The voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 is a proposed law and an amendment to the historical Voting Rights Act of 1965 that bans racism and discrimination in voting in the United States (Lewis and Andrew 25). The proposed law is aimed at restoring and strengthening sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were nullified through two Supreme Court decisions in 2013. Specifically, the proposed legislation would restore a section that requires certain States with a history of voter discrimination to obtain approval from the Justice Department prior to effecting changes to their voting laws. If the States with a preclearance system could not demonstrate that the new rules would not be discriminative, then the Justice Department could disapprove them. The proposed law was recently introduced in the 117th congress and named after the popular Georgia-based representative and voting rights activist, John Lewis. The proposed law would protect minority voters from all kinds of discrimination in voting.
Since the preclearance system was struck out, the restrictive new laws effected by certain States have negatively impacted the voters of color by suppressing their voting rights. Passing the bill will not only protect the right to vote for all Americans but also expand and strengthen the voting rights of people of color. Guaranteeing the right to vote for All Americans regardless of color is absolutely necessary given that State Republican State legislators across the US continue to create new barriers to voting (Lewis and Andrew 37). Passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 will not only protect the voting rights of minority but also make elections in the United States fair, safe, and accessible for all voters. Simply put, John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act 2021 will combat efforts that could suppress voting rights by putting in place checks and balances.
“The Big money behind the big lie” article by Jane Mayer, a New Yorker writer, suggests that the audit in Arizona is a fruitless undertaking with potentially negative impacts on the American democracy (Mayer 3). According to Meyer, several months since President Biden was sworn in, officials in Arizona continue to search for evidence that President Biden’s victory was flawed with massive voter fraud. She notes that the audit is being funded by complicated national movements comprising wealthy conservatives. The big lie, according to Meyer, is that Trump won the elections. The wealthy movements of extremists are doubling the effort and money they are putting in to try and push the idea of voter fraud with the aim of challenging future elections. Dark money is being used to challenge elections and suppress the significance of the popular vote.
According to Meyer, restrictive legislation that suppress voting rights have been enacted in 18 States in different ways. She notes that there is an intended effort to limit voting and make registration of new voters extremely difficult (Mayer 4). The intention of legislators in certain states is to have the right to overrule the popular vote if they can successfully argue there were claims of voter fraud in an election. Historically, States have used the popular vote in determining the elected electors, who then then pick the president by casting their ballot. However, the idea being pushed by the well-funded sophisticated movements of extremists is that State legislators can pick the electors (Mayer 6). Meyer’s article shows the extent to which certain States can go to defy democracy. She calls on Billionaires to stop suppressing the voting rights of Americans by attempting to buy elections.
Works Cited
Lewis, John, and Andrew Aydin. March: Book Three. Vol. 3. Top Shelf Productions, 2016.
Mayer, Jane. The big money behind the big lie: Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy are being promoted by rich and powerful conservative groups that are determined to win at all costs. Anchor, August 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/09/the-big-money-behind-the-big-lie
The Academic Gap Within The School Systems Due To COVID-19: Annotated Bibliography Sample College Essay
Bailey, D. H., Duncan, G. J., Murnane, R. J., & Au Yeung, N. (2021). Achievement Gaps in the Wake of COVID-19. Educational Researcher, 50(5), 266-275. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0013189X211011237
The study explains how much academic disparities between high- and low-income students in US primary schools will narrow as a consequence of disruptions to classroom learning and home life caused by COVID. Although projections varied, respondents demonstrated an overwhelming agreement that gaps will widen.
Poletti, M. (2020). Hey teachers! Do not leave them kids alone! Envisioning schools during and after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Trends in neuroscience and education, 20, 100140. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7426210/
The article explains how schools can overcome the barrier of isolation to bridge the gap created by their closure due to COVID-19. Educational systems should devise strategies for closing the increasing achievement gap once the epidemic is finished or under control and school is permitted to resume.
Naqvi, W. M., & Sahu, A. (2020). Paradigmatic Shift in the Education System in a Time of COVID 19. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences, 9(27), 1974-1976. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/68587250/arti_20sahu-g6_201_20—-SHORT_20C-with-cover-page-v2.pdf?Expires=1645418435&Signature=BCAc0SHePRwy-rQUEq0lMsfetxIVzOrdK96bRtAWEjtCRtOI5lzWY4JsALR5W0SKdmu9y6el3uiLbIupHxwda0QtaAHeedo7BmfVavD4AdF0vXPqaMTxDrQ0CDMZ3Ca0xGXE21hFHaScf08YnjUG1Mu4wW0WEEWZA5Qj6bgJ2SpmNfrlIG0J2UXOe7mDwWCa-grWEMxHE2Tmnv7quPmSyUBjwD8gExiDf3pnXJEfXSWT77R1EdGcfFkfj7ImDxshJ0y6kg-gw5yFBzKuR~7DP-mMTt5zsFT6PsH2BhTpcefAhVXOgHAc7vMtNeOZndp1tbtgFaWu79ReAFQ7dloSBA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4Z
The study explains the Educational System’s Paradigmatic Shift in the COVID Era. The global shutdown of educational institutions has hampered learning and growth. Unprepared parents for remote learning and homeschooling may lead to missed opportunities, childcare shortages, uneven access to digital education portals, increasing strain on education institutions that stay open, and a spike in dropout and social isolation.
Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Tarasawa, B., Johnson, A., Ruzek, E., & Liu, J. (2020). Projecting the potential impact of COVID-19 school closures on academic achievement. Educational Researcher, 49(8), 549-565. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0013189X20965918
Based on absenteeism literature estimates and analysis of summer learning patterns for 5 million children, Kuhfeld et al made a series of forecasts of COVID-19-related education loss in this research. The researchers predict how the COVID-19 closings might exacerbate achievement gaps by education Income and highlight why impacts on racial/ethnic inequalities are particularly challenging to forecast given the known disparities in access to distant learning by school poverty level.
Parolin, Z., & Lee, E. K. (2021). Large socio-economic, geographic and demographic disparities exist in exposure to school closures. Nature human behaviour, 5(4), 522-528. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01087-8
The study explains the disparities in geographic, socio-economic, and demographic personal features of students enrolled in remote education programs. If the number of in-person visits to a school falls by half year over year in a particular month, the researchers classify it as “closed” or “largely closed.” Here, in the Methods section, we go through the dataset and see whether it is accurate.
Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Tarasawa, B., Johnson, A., Ruzek, E., & Liu, J. (2020). Projecting the Potential Impacts of COVID-19 School Closures on Academic Achievement. EdWorkingPaper No. 20-226. Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED608206
The article explains how school closures in COVID-19 could affect students’ academic performance. Educators and parents are hurrying to address the needs of families and schools affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, including preparing how to effectively approach teaching in the autumn when pupils may be so far behind than usual. Educators lack evidence on how school closures affect student learning. Delays in school might influence estimations of possible learning loss owing to the pandemic.
Rutherford, T., Duck, K., Rosenberg, J. M., & Patt, R. (2021). Leveraging mathematics software data to understand student learning and motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 1-38. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15391523.2021.1920520
The article investigates how students learn and are motivated during the COVID-19 epidemic using data from maths software. The pandemic reduced student interest in a mathematics learning program, but students who did participate saw their skills improve as a result of relying on the program’s data instead. Students also saw a decrease in their arithmetic expectations, but also a decrease in the emotional cost of math.
Damopolii, I., Lumembang, T., & İlhan, G. O. (2021). Digital Comics in Online Learning During COVID-19: Its Effect on Student Cognitive Learning Outcomes. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 15(19).https://web.s.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=18657923&AN=152983373&h=FweyYmYtRmPDz3ozN4X2xtok73I5IrfqlKL5G1194Nc3Yr0mt1HoglBieURGjo8wL58umG3yXLN6IcTPWaQ&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspxdirecttrueprofileehostscopesiteauthtypecrawlerjrnl18657923AN152983373
The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of digital comics on learners’ cognitive learning outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic (CLO). Compared to non-comic aided online learning, students’ CLO varies dramatically in favor of comic-supported online learning. Discussion centered on various explanations for the results.
Slavin, R. E., & Storey, N. (2020). The US educational response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Best Evid Chin Edu, 5(2), 617-633.https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3652585
An investigation of the educational reactions of both state and federal governments in the United States to the COVID-19 epidemic is presented in this study. Given the country’s vast geographic and socioeconomic diversity, the state and federal responses to COVID-19 and efforts to open schools in the fall have stressed adaptability. While online learning has increased student involvement and school-parent interactions, it has also exposed and worsened long-standing economic and racial inequities in US society.
Engzell, P., Frey, A., & Verhagen, M. D. (2021). Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(17).https://www.pnas.org/content/118/17/e2022376118?utm_source=mp-fotoscapes
The study examines how school closures affect primary school performance in the Netherlands utilizing a wealth of data. There was no progress achieved by students who were studying at home, according to the data; in nations with worse infrastructure or extended school closures, the losses may be much more significant.
Literature Review: The American Dream Sample Paper
Introduction
The term “American dream” is frequently heard, yet it is difficult to clarify exactly what it refers to. Depending on one’s perspective, it could offer an opportunity to achieve financial stability and prosperity. Others may perceive freedom as the ability to live their lives freely and to pursue their passions without interference. Everyone’s dream will be different, but the core concept will always be the same: to be free. A better life is thought to be at the root of the desire. The concept of the “American dream” may be traced back to the founding of the United States of America. It provided a means for individuals to have hope for a better future and to attain their objectives (Lim). The concept was that anyone could achieve anything if they put in the necessary effort. This notion has attracted a large number of people to the United States over the years. As a result, the most important question is whether or not it is still possible to realize the American ideal. It is the purpose of this review of the literature to determine whether or not the American dream is still alive or dead.
