...“The Republicans are now a unified party”. To what extent is this true? (45) The Republican Party is the more right wing party of the two dominant parties in American Politics today. From the outside we see the Republican Party as being socially conservative; this is due to religion mostly with such issues such as abortion, gay marriage and other ‘traditional’ family values, but we also see them as fiscally conservative; this wants to have tax cuts and a smaller government. Those are effectively two factions and they dominate the party and the policies, however this does not mean that they are not united with the rest of the factions. This is one side to the argument, that they are more unified then not, because they care more about defeating the democrats than about other factions in their party, or do they just unite once in a while to get hold of power but a very much divided when it comes to the details of the policy making. First point, have the Libertarians been influential at all over the years? Or have they just been in the background and have been too much of a minority to do anything. We see that the Libertarians have been slightly recognised recently for the economic reform, however they have not really been successful, as recent republican presidents have failed to balance the budget, e.g. George W Bush increased government spending more than any of the six presidents preceding him, including LBJ. The Libertarians are also more on the socially liberal side...
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...of the advertisements were intended to portray the core values of the average American. Both George H. Bush and Bill Clinton attempted to portray patriotism and a deep sense of American pride within their campaigns making the economy one of the key topics of this election. But only one of them seemed to be successful. When analyzing their ad campaigns, it is important to take a look at the historical context of their ad campaigns and how the relate to their platform, public opinion and the times the ads were released. During the 1992 campaign season, George H. Bush was the current president and had lost some popularity due to the economic down turn and recession. At the time, Bush was known for his strengths in foreign policy; the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War were both accomplished under his first term. However, Bush’s strength in foreign policy was not as important as the economy, in the eyes of the American people. Also, around this time, Bush had lost a lot of support from those in the Republican Party because he said he would not raise taxes in the previous election and then did in fact, raise them. In the beginning stages of the election, President Bush was in the lead, but as the election went on, his popularity declined. Bill Clinton came from a very different situation than George H. Bush. Not only was Bush the incumbent in office, but he also was the third Republican candidate in a row to be elected for presidency. Clinton...
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...Religion and Its Persuasion on U.S. Politics Rob Farmer Hodges University, Fort Myers, Florida HUM2030-OL-SU15 Dr. William Cooney August 22, 2015 Religion and Its Persuasion on U.S. Politics Religion in the United States is significant not only due to the high percentage of Americans who identify themselves with a specific religion, but the population’s large number of widely diverse beliefs. Ultimately, the United States is a nation bound on a people of immigrants, many of whom originally fled their home countries for the sake of religious freedom, and as such, laws are carefully engineered to safeguard those freedoms. Consider the formative era of our nation and to America’s culture and thinking at the time the US and the Constitution were formed. The leaders of the various colonies, states and ultimately the Founding Fathers themselves were steeped in biblical thinking. They drew examples from the Bible, and looked for confirmation of their ideas for government in scripture. Biblical absolutes enshrined into law offered a consensus that meant freedom without chaos. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, there exists “unalienable rights” of men. Rights were unalienable because they were provided by God. This was important because in most societies up until that time, and even in some countries today, rights are only conferred by whomever is in power at the time. An important aspect of our system of government is that it is based on the Rule of Law. This concept...
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...Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Regan In today’s extremely volatile political climate it has become important for us to view the past to see what great men have accomplished during hard times. President Abraham Lincoln and President Ronald Reagan are two men who I believe were two of the most influential people in the world. While these two men shared many similarities in their life, presidency, and influence, they were also different in many ways. They both achieved what many believed to be the impossible. Maybe by looking at the past and these two great men, we can learn about perseverance in hard times. President Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He spent most of his early childhood years on a farm his parents owned. His father was one of the richest men in the area. In 1816, his father lost the family farm in a court decision and the family moved to Indiana. He spent all of his early years in a region of the United States in non-slave states. When he left home he went to New Orleans, Louisiana and saw slavery for himself first hand. He joined the militia in 1832 and served three months as a Captain during the Black Hawk War. President Ronald Regan was born February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. Unlike President Lincoln, President Reagan spent his early childhood in many cities away from the farms. His father was a salesman and moved the family numerous times. President Reagan attended Eureka College where he was involved...
