...of Having a Voice and Getting Out To Vote Throughout this semester I’ve learned a great deal of information on various subject areas. I’ve also gained more political knowledge than I had prior to taking this course. Of the many chapters discussed during this course, I found Parties and Elections in Texas (chapter 21), Public Opinion (chapter 6), and Political Participation and Voting (chapter 8) to be the most interesting and informative. Parties and Elections in Texas Political parties play a major role in Texas politics. Approximately 91 percent of Texas voters either identify with or lean toward the Republican or the Democratic Party. Despite all of the complaints about parties, they perform roles that are critical to the operation of our democratic system and to the overall coordination and functioning of our political system. The most important function of parties in Texas is to provide a label under which candidates may run and voter may identify. The party label becomes the standard used in casting a ballot for a candidate. Parties recruit candidates, assist in getting out the vote, and helps to organize the government once officials have been elected. The organization of political parties in Texas can be somewhat complex. Texas does not have a system of party registration for voters. Texas parties conduct primaries to select each party’s candidates for office. The precinct chair heads the precinct convention and serves on the county executive committee...
Words: 1112 - Pages: 5
...Donald Simmons Professor R.A Harris Tuesday / Thursday 3:30-4:45 Test #2 Chapters 7,8,11 & 12 I will be speaking as a Conservative towards Political Culture and Public Opinion. Political Culture is a set of attitudes and practices held by people that forms their political behavior. Which includes moral judgments, beliefs, political myths and ideas about what could make up a good society. It is also a reflection of a government, but it also includes elements of history and tradition that may predate the current government. Political cultures matter because it structures a population’s political views and actions. Governments can help shape political culture and public opinion through education, public events. Political cultures can vary significantly from state to state and sometimes even within a state. However, political culture remains pretty much the same over time. As a conservative I believe gun ownership should have few restrictions because The Second Amendment constitutionally protects it. America is overflowing with firearms to the point where they have become part of the structure of the social stability. Which means while they are the source of chaos, they can also be understood as something that keeps the peace. Conservatives argue that because criminals have complete access to guns then it’s only fair to even the odds for possible victims by permitting them to own them to there own gun as well. Conservatives also believe...
Words: 1859 - Pages: 8
...legitimacy. To make matters worse, early administration actions on environmental and social issues were controversial, his bumbling style as a speaker became the target for jokes, the Senate switched hands to the Democrats when moderate Republican Sen. James Jeffords quit his party, the economy slipped into recession, and Bush's popularity began to fall. All this changed dramatically after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.A. With great skill and determination, Bush rallied the nation together, taking swift action against perceived terrorist threats, building an international coalition against terrorism, and taking the war to the perpetrators of the acts in Afghanistan. His job approval ratings soared to record levels, and he gained new respect from leaders and the public. The opening vignette thus illustrates how external events influence the presidential office. Especially during times of war and national crisis, the natural capacities of the institution are enhanced, as the public looks to the President during emergencies, and the person holding it has their power increased, more easily overcoming the constraints placed upon it by the Constitution and other structural and political factors. In wartime, presidents generally have their way with Congress on defense and foreign policy matters, and are tempted to govern by executive orders and agreements, with minimal...
Words: 2712 - Pages: 11
...The public sphere must first allow for the formation of public opinion (Habermas, 1989). In this regard, social media seems to fulfill this requirement – it easily facilitates discussions between individuals, even when they are geographically separated (Edosomwan, Prakasan, Kouame, Watson & Seymour, 2011). While user experiences differ (i.e. the Twitter interface is different from the Facebook interface), every social media platform makes it relatively easy for users to exchange thoughts and opinions (usually with just a few taps on the keyboard and a click of a button) with hundreds or even thousands of other individuals. The ease of sharing personal opinions and exchanging ideas has encouraged the world of social media to become a participatory...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...An overview and Descriptions : In very democracy, Interest groups are as old as political parties existence. Interest groups, equally known as advocacy or pressure groups, are associations or organizations of individuals who share a common interest and assert their collective strength in the political process to protect — and in some cases, expand — that interest. They are Non-profit and usually voluntary organization whose members have a common cause for which they seek to influence public policy, without seeking political control. Their primary activities are lobbying the members of legislative bodies through contribution to political parties, working to elect sympathetic or pliable politicians, and conducting covert or open propaganda campaigns. At this juncture, My emphasis is on The Anti-Abortion Right Group in My State of Maryland,which is of particular interest to me. Because my Delegate is a Republican. In the late 1960s, a number of organizations were formed to mobilize opinion against the legalization of abortion. In the United States, the National Right to Life Committee was formed in 1968, while in Australia, the National Right to Life formed in 1970. The United States pro-life movement (also known as the United States anti-abortion movement or the United States right-to-life movement) as a social and political movement in the united state opposing on moral or sectarian grounds elective Abortion and usually supporting its legal prohibition or restriction. Advocates...
