Check on Government Power

  Which of the Eight Values of Free Expression resonates with me the most?

All eight values of free expression are very important to the First Amendment. The one that resonated with me the most is the Check on Government power. I chose this one because it makes the most sense to me. I believe that people should always be able to have a say in how their government acts. The government in the USA consists of over 330 million people so not everyone is going to agree on everything but the government should always be doing what is best for our country in the end.

Ways that we have checks on government powers as individuals over the federal government are the vertical checks and balances. This makes it so that individual citizens always have some power over how their country is being run. Without checks on government powers, the First Amendment wouldn't be how the First Amendment is today. Our rights would be significantly different. 

Ways that the individual has power over the Federal is our ability to vote on who is in office. We get to choose who we want to lead the country. This is why you should always research the views of the person who you want to be president because you want the person who you agree with on major issues to make similar decisions you would while in office. 

Check on government power can also apply within the government with checks and balances. Checks and balances make it so not one branch has more power than another and they can veto each other's ideas or decide who has power over what. 

This happens a lot in our day-to-day society. For example, the debate over whether the state or federal have power over certain topics. One of the most recent ones that is very controversial is whether abortion rights should be managed by the federal or state. In 2022 Roe v Wade was overturned and this led to abortion rights being something states could proclaim as legal or illegal. Many people were upset about this and ways individuals can change this decision is through their First Amendment right to speech, press, assembly, and petition. We also can vote on which governor we want in office. That is a check on the state since the individual gets to decide who will be in control of the state. 

Another example that is in recent news is the federal and state fighting over education. Education is supposed to be a state issue but now we have the Board of Education which is a federal organization. Most of the education policy is decided at the state and local level but the federal still has a little hold over education. Federal having any power over education isn't in the constitution but because they provide funding they are able to establish legislation and standards. 

Lastly, social media is a big way individuals have power over the state and federal government. Using our First Amendment right to speech is a way to keep the government in check. Individuals can post their ideas and opinions for others to see which can discredit information and share information about the state and federal organizations. Social media is a big way now people find their news and what people see is happening in our society will lead them to which president to vote for. 

    Overall I think that checking on government power is one of the most important things in the First Amendment.