Prior to taking this course, I had moderate fascination for politics and issues involving the government in our society today. Politics is described as “the struggle over power of influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant benefits or privileges” (Citation). While I was somewhat interested in reading the news and paying attention to presidential elections, I did not necessarily care for other “less significant” elections involving Congress members and proceeded on with daily life while being ignorant of what was going on around me. Because I had thought that the president of the United States controlled enormous power while rendering the legislative branch virtually powerless, I believed that voting for Representatives
One example would be that while I did not explicitly express my impression that the president had control over the economy, I did hold that notion without looking into it or doing any further research. I, like everyone else, would place the blame on the current president for the bad economy because s/he was the head of state who led the nation and had the most authority as a distinct individual. Head of state refers to “the role of the president as ceremonial head of the government” (Citation). After going this class however, I have realized that Congress has more control over the economy since it makes and enacts laws as the legislative branch; however, this does not mean that the president has no involvement in affecting economy. After all, s/he is also takes on the role as chief legislator who is able to sway Congress to pass laws in his favor. Hence, when the economy is failing, both Congress and the president can be at fault, not just the latter. Another feature that I have contradicted with my initial conception was the census taken every decade. It was mind boggling when I was trying to figure the specific purpose for the census of the federal government. I knew that it wanted to know the population number in the country, but I felt that it was not the principal reason as to why the government would engage in the said program. Again, after following through with this course, I have discovered the federal government’s motive in distributing these “intrusive surveys.” This is to ascertain the population growth (if any) for redistricting, interpreted as “the redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within a state” (Citation) in order to appoint an appropriate number of representatives to each
What motivates members of Congress to act the way they do? Mayhew would argue in Congress: The Electoral Connection that members of Congress are ‘’single-minded re-election seekers’’ and that re-election is their one and only goal. Whilst the assumption that all members of Congress are ‘‘single-minded re-election seekers’’ does go some distance in analysing the motives behind members of Congress, the reading fails to take into account the other key goals of members of Congress. Other goals include good policy and future career positions. It is important to remember that the achievement of both re-election and other goals are not exclusive, members of Congress often are motivated by more than one goal.
In this essay I will explore whether or not members of congress are still doing their job or just trying to keep their good reputation with their constituents for re-election time. The question of whether or not members of congress are doing their job effectively has been a great topic of controversy. Being a member of congress has turned into a long term struggle of constantly working towards reelection and trying to balance keeping their districts happy and still being a part of major legislature. Is there a way for members of congress to keep their district happy and still manage the bigger issues they are expected to deal with? Most Americans will complain that they are not happy and that their representatives are not doing their job in
Light, Paul C., and Christine L. Nemacheck. "Chapter 7 Congress." Government by the People, Brief 2012 Election Edition, Books a La Carte New Mypoliscilab With Etext Access Card Package. By David B. Magleby. 2012 Election Edition ed. N.p.: Pearson College Div, 2013. N. pag. Print.
University of Texas at Austin. Texas Politics, The legislative Branch. Austin, 2nd Edition-Revision 94 2009, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services.
Americans have become so engrossed with the rhetoric of political parties that many are unable have real discussions about “freedom, fairness, equality, opportunity, security, accountability.” (Lakoff p.177) The election of 1828 gave birth to the “professional politician” it demonstrated how “ambivalence” on issues, how image and the right language or narrative can influence voters. Partisanship did increase competition and empower voters to a greater degree, but it has also divided Americans and obstructed communication. As one historian declared the “old hickory” killed the ideal of nonpartisan leadership. (Parsons p.184) For better or for worse American politics were forever be changed in 1828.
The United States of America is often touted as the guiding beacon of democracy for the entirety of the modern world. In spite of this tremendous responsibility the political system of the United States retains some aspects which upon examination appear to be significantly undemocratic. Perhaps the most perplexing and oft misunderstood of these establishments is the process of electing the president and the institution known as the Electoral College. The puzzle of the Electoral College presents the American people with a unique conundrum as the mark of any true democracy is the citizens’ ability to elect their own ruling officials. Unfortunately, the Electoral College system dilutes this essential capacity by introducing an election by
However, seldom is this the case with American politics. There are far fewer politicians then there are low class workers or unemployed, and yet these politicians decide upon most all of the important decisions the country is faced with. The only time the rest of the people are involved is when these politicians spew out money and promises in an attempt to gain the p...
This past summer, when I lived and worked in Washington, DC—first as a U.S. Senate Page and then as a Congressional Intern—I gained invaluable experience and insight to the American political system. It is amazing how much one can learn from simply overhearing the conversations of Members of Congress on a daily basis. Working on the floor of the Senate and then in the back rooms of a Congressional office were two entirely different experiences, each teaching me in a distinctive way about how our political system functions. While I most definitely became aware of how bureaucratic and slow our democratic system can be, I also discovered that with a commitment to unity and prosperity for the common good, great feats are attainable through government.
Wadsworth Cengage Learning. (2010). Gateways To Democracy The Essentials. In J. G. Geer, W. J. Schiller, J. A. Segal, & D. K. Glencross, An Introduction To American Government (pp. 43-49). Boston: Suzanne Jeans.
South University Online. (2013). POL2076: American Government: Week 4: People and Politics—Interest Groups. Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com
Edward III, G., Wattenberg, M., & Lineberry, R. (2006). Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy (12th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education.
Aristotle, Locke, and Hobbes all place a great deal of importance on the state of nature and how it relates to the origin of political bodies. Each one, however, has a different conception of what a natural state is, and ultimately, this leads to a different conception of what a government should be, based on this natural state. Aristotle’s feelings on the natural state of man is much different than that of modern philosophers and leads to a construction of government in and of itself; government for Hobbes and Locke is a departure from the natural state of man.
Much like the majority of political science classes, view and opinion are the basis to answering every question. At the start of this course I believed that as a citizen I have a role to contribute to society. I knew that I hold a responsibility to participate in elections and to remain informed. This is my responsibility to the government, but what is its responsibility to me? I could not give you a confident answer. Yes, I’m aware of the basics laid out in Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the many other federal laws, but striping it down to the basics I didn’t know what the base duty of the government for citizens was. Going into this class, I would have told you someone like Karl Marx would be amongst the top theorist to influence current government. The United States has moved more in the direction of capitalism and away from the importance of democracy. This course included reading
Politics is the means for attaining valued things. Although, valued things are different in every society, the means of securing those things has never changed. The competition for power, authority and influence will always be the backbone of politics. Applying power, authority and influence to the valued things that support the public good, will produce the quality of life a society desires. In the present day, citizens in the United States demand certain valued things such as welfare, education, safe streets and healthcare. Through politics, citizens can apply their power in many different ways to get the things they want. Power is the ability to get someone to do something they may or may not want to do. Through the use of or the application of coercion, persuasion, manipulation and negotiation, power is used to influence the system.
“A means by which individuals and interest groups compete to shape government’s impact on society’s problems and goals.” Politics is easily defined. It is the concept behind the words that is more difficult to understand. Though politics is the primary method of communicating with government, this is not the only time politics are used. Immediate, individual interests, wants, and needs must be satisfied, as well as societal problems. The pursuit of interest is the purpose and initiation of political behavior.