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Social inequality in the United States
Corruption in government
Social inequality in America
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Many refer to the United States as a democracy. In fact, as John Winthrop describes America as the “city upon a hill,” people believe that in the land of opportunities, each and every person deserves a voice to be heard for equal representation. Therefore, the American political system is thought to be governed by the majority or mass where the power is vested in the people, either directly or through chosen representatives. However, in this system of “majority-over-man,” the United States is, in fact, a great distance from being or even becoming a democracy. With the true intentions of the founding fathers, the practice of gerrymandering, and with the United States mirroring principles of an oligarchy, these inconsistencies of American politics …show more content…
This idea can be seen through the act of gerrymandering, the process in which legislative districts are purposely manipulated to favor one political party or interest group. As ancient as democracy itself, the term gerrymandering was coined for Elbridge Gerry, governor of Massachusetts in 1812, who was the first to alter state districts in favor of his own party. A case still prevalent today, boundaries of each electoral district is redrawn following the census of every decade due to population changes and state representatives. When mapped out, gerrymandering can cause some odd congressional districts to be formed. This can be done by stretching and crossing through certain boundaries or by including or excluding specific ethnic or racial groups. Nevertheless, gerrymandering manipulates democracy, even undermining the fundamental of “one person- one vote.” By using such tactics as packing and cracking, the practice reduces the voices of citizens for their ideal representation while the safety of seats increases. Therefore, gerrymandering ensures pre-determined results regardless of voting turnouts. Taking the Texas gerrymander in 2003 for instance, the manipulated lines engineered by Tom DeLay were done so to place Congressional delegations in the Republican’s favor. By using outdated population …show more content…
Based on research performed in Princeton and Northwestern University, many political scientists believe that the power of the American government is vested in the economic elite. In fact, most political outcomes favor the preferences of the wealthy and elite while the lower classes “appear to have little or no independent impact on policy” (Gilens, Page). This can be due to the ever-widening gap of the population’s economic stability and income where the “wealthiest 160,000 million families own as much wealth as the poorest 145 million families” in the U.S (Matthews). These economic elites include various interest groups, large corporations and companies, and the affluent that influence the government through a process known as lobbying. Wall Street, an industry well known for its wealth and power, has spent over $3.2 million on federal lobbies and campaign contributions since 2009, thus a great influence in Washington. Such major corporations spend mass amounts only to secure their political control of the government where they are capable of swaying decisions for their own benefit. In addition, true democratic government ensures citizen participation where the power rests on the will of the people. However, instead of performing what is best
The United States is a privileged country with freedoms and opportunities many countries strive to achieve. People come into the United States in hopes to obtain these rights and make a better life for themselves; they strive to achieve “The American Dream.” Citizens are given the chance to vote, speak their mind, and live according to their desires without prejudice. However, the same government that promises hope has flaws that frustrate the American people; the Electoral College is one topic of debate. Many feel this system is a safe way to regulate who leads the country, while others feel that issues should be left to popular vote.
The government in the United States supposedly revolves around American ideals such as equality and diversity; however, this is simply not the case. The meaning of democracy has been skewed in the United States to represent something entirely different than it did in 1776 when the country was founded. Today, our democracy behaves more like an aristocracy, where the upper class exercises power within the government and state, influencing discourse and therefore the laws and resources in our country, purportedly “for the people”. Democracy is presumed to provide everyone with equal political power, but the government in today’s America, although seemingly following this ideal model, does not. Instead, the elite upper-class have a monopoly over
Schiller, W. J., Geer, J. G., & Segal, J. A. (2013). Gateways to democracy: introduction to American government, the essentials. (2nd ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth ;.
Barasch, Emily. "The Twisted History of Gerrymandering in American Politics." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
...on of 2008, in Montana half of million people voted, on the other hand in Wyoming nearly two hundred thousand popular votes were recorded. Even though there was a difference of quarter million popular votes, same numbers of votes were provided. Thus, this system discriminates people who live in states with high turnout. Rather than having statewide electoral vote distribution, vote distribution in congressional district could be little more effective in way to represent people’s will.
