The American Political System - C.M

Moving from the topic of race and segregation, this country of ours, is known to have some failures elsewhere as well. The problem I am addressing is economically. This country faced what is known as the Great Depression. It inspired civilians to feel just as the name implicates. With financial crisis on the rise, as well as the recovery from World War I, we needed a leader who knew what he was doing. President Herbert Hoover was not the guy. If anything, he not only initiated the Great Depression, bu his solution was to do absolutely nothing. Luckily, “the new deal was forced to turn to marginal intellectuals for the guidance and council it required”. The Great Depression brought about a time of death and rebirth, in a sense ,for our country. During the Depression, our president believed the economic depression could not be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement. How insane is that? As president of the United States, it was his given duty to use his authority to ut...

Separate but equal. This was the rally cry for America during segregation. Although slavery was now abolished, this is how they would make it legal to separate the races, and unfortunately it worked.  The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. With the14th amendment already in pace, how could such a aw be passed into place? NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall was a black lawyer that stood up during the Linda brown case, and argued how black schools were not as up to par as whites. When this argument was not winning the case, he began to question if schools could really be separate but equal, yet divide students based on the color of their skin. Separate but equal sounds like a contradiction in my opinion. How can you claim these two groups of people to be equal, yet refuse certain services to one group that is viewed as inferior to your own. If the case had not been put on hold, and the chief of justice did not pass away, who kn...

There was a real sense of nostalgia for me watching former president, Barack Obama’s, 2008 Fathers Day speech. I remember vaguely watching this speech with my grandparents. I just turned 14 a few weeks prior to this speech. There was definitely a difference for me in watching this, especially thinking of things from an adults perspective, and being in a political science class. I mostly favored when he stated, “The job of the father is to instill a sense of excellence in our children”. Having my father permanently out of my life, due to a stroke a little over a year ago, along with becoming man of the family, I am able to relate to a lot of the responsibilities that Obama mentioned. He stated that the man is the foundation of the family, and without it we are weaker. Half of the black homes are single parent households. He says we should not blame this on past injustices, but more so blame the government for failing us. We needed a change in America and he wanted it to be known tha...

The Gilded age was a period for America between 1870 and 1900 where the country began to rebuild itself, between the Civil War and World War I. Although the nation seemed to be putting itself together in great fashion outwardly, a lot of corruption was taking place. This corruption in my opinion is partially the reason why our country today is so corrupt. It was built in corruption and further sustained by it. As stated by McWilliams XIV chapter which is entitled, “The Gilded Age”, “The political ideas most Americans had inherited failed as guides, and too little new theory developed to modify the liberal creed”. McWilliams in that statement shows his opinion on how America was set in its ways, and hadn’t showed much efforts into changing that. With that being said, we can see proof in his views by observing congress today. America is guilty of congressional district gerrymandering. District boundaries are continuously redrawn by political parties to gain an advantage. Corrupt polit...

“The freedom gained is yours; and you, therefore, properly celebrate this anniversary”. There were words addressed by Frederick Douglas, former slave. This was from a speech of his he gave in New York entitled, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. Having escaped from slavery, he often let his views of slavery known. His speech was to remind other abolitionists such as himself that this holiday was a celebration for the white men, yet a day of mourning for slaves and former slaves because this newly found holiday only served as a reminder for them that equal liberty has not come to pass for them which is stated in The Declaration of Independence. For this reason he refused to acknowledge or celebrate this holiday until all of the slaves were released from bondage. Douglas went further to discuss the injustice of this country and this holiday. He compared the birth of this nation and national freedom, to the Passover for the people of God. The Passover is when Gods people part...

