Description of issue
Covid-19 has continued to spread in the US. The current state of unrest and instability has allowed the spread of the Virus to accelerate even faster. The representative for the 37th district in congress, Karen Bass, has been a vocal representative on issues of the black community and social wellbeing. As a result, the best candidate to present the following data to the congress to pass for a new law. The following is a brief overview of the Virus. Since December 2019, there has been a rumor of the rising health crisis in China. In Wuhan province, the government has been working tirelessly to ensure the numbers are contained. However, in mid-January 2020, the government of China makes the issue public and offers data on the sick, the dead, and the cases being tracked. The first case of the coronavirus was detected in the United States on January 21st, 2020. According to ABC news online platform, “A man in his 30s from Washington state, who traveled to Wuhan, is diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. Japan, South Korea, and Thailand also report their first cases one day prior” (Schumaker). Following the advancement of the Virus and the Lunar year travels in China, the government of China has imposed stringent orders on the province through an aggressive lockdown procedure. At the beginning of February, different cases in several nations are identified, such as the diamond princess ship. In mid-February, scientists across the globe refer to the disease as COVID-19 based on the group of viruses that the disease belongs to. Towards the end of February, local transmissions start occurring in the US as the first death is reported. Following the advancement in the pandemic locally, the CDC then allows public testing to start in different parts of the nation. At the beginning of March, the president, Donald Trump, declared a state of emergency as the states had reported cases of Covid-19. Despite China being the original point in which the case begins, Italy is the most affected towards the end of March. The issue of Covid-19 has progressed slowly to 2.3 million infections in June. Unfortunately, the Virus seems to be affected millions of people and will continue to rise. This report looks into identifying the different ways in which the government is connected to developing a valid response to the health crisis. Different responses so far have been inadequate hence the inability to contain the Virus, as well as the president, had hoped. Different responses have included temporary lockdowns by different governors. However, access to stores and essential items has ensured people continue to interact. Similarly, the different beliefs of the masks and prevention techniques have lowered the ability of the nation to find adequate solutions. In the presentation of the proposed government response to congress, the aspect of aggressive tracking of patients’ close relatives, associations, and people in different facilities at the time should be done to limit the spread of the Virus as the issue relates to the presidency, public opinions, bureaucracy, and the constitution.
Different parts of the government
The presidency is the leading branch of government in dealing with the crisis as the leader offers the face and central figure in passing the information about the developing crisis. The presidency in the US was developed as a branch of government to act in a limited capacity. At the formation of the country, the leaders from different states were wary of the impacts of a centralized leader as in England through the King. Therefore, the leadership was aimed to be controlled more in congress. As illustrated in chapter 3 of the text, “The period between 1819 and the 1860s demonstrated that the national government sought to establish its role within the newly created federal design, which in turn often provoked the states to resist as they sought to protect their interests” (84). The balance of power between the branches was contested and led to the congress having more power. However, the presidential powers have been increased over time through different tactics applied by the presidents, such as the use of the veto power, the control of policies through the congress majority, and public opinion. The current president has been effective in swaying public opinion through the use of social media. As an author with the Atlantic explains about the case with MacCabe, “The purpose of Trump’s tweets was not just to punish McCabe for opening the investigation, but to taint the case” (Packer). The same strategy has been used by the president in addressing the majority of the issues in the nation since taking over the office in 2016. The power of the president has, therefore, improved as the loyal followers have a centralized position to learn of the president’s interests, and the opposers learn of the policies development. Based on the increased power of the presidency, increased tracking of patients of covid-19 can be done. As the face of the leadership, in the press conferences and media, President Trump should openly illustrate the benefits of tracking down people who have been in contact with patients. The presidency has increased the power through the ability to influence public opinion; hence, the presidency should shift the actions of the people towards testing and tracking by creating a sensation.
A necessary part of the government is public opinion. As a democratic nation, the US relies immensely on public opinions for the advancement of policies. Public opinions are developed in different ways, such as socialization, political ideologies, and ideas presented by the elites. As Gelpi illustrates in relation to war, “since ordinary citizens have little direct experience with American military operations, they must inevitably construct their attitudes towards war in response to information provided by elite sources such as news media and partisan politicians” (88). The advancement of public opinions about the government is formed based on the interactions of people through socialization as families and friends tend to share the same ideologies. Moreover, political ideologies such as liberalism and conservatism impact the public opinions of an individual. However, the founding fathers failed to consider the various ways in which the public opinion would be represented in the government on a daily basis; thus, the public opinion differs from the government actions. The change of the public opinion and understanding the public opinion is critical in the time of the covid-19 crisis. The health crisis requires the public to effectively follow the directives of the government. Through social media and mass media, the government can influence the public opinion for people to accept the policies of tracking patients better. Eliminating the fear of the government collecting personal data for spy reasons is essential to allow the government to offer the best response to the health crisis.