In this essay, I will explain why Texas should retain the partisan election of judges. Texas is one of the few states that elect their judges using a Partisan voting method. Partisan elections can be unfair and can misinform the voter. A high legal position such as a judge should never be chosen in such a manner. Partisan elections often cost more than nonpartisan elections in campaigning. Partisan elections are also more likely to lead to straight ticket voting or mindless voting. Partisan elections also lead to more campaign contributions and can increase the power of constituencies. Lastly partisan elections can cause an imbalance in equal represent the population. Therefore, Partisanship voting does not belong in the courts of Texas and
Society cannot let factions become disenfranchised and lose their self determination. The United States, a country founded upon the ideals of freedom and individual prosperity, cannot hold unjust elections brought upon by the current dominant political party. President Johnson created a bipartisan effort to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, enriching democracy and continuing the American spirit of democratic values. Johnson united Congress with the simple message, “Our mission is at once the oldest and the most basic of this country: to right wrong, to do justice, to serve man.” (Johnson) Today, the citizens of the United States must push Congress formulate an oversight measure to fix voter
in lobbying policy makers, the role of business in financing elections, and messages favorable to
Janda, K., Berry, J., Golman, J., & Hula, K. (2009). The Challenge of Democracy: American
A democracy is a form of government where the people rule directly on everything that has an effect on their everyday lives. In a democracy the government’s power is from the people and it relies on them to use that power. Citizen’s rights to the decisions made by the government can be handled directly by entering their positions personally or by representatives. Since government decisions are not made by the majority vote except for in a small amount of all lawmaking, the United States is not a direct democracy. The United States contains elements of a democracy and a republic. A republic is a government where the people rule indirectly through elected officials. Since the United States combines these two forms of government, it is generally
In American politics today, many practices exist that greatly harm the American public. One of these dangerous practices, known as gerrymandering, occurs in nearly every state. While some claim that the practice helps America, in reality gerrymandering harms American democracy and safety. Gerrymandering greatly affects society, and must become illegal to insure fair representation, the democratic processes in America continues, and America continues to thrive.
Democracy is rule by the people; the people elect governing officials based off of their personal values and beliefs. Different political parties rule the political scene and are serving to represent the people’s opinions in the best ways possible. Previously, I had a belief that my political view was essentially the only one possible and therefore it was the best. These views changed quickly once I learned the different political parties, their views, how they represent the people’s views, and how public opinion shapes politics. The government is formed around differentiating opinions on which policies should be in place and which social aspects need to be considered first. Not only is the government guided by opinion, but the people’s lives are guided by opinion as well. Each individual holds a different view, and each view can have an influence on society. Fortunately, after roughly eight weeks of studying American Government, I now have a better sense of complexity and the value of
The United States is run by a democracy. There are many pieces to democracy that must be in good health in order for democracy to be effective and work. In this essay I will critique some of the most important parts of democracy in America and go deeper. I will first focus on the strengths of United States democracy and then I will dive into categories of democracy that I believe to not be thriving. I believe that the current conditions of United States democracy are becoming a hindrance to this nation, because the opinions and freedoms the public possess are being stripped away through poor media, education, and economy.
The United States of America is a republic, or representative democracy. Democracy, a word that comes to us from Greek, literally means the people rule (Romance, July 8). This broad definition leaves unanswered a few important details such as who are the people, how shall they rule, and what should they rule on (July 8). Defining the answers to those questions means defining a model for a democratic system. William E. Hudson defines four such models in his book American Democracy in Peril: the Protective, Developmental, Pluralist, and Participatory models of democracy (Hudson, 8-19). Of these models, perhaps Participatory comes closest to an ideal, pure democracy of rule by the people (16-19). In practice, however, establishing a stable ideal democracy is not entirely feasible. In a country the size of the United States, it quickly becomes unwieldy if not impossible to have direct rule by the people. To overcome this, the compromise of the representative system allows the people to choose who will rule on a regular basis. The political culture that defines American politics shows that despite this compromise, America is still very much a democratic society.
...top positions in the governmental and business hierarchy from communal principles and beliefs. Majority come from the upper third of the salary and professional pyramids, their upbringings were from the same upper class, some attended the same preparatory school and Ivy League universities. Also, they belong to the same organizations. The power elite have the power to control programs and actions of important governmental, financial, legal, educational, national, scientific, and public institutions. The ones in power influence half of the nation’s manufacturing, infrastructures, transportation, banking possessions, and two thirds of all insurance possessions. The occupants take essential actions that could affect everyone’s’ life in American society. Rulings made in meetings of significant corporations and banks can influence the rates of inflation and unemployment.