Government and Politics - Time to Stop Lying
opinionated Essay
894 words
Time to Stop Lying
A great number of young adults have lost interest in the political system of this country. It is really quite simple- the power structure is not working in our favor, we see no great future achievements in legislation or politics, and we would much rather put our energies towards more fulfilling ends. The nature of politics in this country has progressed to a corrupt web of lies and deception that clearly favors the white male who spends his life working nine to five and has given his voice, his freedom, his manhood over to his government.
Those of us who refuse to succumb to this lifestyle find ourselves constantly battling to maintain even a base level standard of living. We have not chosen to close our eyes to the social conditions that surround us, and we have not chosen to be pretentious suburbians living life in a bubble of our own creation, fooling ourselves into believing that words and legislative acts will solve the many problems of these times.
We do not have much faith in the legislative system in America. We study our history, and realize that nothing has really changed, despite numerous amendments, acts, and programs. We find these to be simple attempts to pacify the masses in a scheme of the largest proportions to launder our riches and our wealth.
You ask why we do not vote or participate actively in politics. I ask why should we choose betwee...
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...ve us some skills to enter into this rat race you have started. Give us computers, teach us to use them, and help us in our individual pursuits. Stop sucking us dry with taxes and fees, and give us financial assistance to start our independent pursuits. Repay the descendants of slaves and repay the Native Americans. Find some justice for the people of this country. Educate us on truth and the world. Don't shut us in a box, ignorant of the world community, perpetrating white supremacy and western "democracy." Give us something worthwhile to vote for and we might start showing up at the polls. Don't be afraid to admit the wrongs of the past and present; that is the only way to grow and move into the future.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that young adults have lost interest in the political system of this country. the nature of politics has progressed to a corrupt web of lies and deception that clearly favors the white male who spends his life working nine to five
- Opines that those of us who refuse to succumb to this lifestyle find themselves constantly battling to maintain even a base level standard of living.
- Opines that americans have little faith in the legislative system in america. they study our history and realize that nothing has really changed, despite numerous amendments, acts, and programs.
- Opines that we are waking up to the social climate of hate, deception, and crime that has been nurtured from day one of the founding of this country.
- Opines that voters do not have any real power of decision or choice. they are only stooges playing along in a game that, in the end, will be their downfall.
- Explains that the people who built this country are still treated as second-class citizens, relegated to the despicable ghettos of the inner city, and forced to be dependent on ludicrous public assistance programs.
- Opines that today's youth can see the hypocrisy of working the nine to five job in search of a far-off pension plan and retirement benefits.
- Opines that the era of u.s. supremacy and western world rule is coming to a rapid end.
- Urges the power structure of the country to stop teaching lies and immorality through downpressing practices and propaganda.
Related
- opinionated
- analytical
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- Cynicism of the American Political Processopinionated essayPolitical inactivity on the part of young Americans stems from one fundamental source -- a general cynicism of the American political process. This disdain for politics is further perpetuated by a lack of voter education and a needlessly archaic voting procedure that creates barriers to voting where they need not exist. While many of these existing problems can be rectified with relative ease through the implementation of programs such as Internet voting and better voter education, such programs create only a partial solution.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that pr eliminates the opportunity to predetermine elections through the mastery of gerrymandering, allowing for a more accurately representative government. the system of majority rule is too static to be adequate for the dynamic needs of the american people.
- Opines that providing a more representative system is the first measure in ensuring that young americans will take part in the electoral process, but the adoption of pr alone is not enough.
- Argues that education of youth about political matters will prevent them from voting based on propaganda and buzzwords and force them to focus on the reality of the issues at hand.
- Opines that while the nation has made phenomenal strides in technological advancement, methods of voting have not been improved. states should begin to offer internet voting and registration as a supplement to already existing options.
- Opines that by implementing proportional representation, america as a nation will be moving towards making every vote count and every perspective heard.
- Argues that the current electoral system in the united states is not one that fosters voter participation, but instead discourages voting altogether.
