Article of the Week 8: Quit Blaming Congress for All of our Ills

Quit Blaming Congress for All of our Ills is about how the American people have been using Congress as a scapegoat for the many recent economic problems. Ross K. Baker,  a political science professor and writer for USA Today, states that Congress should not be the only group blamed for the recent problems. His opinion is that the Obama administration has not been open enough with other branches of the government and the Congress, with much of it's operations open to public viewing, has taken the blame because if its visibility. He also states that much of the problems we see right now are because of voters who have elected candidates who will not compromise, effectively halting the government. This was written to try to convince readers around the D.C. area that they should not look to blame one source for all of their problems as well as to caution them to vote logically instead of emotionally.

Baker used pathos clearly in his piece. He references a book written by Texas Governor Rick Perry and also an influential leader from the past, Otto von Bismark. The author also seems to use the classical argument structure. (Outlined above) This helps him to organize his thoughts as well as to convey his point. On the whole, this piece was written well and convincing. The congress is not the only party at fault. It also brings the average voter to look at who they had voted for and whether they truly thought their decisions through.