Articles written by Bryan Jennings - Page 5

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About me - Bryan Jennings

I'm a 20 year old college junior from Connecticut, studying political science and have been writing for a good number of years. I generally write about politics, specifically American politics. I also enjoy writing about energy issues, and countering the

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Politics, News & Issues > US Immigration Is Tom Tancredo too tough on immigration issues?: 1 of 1
Immigration, especially illegal immigration, is an issue in our country that generally receives a lot more harsh rhetoric than practical suggestions. The current structure of our legal immigration system, including our handling of asylum seekers from places like Iraq and Afghanistan, requires a serious overhaul. The way ille... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Should the US implement a carbon tax on energy sources that emit carbon dioxide?: 1 of 1
First law of economics: people respond to incentives. Incentives can take the form of a concept like RECs, which reward companies and individuals for using renewable energy. Incentives can also take the forms of fines and taxes, which punish people from using CO2. We currently implement one system, we need both. Even with th... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues Should the federal government repeal tax breaks to oil and gas industry?: 1 of 1
Tax breaks can serve several purposes. In some cases, they can serve to help out a struggling, yet essential industry, food being a decent example. In other cases, they can be used to give incentives to a certain activity, like the promotion of renewable energy. The tax breaks that were originally given to the oil and gas in... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Should the US institute a cap and trade system that creates financial incentive for emission reductions?: 1 of 1
For an answer to this question one needs look no further than the basic principles of economics. Economics teaches us that in all situations "people respond to incentives." Whether they be positive incentives (things like RECs) or negative incentives (things like taxing carbon) people will respond to an activity or item beco... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues Should oil subsidies be eliminated in the US?: 1 of 1
Subsidies are not simply a product of needless government largess. Subsidies generally are used to make certain needed products either cheaper than the market would traditionally allow. This can be used in the case of things like renewable energy, to help the technology mature to the point where it can stand without subsidie... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues Should the federal government give loan guarantees to mature energy industries such as coal and nuclear?: 1 of 1
The government, in its effort to help create an energy independent nation and reduce the carbon footprint of the energy industry should consider giving loan guarantees even to old, established energy sources. The loan guarantees, however, should be made only for such programs that are both economically feasible and environme... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 Hillary plants questions in Iowa: Is it a big deal if a politician plants questions during town hall sessions?: 1 of 1
Planting questions is hardly a new phenomenon in the world of sales (which, arguably, a presidential campaign qualifies as). Many a canny businessman has seeded a crowd with people to ask him exactly the sort of questions he wants to answer. Is a candidate doing the same truly a big deal then? Yes, absolutely. George Bush is... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives US Elections 2008: How Barack Obama can draw distinctions with Hillary Clinton: 6 of 11
Many reporters and pundits continually claim that there are precious few difference between Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama on matters of policy. This, broadly, is true. The way forward for the country is one that few argue with, we need better health care, a new way of looking at our role abroad, and a continual investmen... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Teaching religion in public schools: 11 of 20
Religion has a central place in any study of psycology, history, or ethics. The simple truth is that religion was mankind's first way of trying to explain why the world is the way it is, and how man should behave in that world. Understanding the world's religious traditions is important to understanding both where humanity h... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Does the US under President Bush seem to be picking a fight with Iran?: 4 of 7
The rhetoric between the United States and Iran has been unquestionably hostile. Both sides seem to be "itching for a fight" as it were. However, though I am no great admirer of the current president, it seems clear that while he may be taking a hardliner stance against Iran, he is not attempting to start a war. He is also c... More..