1013 wordsRead More - Voting Rights Act Pros And Consanalytical essaySociety 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 this essay, the author
- Explains that the voting rights act ensured the right to vote for all regardless of race, religion, or sex. the breaking down of this provision under supreme court ruling shelby county, alabama v. holder, attorney general has the potential to undo decades of progress to tackle racial barriers.
- Explains that people of power have isolated specific racial and gender groups and established policies to limit their right to vote.
- Analyzes how voter suppression systematically stripped voting away from impoverished, immigrants, and african-americans, effectively disintegrating democracy by ruling for a body that did not elect its leaders.
- Analyzes how the selma march brought black voters to the state capital, symbolizing the unnecessary and unjust obstacles aimed at limiting the black vote in the south.
- Explains that the voting rights act of 1965, one of the most important civil rights legislations, granted federal overview of state and municipal voting laws.
- Explains that section iv and section v define the districts with special concern and grant the attorney general overview of state and municipal laws regarding voting registration.
- States that 153 requests for preclearance were withdrawn and 109 were modified in response to the justice department's concerns.
- Explains that while these provisions were only enacted for five years, congress continuously renewed section four and five with no changes because "the right to vote is still a precarious right for blacks, indian, puerto rican, and mexican-americans."
- Analyzes how the supreme court ruled the attorney general's role to oversee specific districts unconstitutional, opening the gates for potential voting rights discrimination and dissolving a true and just democracy.
- Argues that congress must pass legislation to protect the attorney general's powers of oversight. the new formula must be indiscriminate in its review of districts, providing a blanket solution to voting regulations nationwide.
- Analyzes how the republican-controlled congress came to fruition in 2010 with a democrat in office. this massive defeat by the democratic party resulted in halting of the democratic agenda and perpetuating an election reform stalemate.
- Analyzes how voter id laws are advertised as common sense laws to protect the right to vote for all, yet many regard them as ridiculous measures that account for the most significant setback to voting equality in over a century.
- Analyzes how lawmakers nationwide watched the shelby case with angst, anticipating a favorable outcome for restrictive voting practices. this clear disenfranchisement of minority voters stands in stark contrast to recent history of voter protection
- Opines that the upcoming presidential election will be the first major election with many of these new laws.
- Analyzes how the 2016 arizona state primary was one of the first examples of adverse effects of diminishing the voting rights act.
- Explains that voting is synonymous with democracy. every citizen has the right and civic duty to ensure government acts on the will of the majority.
- Opines that the parallels of restrictive voting laws following the fifteenth amendment to today's voting law offer a glimpse of what the future of american democracy holds.
- Opines that the supreme court ruling shelby county, alabama v. holder does minimal damage to the voting process of the united states.
- Opines that the onus is on society and individuals who have the right to vote, to push against any barriers politicians attempt to build, and resurrect a just voting equality bill.
2349 wordsRead More - Essay On Voting In Americaopinionated essayToday in America, less than half of young voters between the ages of 18 and 24 vote (TheBestColleges.org). What most of these new adults fail to realize, is that their government depends on them to vote and elect new leaders to represent their country. Many of them make excuses to avoid voting, when really, they benefit most from voting.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that in america, less than half of young voters between the ages of 18 and 24 vote, and that their government depends on them to vote and elect new leaders to represent their country.
- Explains that new voters moan about the government and the problems that are caused by it, while older generations could have made a big impact on who is elected.
- Opines that the youngest group of voters makes up a large chunk of the voter demographic in america, and they are the ones who are going to benefit the most out of anyone.
- Opines that being aware of politics is a simple and most of the time quick thing that voters can do on daily basis.
423 wordsRead More - Politics in Americaexplanatory essayPolitics today is a very complicated subject that few people outside fully comprehend it in its entirety. The average adult thinks he understand most of politics. When in fact, the average adult does not know most of what takes place in politics. Voting for amendments will affect one’s social existence, yet average adults won’t know half of what the amendment actually means before voting. If people do not watch debates for elections, or make some effort to understand what a candidate’s views are, they end up making an uneducated decision about who to vote for. Since this is the average adult, effects can be catastrophic. An unqualified candidate could be elected to office and make poorer decisions that will have a worse effect nationally. Average adults need someone to be there leader or else they fail. As much as I ...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that most americans don't know about half of the important decisions that happen every day in this country. however, there are certain aspects of life where the average man is worthy of making decisions for himself.
