Is our government slow to react?
436640
1) Many businesses rely on illegal immigrants. Quite a few Republicans don't like the idea of punishing businesses.\n\n2) 11 million people. 11 million potential voters. And neither party wants to alienate the Hispanic populace this close to the 2006 midterms.\n\n3) Many people, particularly liberals, have framed this as a race issue, rather than a law issue. Sorta kinda true, since most illegals are Hispanic, but irrelevant. I don't care if they're white, black, or green, they drain society and infest it with drugs and crime.\n\nprasoonc : Oh really? My parents filled out tons of forms to get here and make this country better. Legally. And since when did the  Native Americans have anti-immigration laws like we do?
678759
It is not going well except for the energy companies.  Our government does not work as hard at economy as she does at war on terrorism.  we are being ignored and forget by our own government.
309457
People are good. \nThe govt need to change its attitude.
437104
There are alot of people that that think the country is in trouble, I am sure that even some of the people in congress knows that we are. We have a president that is trying to take power away from the other branch's We have a stupid war that we are involved in and people around the world hate us as a county. The economy is in a shambles and it is ok to ignore out own peoples needs to spend trillions over seas. If that isn't trouble I wonder what is. Remember this though the American people as a whole are good people and we will survive yes we will survive.
453342
Along time with a shovel or a few months with big trucks.  They try to tell us it a few million and takes 3-4 years but thats the gov. for you!
1093787
It depends on the American taxpayers, If they are willing to foot the bill, anything is possible. The more money we can throw at the task, the faster it can be accomplished
996286
There are a lot of serious problems that need fixing.\nYour opening question, asking if the U.S. Government works for Americans, leads me to answer: NO.\nThe government works for itself, it's own special interest groups and any business, social or religious group that feeds it cash.\n\nPresident Bush showed signs of a good leader while Governor of Texas.\nOnce he entered the arena of Beltway politics, he was overwhelmed by the personal agendas of savvy bureaucrats.\nI don't say this to excuse his decisions, because he is still Commander-in-Chief, meaning the buck stops with him.\nBut the dynamics of Washington politics is so great, one person cannot make a difference.\n\nStill, the slow deterioration of civil rights over the past two decades, the lack of leadership, the ignorance of domestic problems all indicate that no party (Democrat or Republican) wants to take charge and work FOR the people.\n\nInstead, the nation's leaders use a bait-and-switch method.\nProblems with illegal immigrants? \nLet's focus on gay marriage!\nThe economy and health care in ruins?\nLet's drum up more funding for homeland security.\nYou get the idea.\n\nOur leaders also use divide-and-conquer tactics to keep us polarized from working together to start a third party that might bring more accountability into government.\nThink about it: \nIf you are Republican, you are automatically labeled neocon.\nIf you are a Democrat, then you must be a liberal.\nNo room for people with moderate views, those who work towards compromise, in the best interest of ALL people.\n\nBottom line:\nelected officials find it easier to fool the public with some hot-button issue (remember flag burning?) rather than tackle serious problems.\n\nUntil we put aside our differences in social and religious issues and focus on domestic business, education, health care and infrastructure, we're doomed to go the way Rome did, centuries ago.\nOnly, this time, it will be the American people fiddling while this country burns to the ground.
1038959
Not since 'Nam.  \nUnfortunately we lack an administration willing to correct this situation...in fact I feel they are making it worse.  The government uses these divisive issues to distract us from their incompetence.\n\nSadly, it's working perfectly...Americans are more interested in gay marriage & abortion than in the obscene levels of incompetence present at our highest levels of power. \nWake up, America!\n\nStop.\nThink.\nResist.
68144
I, like most Americans I would bet, haven't been paying enough attention. The few news sound bites and newspaper headlines is hardly enough to be making such decisions.  However, I still have enough faith in our elected officials to are sitting through hours of testimony and reviewing documents and such, to make the right decision.  So if they vote 'em in, the my answer to your question is 'yes'.
461317
it's not us per say. it's our president making the decisions that people have to follow. ask him.
1053367
It's popular to think that we should not depend on our government for help when there is a disaster. In fact, the federal government has probably the best resources for dealing with just such an event. The problem is in getting the bureaucratic mindset in gear for doing more than vegetating.
568550
the Government resides.
695845
thats what i heard, but it'll take a while to go through congress and everything.
1069044
Yes, because Americans have a short memory.  When something like that first happens, it's fresh in peoples minds so they feel compelled to do something about it.  But as times passes, people have their own problems to deal with so that leaves very little room for other problems.  Plus, people assume that the government is doing something about it and alot of people think they are only one person, how could they help.
368765
This administration is a day late and a dollar short on ideas. Americans have wised up now. FOX News blames everything on congress for their problems, or this week the FISA courts, and Democrats for a proposal to abolish FEMA. The GOP is engaging in the blame game big time, whoo, whoo, whoo, whine, and hiss an moan, oh woeies me, poor right wingers. They need Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh to ride in and save their mojo.
169010
Historically a majority of American's views of government roles have fallen within a relatively small area. This is evident in the fact that the Socialist Party nor the Libertarian Party have ever become major players on a national level. \n\nOur slow progression towards socialism certainly seems to indicate that we will inevitably take on all the characteristics of a socialist country, but I believe otherwise. Social welfare programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and the like, are inevitably doomed to abuse, mismanagement and failure. This is a result of the inherent ineffectiveness of such programs as well as the self intrests of bureaucrats (see public choice theory).  We are beginning to see just how poorly Social Security and Medicare have been managed. Either we will have to fundamentally change the programs to reduce spending or the government will have to raise taxes to very high levels to keep up with the costs. Increasing tax rates to the level that would be required would devastate the economy further decreasing tax revenues, with the only option being to change the programs to prevent total disaster. While some parts of the programs will remain, they will look more like a pseudo-socialism.\n\nAnother inhibiting factor is that divided government often slows growth of government. When one party controls one branch of government and the other party a different branch there is likely to be stalemate preventing any new programs from being launched. Some of the lowest periods of growth in new spending has been while there was divided government. It seems likely that backlash at Bush may cost the Republicans at least the Presidency, but it is less likely to lose control of Congress. If this balance can be preserved for some time, we are likely to see slower growth than that of Bush's presidency, who has increased spending more than any President since LBJ (even when you set aside defense spending).
1006302
Sad to report that neither thinks it is important enough to make an issue. The Republicans are in bed with business for cheap labor, and the Democrats see them as an oppressed people just trying to make a bettor life for them selves. Until our system collapses under the weight of having to build an infrastructure to handle this influx, we will have to sit and watch our Government do nothing. The way to get some action is to vote every incumbent that has not taken action right out of their cushy jobs and get some new blood in there that really represents the people. It won't be easy because most politicians will say what they think you want to hear, but go on line and look at voting records of our Senate and House of Representatives and blow the ones out that have taken no action.