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Explain how and why the actions of the executive and/or judicial branches have personally affected your life.

I have an example of how the actions of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches have impacted public school teachers in Wisconsin. In 2011, the Governor announced he wanted to curtail the ability of most public-sector workers, including teachers, to collectively bargain. The Republican-controlled legislature passed a law that curtailed the ability of most public-sector workers to bargain collectively. This allowed the employers to determine wages, benefits, and most working conditions without having to negotiate them. When this law was appealed in court, it reached the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. By a 4-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that this law, which was known as Act 10, was constitutional. The law impacted many public school teachers. Many teachers lost seniority rights, had benefit packages reduced, lost input on workplace rules, and saw their salaries either cut, frozen, or grow much slower. This led to a significant number of teacher retirements in Wisconsin between 2011-2015.

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