- Explains that the average adult doesn't know most of what takes place in politics. they need a leader who can be trusted to succeed in organizing the masses.
- Explains that the average adult earns some trust economically, and that it's the workers not the employers that should be trusted to make decisions to better their personal and social existence.
- Opines that the average adult is not an idiot, but there are definite spheres of life where he is unsuited to be trusted to make decisions involving his personal and social existence.
993 wordsRead More - Voting Participation in the United Statesanalytical essayAccording to a study done by Nonprofit Vote only “an estimated 58.7% of eligible voters turned out to vote” ("Voter Turnout" ) in 2012’s presidential election, which is below the 62% that was achieved in 2008. (Ginsberg 306). According to the United States Census Bureau in 2012 71.2 percent of Americans reported that they were registered to vote, but only 61.8 reported that they actually did so. ("Voting and Registration"). While each source didn’t report the exact same statistics in America these percentages are considered highs in political participation. Even worse, in midterm elections voter turnout is normally closer to 33% and even lower for any local elections. (Ginsberg 306). While we may consider any of those statistics good for America, looking at world democracies we are trailing far behind, in many “European countries and other western democracies [the] national voter turnout is usually between 70 to 90 percent.”(Ginsberg 306). The question is then asked why don’t American’s vote, which is then an...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that voting is one of the most common and important ways for americans to get involved in politics. the outcome of any election determines who will make and enforce the laws that all americans must abide by.
- Analyzes how nonprofit vote's study shows that only 58.7% of eligible voters turned out to vote in 2012, which is below the 62% that was achieved in 2008.
- Explains that socioeconomic status is based on education, income, and occupational prestige. people with higher levels of education and income are more likely to participate in politics than those with lower levels.
- Explains that education plays a very important role in one's political participation, but it needs to be evaluated alone.
- Explains that determining voter participation depends on one's political environment and social setting. mobilization is the process by which large numbers of people are organized for political activities.
- Explains that states retain control of voter registration and voting itself, which influences voter participation.
- Explains that voter turnout in the united states is low, and that society must promote higher voter participation through social reform programs, education, better political environments, or less restrictions on voting.
1081 wordsRead More - The Illusion of Political Democracy in Americaanalytical essayYouth are disillusioned with politics for many of the same reasons that our parents are. If lobbyists and campaign contributors did not have more access to public officials than do regular citizens; if economic democracy in the workplace existed alongside what some would call the "illusion" of political democracy; if elected officials acted more on "bread and butter" economic issues, such as the increasing concentration of wealth and the lack of health insurance for many Americans, than on expanding the prison population and on the military -- most people of all ages would consider their votes much more meaningful.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how p21 activism sheds light on how participation might be improved among young people overall. they also recall hearing of mass youth protests against 209, the anti-affirmative action initiative.
- Concludes that empowering teenagers with the vote would help them further in their political awakening and mobilization.
- Argues that alternative electoral systems such as pr, irv, cumulative voting, and easier third-party ballot access would only succeed in stimulating us if the third parties involved were ideologically oriented or issues-based parties.
- Opines that internet vote, same-day voter registration, and an election day holiday would not add new voters. barriers to voting are not so high that a non-criminal person can't vote.
- Argues that unicameralism and a parliamentary system would concentrate power in the hands of the party or parties in power at any given time.
- Argues that shortening the period between elections and allowing recall of all elected officials would increase accountability to voters.
- Argues that reforms within the current system could also attack cynicism better than any of these electoral alterations discussed above. money is power; take money out of the electoral system, and you take away the corporations' power.
- Argues that youth are disillusioned with politics for many of the same reasons that their parents are.
1002 wordsRead More - Youth Voter Turnout in Canadaanalytical essayResearch has brought about an abundance of reasons why youth are becoming less engaged in the political process. Education, absence of political knowledge, the media and family influence, indifference to election campaigns, inadequate amount of change, and lack of motivation are all possible factors in influencing the youth voter turnout.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that canada is a society built on the promise of democracy. people are becoming less engaged in politics and voter turnout has steadily declined over the last 20 years.