There are many people who believe that the American dream is still alive and thriving in the modern world. This is demonstrated by the large number of people who have achieved success in this country, regardless of their background or socioeconomic condition. Moreover, they say that the American ideal is still attainable for everyone who is prepared to put in the necessary effort and pursue their goals. Although it has faced numerous problems, the United States has always been considered a nation of opportunity (Lim). A better living has attracted people from all over the world to this country in quest of a better way of life. The American dream is what drew them to this country in the first place. It is the belief that everyone can achieve anything if they put in the necessary effort. This notion lies at the heart of what has made America such a great nation. Many people, on the other hand, believe that the American dream is no longer a possibility.
Is The American Dream Dead Or Alive?
In the words of Chen, “the American Dream is the possibility that the government should ensure every individual’s opportunity to pursue their sense of pleasure.” The points in his paper demonstrate that the American dream is something that individuals must strive for and that it is not a given no matter where it comes from (2017). Furthermore, he believes that the government should assist individuals in realizing their ambitions and goals. This demonstrates that the dream is still alive and can be realized, but only through the dedication and hard work. This does not imply that it is only available to the already wealthy and those who have achieved success, but rather that it is available to those who are less fortunate and those who are just getting started.
Although some individuals may disagree, the author believes that the American dream is still alive and attainable, despite others may believe. The American ideal is one of gaining success and riches through hard work and persistence, and this is what the country is all about. For most people, it’s about caring for themselves and their families while also taking advantage of the freedoms and possibilities that America has to offer (Chen). However, it will require hard work and determination to achieve the American ideal in the 21st century. It is said by the author that many people have accomplished the American dream and that there are even more people who are striving to achieve it. It is not easy to travel, but it is undoubtedly worth taking (Chen). In this day and age, the American dream is still alive and well, and it will continue to be a beacon of hope for future generations.
Gutierrez argues that the American dream might mean different things to different people depending on their circumstances. It may imply gaining financial success for some people. Others may interpret it as the ability to pursue their happiness without interference. Irrespective of one’s interpretation of the American dream, there is little denying that it is an integral component of our culture. Gutierrez contends that the American dream is no longer possible, even though it is still revered. Several reasons are contributing to this, including rising economic disparity and the rising cost of living, to name a few (Gutierrez). As a result, many people find it impossible to realize their dreams of becoming successful in America. This is because achieving success and riches does not imply that one has accomplished the American dream. He also believes that the American dream is an ideal rather than a reality and that realizing it is nearly impossible. The American dream is no longer alive for all Americans, regardless of race, is attributable to the current level of wealth inequality in the United States.
Strain contends that the American ideal is no longer alive and has been forgotten for a long time. He explains why the American ideal is no longer feasible for everyone in the country. The American ideal used to be a reality for everyone, but it is now merely a fantasy for the wealthy few (Strain). This is attributable, in part, to the widening income disparity in the United States today. It is becoming increasingly impossible for anybody other than the wealthy to fulfil the American ideal. The rich get wealthier, and the poor get. Due to the fact that the American ideal is meant to be about opportunity and equality, this is a significant concern. A country where anybody can achieve success, regardless of their origin or social standing, is what the United States is meant to be (Strain). It is regrettable that this is no longer the case in today’s world. The loss of labor unions, which used to help level the playing field between employees and employers, is another contributing factor to this trend.
Increasing globalization has also contributed to outsourcing jobs and the deterioration of salaries, to name a few examples. Finally, there is the influence of money in politics, which has resulted in a government that favours the wealthy at the expense of the less fortunate. As a result, the American dream is becoming increasingly out of reach for everyone other than the wealthy and powerful. This is happening is a significant problem because it undermines our sense of fairness and equality. It also makes it more difficult for people who do not have privilege or connections to attain success.
When it comes to whether or not the American dream is dead or alive, the three authors have quite different perspectives. The American dream, according to Chen, is no longer reachable, while another believes that it is still viable but will require a great deal of effort to obtain it. Strain contends that the notion of the American dream means different things to different individuals. As a result, it is nearly difficult to accomplish for everyone in the United States. There is no definitive answer to the question of whether or not the American dream has died. Each individual has their point of view, and eventually, it comes down to what one believes in (Strain). Despite their divergent points of view, all three authors appear to agree that the American dream is a vital aspect of our national identity. It is also agreed that people are finding it more and more challenging to reach their goals due to a range of issues. Due to the fact that the American ideal is meant to be about opportunity and equality, this is a severe problem. A country where anybody can achieve success, regardless of their origin or social standing, is what the United States is meant to be. It is regrettable that this is no longer the case in today’s world.
Works Cited
Chen, Sandy. “Is the American Dream Dead for All Americans?” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Mar. 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
Gutierrez, Daniel A. “Is the American Dream Still Alive?” Idealistic Institute: Economics and Ethics of the American Dream. N.p., 01 Dec. 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
Lim, Diane. “Michael Strain: The American dream is not dead (but populism could kill it).” (2021): 188-190.
Strain, Michael R. The American dream is not dead : ( But populism could kill it). Templeton Foundation Press, 2020.