Background (What circumstances necessitate Congressional action?/What happened to the Bill in Congress? Did it pass, or die in committee?):This deals with national education reform and assisting Native Americans/Alaskans/Hawaiians, therefore it necessitated Congressional action. It died in committee.
Goal of Action:
Declares that the U.S. Government should pursue more English-plus policies
Specifics/Means of Goal:
1) encourage all residents of this country to become fully proficient in English by expanding educational opportunities and access to information technologies; (2) conserve and develop the nation's linguistic resources by encouraging all residents of this country to learn or maintain skills in languages other than English; (3) assist Native Americans, Native Alaskans, Native Hawaiians, and other peoples indigenous to the United States in their efforts to prevent the extinction of their languages and cultures; (4) continue to provide services in languages other than English as needed to facilitate access to essential functions of government, promote public health and safety, ensure due process, promote equal educational opportunity, and protect fundamental rights; and (5) recognize the importance of multilingualism to vital American interests and individual rights, and oppose English-only measures and other restrictionist language measures.
Type of Power (Is Congress acting according to an expressed or implied power? If it is implied, what expressed power grants it? - Check the Constitution to figure this out!):Implied Power, because there's no expressed power that specifically deals with these issues. However, it is granted by the expressed power of being able to establish a uniform rule of naturalization.
Analysis (Do you think Congress should do this according to its Constitutional powers?)
Yes, because I don't think Americans should be ignorant—if we want everyone to learn English it's only fair that we make an effort to learn other languages as well.
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2 comments:
I'd say that this is a serious stretch of the government's powers, and that they really have no business doing it according to their expressed powers. However, I don't doubt for a second that it should in fact be adressed because Americans tend to be, as you said, rather ignorant.
I think that this is a good use of the power to establish a uniform rule because it is important that people in our country are educated. Also, if there can be an organization such as "No Child Left Behind" then this should also be allowed.
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