Words: 1392 - Pages: 6
...who share political, social or other goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals. 2. Alexis de Tocqueville- French political writer noted for his analysis of American institutions 3. public goods - benefits that everyone gets whether or not they join the group, 4. private goods- benefits that ONLY come to those who are members 5. free rider problem- Why would anyone join a group that will provide benefits to everyone regardless of membership? 6. union shop- anyone working for the company has to join the union or at least pay a part of the dues to cover cost of negotiating contracts 7. right-to-work laws- outlaw union shop contracts 8. benefits for group membership: solidarity- make people feel good for joining a group and working with others to make the world a better place. 9. Material- include things like discounts on goods or services, or low cost life or auto insurance. 10. Information- provide members with information that they find interesting and useful. 11. “Federalist Number 10”- how the new government created by the Constitution would help deal with the problem of factions. 12. Faction- He lumps parties and interest groups togetheras including both large groups (majority factions)and small groups (minority factions) ofpassionate people who are united bysome interest. 13. democratic pluralism- checking and balancing 14. lobbying- those activities in which people contact public officials...
Words: 2375 - Pages: 10
...Parting at the Crossroads: The Development of Health Insurance in Canada and the United States, 1940-1965 Author(s): Antonia Maioni Source: Comparative Politics, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Jul., 1997), pp. 411-431 Published by: Ph.D. Program in Political Science of the City University of New York Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/422012 . Accessed: 12/10/2013 14:05 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. . Ph.D. Program in Political Science of the City University of New York is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Comparative Politics. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 130.63.180.147 on Sat, 12 Oct 2013 14:05:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Parting at the Crossroads The Development of Health Insurance in Canada and the United States, 1940-1965 AntoniaMaioni Frequentlyraised in recent discussions abouthealth care reformin the United States has been the model of the Canadianhealth insurancesystem.' While debates about health insurance often...
Words: 9505 - Pages: 39
...Supreme court justices are politicians. They are politicians alongside their duties of judges of the highest court in the land. The most basic definition of a politician is, a person that achieves a position of policy making over an organized community. Judges, in theory, should be fair, unbiased, neutral, impartial and not based or linked to any political party or movement. However, decisions made by the Supreme Court judges have had huge political significance. While it’s not the standard in lower courts, the United States Supreme Court is forced to make political and judicial decisions. A judicial decision is based on the question was a law broken. However, because the Supreme Court is the highest court of the land, they also must make political decisions some of which have been more powerful that the actual laws congress had written. The Supreme Court is in charge of making sure congress and the president don’t overstep their authority, and to do this job of keeping these branches accountable it would be impossible for the justices to not be politicians yielding real power. One of the examples of the supreme courts political power the court case Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). Estelle Griswold was the executive director of Planned Parenthood in Connecticut; she and Dr. Buxton of Yale Medical School opened a clinic in Waterbury and after only serving 10 patients Griswold and Buxton were arrested and convicted of giving information, instruction, and advice about birth control...
Words: 2189 - Pages: 9
...What Does Political Science Tell Us about Political Parties? Politics is a study that embroils both humanistic and scientific facets of socio-economic and political establishments. As a social science discipline, political science is concerned primary with the studies of states, nations, communities, parties, and policies that form them (Farrell, Webb, and Janda par. 2). Political Science advocates for a systematic, scientific, and fastidious efforts to explore human behavior and actions that have shaped political history and democratic processes. Moreover, political science as a study does not only prepare individuals for employment, but also for survival, given its efficacy in making informed citizenry who has the capacity to participate in the political processes within political parties or interest groups (Freeman par. 12). In addition, political science seeks to expand the scope of political advocacy. As a result, the study pursues community organization and service by the elected or appointed officials to the people. Therefore, political science is the power behind the formation of political parties, and its efficacy is usually instrumental in revealing the underlying relationships between political events and the conditions that generate them (Janos par. 7). In essence, political science seeks to construct the general principles for which societal politics works in line with political parties and the policies under which they operate. In practice, political science...
Words: 2014 - Pages: 9
...implied powers (necessary and proper clause), and concurrent powers. • Delegated Powers: (expressed/enumerated powers) powers given to the federal government directly by the constitution. Some most important delegated powers are: the authority to tax, regulated interstate commerce, authority to declare war, and grants the president role of commander and chief of the military • Implied Powers: Powers not expressed in the constitution, but that can be inferred. “Necessary and proper clause” • Concurrent powers: powers shared by both levels of government. Ex: Taxes, roads, elections, commerce, establishing courts and a judicial system • Reserved powers: powers not assigned by the constitution to the national government but left to the states or the people. Guaranteed by the 10th amendment. Include “police power”-health and public welfare, intra-state commerce. Example of police powers: Gonzales vs Raich (2005) and California Medical Marijuana. The parts and relevance of the "Triad of Powers" • Interstate commerce clause • General welfare • 10th amendment – non-delegated powers go to the states Federalism between states (i.e. full faith and credit and privileges and immunities clause, original...
