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With some reservation, I think we need more publicity for government

Craig234

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We spend trillions of tax dollars on government in our democracy. But how do citizens know what their government is doing? How are they informed of the good and the bad?

We have 'the news', but they cover news. Things like scandals and major changes, not broader information about what government is doing and how well much at all.

For example, what has the Department of Energy done this year? Who knows? Not most Americans. This leaves things open and vulnerable to demagoguery - such as Rick Perry calling for dismantling the Department of Energy, and then being appointed to head it. When a demagogue rants against an agency, how are people to be better informed?

I think all agencies should have a regulated public relations function to inform the public of their summary of activities. To people be able to say, 'so that's what the Department of Energy did this year', and decide if they support or oppose.

There is some danger in this, we don't want a big brother government activity of praising what they do, like you might see from the CCP, government propaganda. But something to inform and balance against wrong attacks is useful.

In the debate last night, it was said the Department of Education should be dismantled - a long-time Republican talking point. How many Americans know the case for the Department, what it does, how well? They should.
 

Department of Energy

U.S. Department of Energy - Home
www.energy.gov

Home

ED is America’s education agency. We help students pay for school, support families, and give educators tools to do their jobs. We protect students' rights and make sure every American has equal access to an education.
www.ed.gov

All you have to do is look.
 
All pertinent information is out there.

One of my favorite bits I learned on C-Span:

"I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks."
What a congressman says on the floor in public might be completely different from what's written in the congressional record. I just love that.

Other than that, all I can say is watching the news tells you nothing. Read the news and it's a start toward learning something.
 
I was just going to say, all you have to do is a little of your own research. You nailed it. Most people do not research or try to check out claims made by politicians or even our so called news outlets. It can be time consuming and most folks don't have the extra time, don't care enough, or just tend to believe Walter Cronkite. Unfortunately Walter is long gone.
 
 
Loulit01 said:
All pertinent information is out there.
Click to expand...

It's not getting to people.

Loulit01 said:
Other than that, all I can say is watching the news tells you nothing. Read the news and it's a start toward learning something.
Click to expand...

With exceptions like Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes; and right-wing printed material is still misinforming like video.
 

The level of anti-government paranoia and conspiracy thinking in this country is on just another level. A PR campaign by government for people to know what competent government is good for would be helpful, I think.
 
Instead of bigger and more powerful government, we should try to reduce the power and influence of government.

Government power and liberty are inversely proportional, i.e., the less powerful government is, the more liberty citizens have.

Citizens are happiest when they have more liberty. (and a limited government)


"As government expands, liberty contracts." - Ronald Reagan
 
Tell our pseudo-conservatives. No abortion, ban this book, you can't teach that, government good Disney bad, no SCOTUS nomination for you Obama...
 
It’s not that the information isn’t available, it is especially now that everyone has their own website, it’s that most people just don’t care. Hell, I consider myself interested in government and politics and I still don’t care about what the vast majority of government agencies do.
 
Then you're 'ripe for the picking' for demagogues who tell you the agencies are useless wastes of money that should be dismantled. How can you argue? One idea: what if the federal government sent a report on the benefits of agencies once a year to all American homes? It could be required to try to have more information and less political messaging.
 
Oh, I don’t think I’m “ripe for the picking,” I think you might be though. Skepticism of government agencies is healthy, blind support isn’t.
 
X Factor said:
Oh, I don’t think I’m “ripe for the picking,” I think you might be though. Skepticism of government agencies is healthy, blind support isn’t.
Click to expand...
Well there's a shock, you don't think you are. Let's correct your straw man, skepticism has nothing to do with the topic, blind OPPOSITION does.
 
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