“The government is best which governs not at all.” This quote is from the document by Henry David Thoreau entitled, “Civil Disobedience”. From this quote we can see how his beliefs are not aligned with the government, and righty so in my opinion. He accepts the motto that “that government is best which governs least”. Thoreau also believes that most governments are usually not suitable while all governments are sometimes not suitable. He does not have total faith in any government. The government has a history of not always being concerned with what is best for the people. There is a line of individuals standing up for change and even putting their lives on the line. According to Thoreau, the government is so weak that a single man can bend it to his will. We should each let it be known what type of government it is that we want and demand it for ourselves and our loved ones. Demanding our respect he says is step one in obtaining respect. Civil Disobedience is important because it ...

Political scientists interest in studying how states adopt new ideas came about in response to a need to understand how they can further political changes and developments. They also came to the conclusion that their findings would also validate if there is even a need to initiate certain programs in the first place. It is almost shocking that for the federal principle of our government, their number one argument in the 1950’s was actually, “the other states had adopted it.” With that in mind it is understandable how patterns of diffusion can sort of be seen as a tree, spreading out its branches to nearby states and continues to spread. Just because something is passed in a nearby state doesn’t, or shouldn’t, automatically mean it has value. But of course it comes back to power. The larger cities are able to move faster due to bigger populations. They also have more influence due to factors such as more wealth, being more “urban”, more industrial, fluidity, and turnover in their po...

Politics can be described in a variety of ways, usually depending on who it is giving the definition. In a general sense, it can be explained as conflicts between educated, commercial, and the underlying populations. What can be assumed in these conflicts are issues of power. Who obtains it and how it is used to influence the nation. This is an ongoing issue between, “The involved and the isolated”. Thomas Jefferson is known to have represented Americans, while guaranteeing the use of, “older ethics”. In my humbled opinion, Jefferson has away with words, as most people in his position do, which comes across to the underlying populations as someone to support. A quote by Jefferson follows; “Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life are dreary things.” Yes I agree with those words, but he seems to contradict himself several times. In using this quote, he was attempting to push his agenda towards America institutionalizing frat...

“Racism was a whispered note in The American Enlightenment.” To understand this quote, you must have a sense in what “The American Enlightenment” is all about. It was an idea that originated in Europe, traveling to the U.S. arriving via port cities and plantations. It was a new way of thinking. America was new, foreign, and therefore represented this new way of living for the Europeans. They saw America as their, “Redemptive Land”. They were free to experiment with ideas and social norms. Ideas supported by individuals such as Newton and Jefferson played a role of influence in The American Enlightenment as well. It included God, law, and science, to form a more “moral humanity”. The Europeans who now settled in America, claimed that in this new way of thinking, slavery did not entirely degrade the slaves. Their treatment was softened by religion. They even encouraged baptism among the slaves, and they claim much interest wasn’t in owning leaves, but to only teach them a lesson. Wha...

     Being a born U.S. citizen you dont really consider the implications of how you’re viewed. Besides to underlying tone of racism, which is a topic in itself, I dont live day to day life fighting for my rights to be seen as a U.S. citizen, my right to live here, etc. I remember learning the Melting-Pot theory in a high school history art class, but to read it broken down as such was interesting. America claims to have this drawn out, wonderfully blended, equal opportunity life style, but along with that comes implications of the government since it is they who have the power. Also there is this idea of Americanism. This brings me to my quote. “Surely we cannot be certain of our spiritual democracy when, claiming to melt the nations within us to a comprehension of our free and democratic institutions, we fly into panic at the first sign of their own will and tendency.”      America has this self implicated idea that it is like a melting pot. A melting po...

The United States Governments Political System is one of diverse components. When diving into issues at hand, one may wonder who is really in control? What gives them the authority to reign, and ultimately decide what is important for the people. This sought after source is power. A term in which constantly changes its meaning, but comes down to the same defining point. Power in the political sense, comes down to what influences you are capable of. What successful outcomes come of your decision making in the law making process. In reality, your opinions are of no value because there is an agenda at hand. According to Wolin, “The increasing power of the state and the declining power of institutions intended to control the state has been in the making for some time.” Although America is polished on the outside to look as though it is the place to be, it is the place for all people, that is far from the truth. Just like power, America exists to forever favor wealthy people. To understa...