Similarly, the bureaucracy is also essential in addressing the current health crisis. The bureaucratic branch of the government comprises of nonelected leaders of various essential units of the government. As illustrated in chapter 15, “Modern society relies on the effective functioning of government to provide public goods, enhance the quality of life, and stimulate economic growth. The activities by which government achieves these functions include taxation, homeland security, immigration, foreign affairs, and education” (558). The systems of bureaucracy have changed to accommodate the different needs of society. Therefore, as complexity increases, the need, and impact and need for bureaucracies increases. The majority of the bureaucracies were developed in the 19th and 20th century in the US to accommodate for the rising needs of the nation. As the authors illustrate, “The Interstate Commerce Commission was established in 1887, the Federal Reserve Board in 1913, the Federal Trade Commission in 1914, and the Federal Power Commission in 1920” (562). Nonetheless, the bureaucratic leaders are subject to the legislative laws of the nation and should be held accountable for the expenditure of public funds. However, the history of bureaucracy has been subject to different corruption and irresponsibility accusations in different ministries of the government. In America, the members of the cabinet are essential in the overseeing of different units of the government. Different bureaucracies are essential in the effective response for Covid-19. The main bureaucratic branch is health and human services, which oversees the testing of the Virus. Similarly, other units of government such as policing, homeland security, and labor. The various bureaucratic systems of the government should work together to track the ill members of society and ensure the society has received different funds and support through the Virus.
Additionally, the constitution should be considered in the creating of the government response. The united states constitution is an essential document as it gives a frame through which different government issues can be addressed. The US constitution was developed from the articles of confederation to offer a centralized reference point for the leaders and future generations. According to chapter 2 of the American Government book, “the Articles of Confederation allowed only state governments to levy taxes. To pay for its expenses, the national government had to request money from the states, which were required to provide funds in proportion to the value of the land within their borders” (44). The central government was not fully represented in the articles, thus required a reconsideration of the main elements. The constitution thus incorporated the structure of the presidency, powers of congress, the election procedures, and legislative branches, to mention but a few. Nonetheless, the leaders responsible for the formation of the constitution had to make several compromises. As Claus illustrates, “the Constitution was a product of clashing interests rather than dispassionate political philosophizing” (677). The constitution comprised of several compromises that have since impacted society negatively. Nonetheless, the room for bills and amendment of laws has ensured the constitution is changed to fit the needs of the people. The constitution framework should be adhered to in the response for covid-19. In that, the democracy and freedom of people should not be disregarded in the advancement of policies by the government. The rights to speech and free movement should be disregarded in creating responsive measures for the government. On the contrary, the constitution should offer a comprehensive framework for the response.
The different branches of the government are effective in developing effective solutions for the rising crisis. Public opinion should be listened to and addressed by the bureaucracies and office of the president. The different branches responsible for the tracking and response of the disease should actively relate to ensuring the correct measures are adhered to by the citizens. With the rise in the powers of the president, it is essential to ensure that the message passed about the crisis is accurate and hopeful for the people. The leaders of various bureaucracies and the president should offer a solid front for the issues arising from the response. The joint actions of the branches of the government should be addressed within the frames of the constitution. The laws and clauses presented in the constitution offer a clear illustration of the powers of each branch of government thus should be followed in creating a strategic response to the current crisis.
Taking action
The current health crisis calls for immediate action to be taken. Various nations in Asia have successfully curbed the rise of covid-19 within their borders. In Hong Kong and South Korea, aggressive and stringent temporary laws have been created to ensure the patients of covid-19 are tracked, admitted, and treated. The laws call for the analysis of the movement patterns of a patient and the different locations visited. As a result, a patient who has infected different family members, friends, and strangers are easily tracked and contained. The system has been effective in ensuring the patients cannot spread the disease to others. The same stringent measures need to be adopted in the various branches of government. The factors influencing public opinions should include a unit to express the necessity for the testing, prevention, and tracking of sick people. As an advocate for the marginalized community, congresswoman Karen Bass, it is essential that the health crisis is controlled as it impacts the marginalized communities more. The tracking process will impact several rights to privacy in the nation as it will offer the government the leeway to access personal data. However, it is a necessary evil required to find an effective control strategy for the crisis. If there is any hope of reopening the society, the tracking process should be hastened. Congress, as the powerful branch of the government, should develop a bill that allows the government to have the power to search and identify the contacts initiated by a sick person. Moreover, the bill should be structured in a manner that leads to the automatic destruction of personal data used in resolving the crisis. The covid-19 crisis is a challenge in modern society that has led to the losses of jobs and instability in daily activities; thus should be addressed in a quick response by the government.