying that they will

have to endure discriminatory practices. The law perfectly reflects time honored traditions in

American government, such as federalism and checks and balances. Although it has its critics, it

is overwhelmingly supported by public opinion in the United States and has been a significant

factor in recent American elections. Its only failing, in my view, is that it needs to be made even

stronger to ______________________________________________________________. That

could help ___________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________.

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References

Allen, M. (2019). Make Believe Act in review: here is what everyone should know about the

famous law. Seattle University Review, 34, 235.

Fine, T. S., & Levin-Waldman, O. M. (2016). American government (2nd ed.). Retrieved from

https://content.ashford.edu/

Johnson, J. M. (2017). An interpretation and application of the Make Believe Act: how it works

in court. Boston University Monthly, 24, 143.

Jones, M. (2015, October 19) "Why the Make Believe Act affects us all." The Washington Post

Online. Retrieved from https//fakeurl.com

McIntosh, D. (2019). The Make Believe Act by the numbers: some surprising statistics.

Retrieved from https:fakepewresearcharticle.com

Morris, S, Daniels, C., Longinger, K. and Novak, Y. (2018). When discrimination happens: who

gets hurt the worst. Journal of Women, Politics and Policy, 107, 23.

Olley, C. A. (2020). Raising new votes: politicians have figured out how to exploit the Make

Beleive Act. Tulane Law Review, 84, 499.

Potasky, N. (2010). The Goldilocks standard: how to strike a balance in court on the Make

Believe Act. American Quarterly, 16, 1.

Smith, B. (2009). The Make Believe Act: what it does, what it doesn’t do, and what it should do.

Retrieved from https:fakeurl.com.

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Thompson, E., Hammond, O,, and Santiago, P. (2020). The Make Believe Act is the new

political weapon in American elections. Retrieved from https:fakeurl.com.