- Opines that youth are less likely to vote, less interested in politics, and know less about politics compared to all other canadians.
- Explains the reasons why youth are becoming less engaged in the political process. education, lack of political knowledge, media and family influence, indifference to election campaigns, inadequate amount of change, and lack motivation are all possible factors in influencing youth voter turnout.
- Explains that education is supposed to provide youth with life skills and knowledge that is associated with better community engagement. youth who recently moved for school purposes are faced with more challenges when voting.
- Concludes that the media has a negative impact on young voters. the media tends to focus on the negative side of politics and is cynical of all politicians.
- Explains that recent election campaigns fail to address the greater concerns of youth, as they tend to neglect what is important to the younger demographic.
- Analyzes the concept of participation providing immediate results for youth, and compares it to voting for a political party.
- Analyzes how the lack of political socialization comes from youth's families. discussions overheard at home can influence how a youth views certain politicians or political parties.
- Opines that young canadians are not indifferent to politics. they show high levels of engagement in non-traditional political conducts, such as protesting, signing petitions and other radical ways of getting their voices heard.
- Explains that the lack of youth participation is not limited to canada; places all over the world are facing this problem, and looking for ways to overcome it.
- Explains that blais, andre, elizabeth gidengil, neil nevitte, and richard nadeau. charting the course for youth civic and political participation: cprn youth workshop summary report.
- Describes elections canada's 2007 voter turnout at federal election and referendums, 1867-2006. o'neill, brenda, garnett picot, ron saunders and arthur sweetman.
878 wordsRead More - Generation Yexplanatory essay"New survey shows that most young adults have strong opinions on top campaign issues, but many still not planning to vote." 25 September 2000. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 11 November 2000.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that generation y, those born between 1977 and now, have been viewed negatively. they're concerned about what goes on around them and are working harder than ever.
- Explains that generation y is a confident generation with high self-esteem, opinionated and value privacy. they have strong work ethic and understand the electronic economy.
- Explains that generation y, also known as the echo-boom generation, has grown up digitally and wants to achieve as much as possible.
- Explains that many managers don't know how to handle generation y workers. they're not interested in long-term employment either.
- Explains that generation y is concerned with various issues, such as the environment, education, jobs and the economy, crime and violence, health care, and civil rights.
- Explains that only half of the people surveyed in the prsa were registered to vote. they cited three main reasons for not voting: not knowing enough about the candidates, not liking the concept of politics, and not believing that they can change things.
- Explains that generation y is hardly a slacker generation at all. they are making the united states re-evaluate the way that it operates.
- Explains that most young adults have strong opinions on top campaign issues, but many still not planning to vote.
1090 wordsRead More - The Cultural Impacts Of Generation Xexplanatory essayVoting rates were much lower for Gen Xers then their baby boomer parents. For example, in the 1994 midterm elections, “ fewer than on in five eligible Xers showed up at the polls.”(Halstead). In 1996, only 32% of Gen Xers voted in on the presidential election. There is an explanation for the rapid decline of voters. Politics doesn’t really resonate with young adults. Young people hear all the arguments and counter arguments that politicians have to say and they get mixed together and eventually are blurred into irrelevance. Gen Xers realize that the two main parties, Republicans and Democrats, are corrupt and more interested in fighting than actually getting any kind of work done. Gen Xers tend to stray away from the two party system, and typically favor candidates that establish themselves as independents. Unsurprisingly, young adults gave the strongest support for independent candidate Ross Perot in 1992 and Jesse Ventura in 1998. Many theories about the political apathy of Generation X have been introduced. One theory is that television is to blame for the lack of civic education that the youth of Generation X received. Another theory is the growing up during the Reagan and Bush presidencies, which saw many horrific events occur is another reason why Gen Xers have a negative view point of politics. The third theory is the breakdown of the so called “traditional family.” Children typically learn their political
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the disengaged generation, the lazy generation and the broken generation are only a few words to describe the ridicule and criticism towards the people known as generation x.