Words: 37488 - Pages: 150
...divide labor .3. Institutions save everyone's time and energy; in technical language, they reduce transaction costs. 4. Institutions exist independently of the particular people participating in them. 5. Institutions distribute authority. More power inheres in some roles than in others. 6. Participants will attempt to adapt it to their own purposes; but they are difficult to change. ● 02.How do institutions check tyranny? - checks and balances:Social pluralism, we divide government up between three institutions with all the same amount of power, ● 03.Why are institutions difficult to change? Path dependency: reliance on experience, constrained by status quo; solutions based on familiar institutions. Some participants are content with current arrangements and not willing to change. ● 04.Framers consciously designed a set of institutions for making it possible to do politics of this kind. The point is to design a set of institutions that control the effects of factions--by setting them against one another, but dividing authority among institutions ● Problems with the Articles of confederation No ability to tax , No central currency, No way to negotiate treaties ,No executive capacity, difficult to maintain public order, nation security. ● 06.Deals addressed by the constitution Path dependency: reliance on experience, constrained by status quo; solutions based on familiar institutions. Some participants are content with current arrangements and not willing to change. ● 07...
Words: 7682 - Pages: 31
...are as well as whom they are responsible for is an example of a(n): a. Issue network b. Merit system c. Hierarchy d. Spoils system e. Iron triangle 5. Bureaucracy is useful for all of the following EXCEPT tasks that: a. Require a great deal of coordination b. Require a great deal of planning c. Require a great deal of expertise d. Can be handled on an ad hoc basis e. Require a great deal of routine work 6. The practice in which successful party candidates reward political supporters with jobs or favors is known as: a. Patronage b. Pandering c. Pay-for-play d. Lobbying e. Nepotism 7. The civil service replaced the _________ as a method of choosing government workers. a. Merit system b. Hereditary inheritance 2 c. Optional service d. Spoils system e. Presidential appointment system 8. The goal of the Pendleton Act and the Hatch Act was to: a. Increase presidential control over the executive branch of government b. Reduce political influence over federal government employees c. Increase political participation by federal government employees d. Increase congressional control...
Words: 5691 - Pages: 23
...Section 4: Party Organization A. Structure Federalism, nominating B. Organization at the National Level 1. convention 2. chairperson C. State and Local Organization 1. election, caucuses 2. wards Prereading and Vocabulary 2 1. should cut back on expensive government programs Sample definition: Conservatives believe in cutting costs and government programs. 2. came to vote Sample definition: The electorate is the group of people who are allowed to vote. 3. voted at the polling place, elementary school Sample definition: A precinct is a small area from which all the residents report to vote at one location. 4. wards 5. bipartisan 6. nominate 7. Liberals 8. resign CHAPTER 5 Section 1 Reading Comprehension 3 1. Answers for rankings will vary. Historical basis: The two-party system is rooted in the beginnings of the U.S., when the ratification of the Constitution gave rise to the first two parties. Tradition: Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system simply because there has always been one. Electoral system: Since only one winner per office comes out of each election, voters have only two viable choices—the candidate of the party holding office or the candidate with the best chance of replacing the current officeholder. Voters tend to think of a vote for a minor party candidate as a wasted vote. Republicans and Democrats work together in a bipartisan way to write election laws to make it hard for a minor party or independent ...
Words: 24569 - Pages: 99
...Define an interest group, with examples. Interest groups defined as organized group of people who share common attitudes and interests, and try to influence policy by shaping public opinion, opposing or supporting candidates, and influencing the decisions of government officials. Interest groups seek to represent the views and difficulties of their members. Interest groups known as lobbies; lobbying is one way in which interest groups form legislature and represent the views of their voters to the attention of decision-makers. Many interest groups headquarters are in Washington, D.C. this allows access to legislatures and policymakers. Interest groups can be assembled into several broad categories; Economic, Public, Government, Religious, Civil rights, Ideological, Single-issue....
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
...convince the people to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. During this time period, the people of the states were hesitant of the new written constitution. They were concerned that this new proposed form of government was going to be a too similar setup as to the King they had just fought a war to declare independence from. The states were also concerned that they were going to lose the majority of their powers to a declared and newly established federal government. The federalist papers were written with the intent of informing...
Words: 1523 - Pages: 7