- Explains that generation xers were born between 1965 and 1980. they faced hardships, financial instability, and the dreaded glass ceiling. individualism has its negatives.
- Explains that the people of generation x were extremely independent in regards to institutions such as the state, the church, or their employers. this mistrust created stereotypes like unmotivated, sarcastic and even irreverent.
- Explains that the gen xers grew up in a world that was participating in the "war on poverty".
- Explains that various world events helped shape generation x people into adults that they are today. they have experienced more violence and let downs than positives throughout their lifetimes.
- Explains that politics wasn't a popular topic for generation x, and that the two main parties, republicans and democrats, are corrupt and more interested in fighting than getting anything done.
- Explains that gen xers had their fare of hardships at a young age. they were introduced to technological advances that would impact the way they learned and their futures.
- Concludes that generation x have experienced social inequality throughout their lives, from the "we generation" to being called "lazy". they have gone through many hardships and witnessed economic downfall.
- Explains that people in generation x grew up during a time when technology exploded onto the scene. they were exposed to various cultures in america, and even international cultures.
1888 wordsRead More - Apathy of Youth Voters Results in the Demise of Their Futureanalytical essayAmerica is the land of freedom where people have many rights such as the voluntary right to vote. Its model of democracy has been perfected by the people whom spend their time on election days to vote for what they believe in. Yet, it is shocking to know that the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds that vote has declined with each succeeding elections since 1972.” (Wells & Dudash p.1280.) This issue has been a thorn in our democratic system due to many the low turn out of youth voters. In order to fully understand why this problem persisted, we need to look at causes such as ineffective representation of the youth population and possible solution such as mandating a vote ballot on national elections.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that america's model of democracy has been perfected by the people who spend their time on election days to vote for what they believe in. the low turnout of youth voters is a thorn in our democratic system.
- Argues that it is an outrageous claim by extremists who wish to blame bad government results on the youth population that did not vote in elections.
- Explains riker and ordeshook's equation, pb + d > c, to understand the reasons people vote in general.
- Concludes that youth voters have higher principles for their own democratic beliefs. not voting is a way for youth to show their beliefs and supports for neither participating parties.
- Argues that the argument that youth voters are lazy and ignorant of their role in the making of this country's government is an accusation against the principle to which many youth possibly believes in.
- Argues that a real plausible cause of low youth voter turn out can be pointed to the ineffective representation of the youth population on politicians’ agenda.
- Explains that it has been proven that youth voters take part in an election when issues are relevant to their interest. joe courtney won the connecticut’s second congressional district by speaking on topics youths care about such as college costs to iraq.
- Explains that when youth voter turnout is low, it's not because they don't care about elections and who is running our country.
- Concludes that having pointed out the possible causes of the low youth voter turnout, the appealability of politicians when running campaigns and the irrelevant issues presented for youth to vote, we can conclude a few probable solutions to remove this thorn from our democratic system.
- Argues that mandatory voting is an unlikely solution, but it's proven to work in other countries. mandating youth to vote once they turn 18 until they are 23 is a way of helping youth start involving in the simplest method of politic, voting.
- Opines that the repetition of voting in every election for five years will no doubt change the way of life for these youth. the method also preserves the fundamental practice of democracy for years to come.
- Opines that celebrities and company endorsements have been a popular method of attracting youth's votes since the 2004 presidential election. lobbyists represent rich businesses but rarely small individuals like youth.
- Explains that a third feasible but costly method is to create incentives for youth to vote regardless of the issues’ relevancy. jury duty is effective in keeping the democratic practice alive.
- Opines that educating youth on the importance of politics and the changes that can be made through participation can influence the course of history.
- Cites carlson, d. (2008). voter registration in high schools. evan epstein, et al.
- Explains that voter apathy still plagues young americans. the paly voice. november 22, 2004.
- Explains mcclellan, c., and southwell, priscilla lewis, the politics of alienation: nonvoting and support for third-party candidates among 18-30-year-olds.
- Explains that scott d wells & elizabeth a dudash examined young voters' political information and efficacy in the 2004 election. the american behavioral scientist, 50(9), 1280-1289.
1465 wordsRead More