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...character that is Donald Trump and the spectacle that is his campaign. In his article, Robinson explains why the Democratic Party should take Donald Trump seriously in his bid for president and not think of him as an easily defeated opponent. Robinson goes on to explain why Trump is having such success and what makes him appealing to voters. Robinson’s thesis statement is that the democrats should take Trump seriously and realize that a lot of Americans are supporting him because they are fed up with how our political system is currently formatted. That strong and passionate following can take him far in this election, maybe farther than the Democrats think. In Robinson’s article “Don’t Count on Trump Losing in November”, he defends his thesis very well by offering support and explanations of Trump’s success. It is also clear that this article is not an informative one, but a persuasive one. This article was a great example of a persuasive piece. Robinson is not trying to get us to either vote for nor against Trump, but rather warn us against taking him lightly. He lists some of Trump’s campaign promises and explains, “Many are inconsistent with traditional American values…” He goes on to say that, because of his stern nature and tough love approach, he “strikes a cord” with many lower class, white Americans. Robinson insinuates that the Democratic Party should view Trump’s large following as a threat. He makes the point that the GOP voters that are flocking towards Trump seem...
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...Future of the Republican Party Compared to all the excitement in 2008, there was very little enthusiasm four years later for Obama’s re-election. Yet on the other side, there was almost a sense of disappointment for Romney’s candidacy. During the mid-term elections, amidst the hype of the Tea Party and Republican takeover of Congress, it seemed like the presidential race would prove to be a thrilling ride, but the election in 2012 was disappointingly routine. However, events surrounding the nomination process and leading up to the election have set the stage for the possibility of a realigning election in the near future. In the days following the election, it was repeated over and over that Mitt Romney’s loss to President Obama signaled the end is nearing for the Republican party and a new period of Democratic dominance was coming. The same happened in 2008 with the election of Obama. Enthusiasm for the Democratic party was high in the early stages of Obama’s first term, however hope for the future of the GOP came with the rise of the Tea Party. Beginning in small town hall meetings across the country, the Conservative movement rapidly gained momentum in opposition to Obamacare. Town hall protesters quickly organized into a nation-wide grassroots movement that resulted in the GOP retaking the House in the midterm elections. At that point, it appeared that the progressive movement was possibly finished. With Obama’s re-election, it is clear that the Democratic Party is still strongly...
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...America: A Nation Divided. In George Washington’s Farewell Speech on September 19, 1796, he warned against political parties as follows: The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissention, which in different ages & countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders & miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security & repose in the absolute power of an Individual: and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty (J.E. Quidam, 2008). This ideology seems to have evolved and held truth for the past 227 years as now Americans are even more divided by political parties than any other stature. According to Edward S. Greenberg and Benjamin I. Page’s “The Struggle for Democracy”, political ideology is defined as a system of interrelated and coherently organized political beliefs and attitudes, which include conservatives, liberals, populists, and libertarians (145). Greenburg and Page further describe that the “two dimensions” that Americans generally divide along are government’s roles in economy and society (147). Conservatism can be defined as the disposition to preserve or restore what is established...
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...Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech to the Republican convention Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech given at the Republican national convention in 2004 is clearly of persuasive intent supporting the current President, George W. Bush and the Republican Party. The speech is given just before the presidential election in 2004, and Schwarzenegger is recommending sending George Bush to the white house for four more years. He praises the president of that time: “We are one America, and President Bush is defending it with all his heart and soul. That’s what I admire most about the president. He’s a man of perseverance.” (l. 41, p. 3) As the speech is given on the Republican convention, the audience is probably all Republicans, and throughout the speech, it is clear that it is given to an audience that has already been convinced. Especially in the introduction to his speech, we see that Schwarzenegger speaks to his sympathizers: “My fellow immigrants, my fellow Americans, how do you know if you are a Republican? Well, I tell you how. If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a republican. If you believe that a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican. If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican.” We see here that he focuses his speech on an audience which he addresses as "my fellow Americans"...
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...Political Parties Political Parties Rights for the individual are at the heart of the Libertarian Party, the belief that no one should have to sacrifice their values for the benefit of others. In 1971 the party was founded with the vision of peace, harmony and abundance. Free trade between individuals and protection from government seizure of assets, fraud, and misrepresentation are just a few of the key goals. The Libertarian Party seeks to protect individuals from control by state or government, they believe abortion should be free choice and not decided by state or government. They aim to protect freedom of speech and the ability to participate or abstain from religious activities. Sexual preferences and orientation is also another key point that the party believes should be left to the individual to decide. The Libertarian party believes all of the aforementioned rights should be protected as long as it does not impede on the rights of another. The Republican Party opposes abortion except in certain cases; many individuals may feel as though this should not be a decision to be made by the government. Mitt Romney opposes the idea unless it involved rape, incest, or threatens the mother’s life. Several life circumstances could impact ones belief, many of which would fall outside the views of Republicans. Religion is also contributing factor, an individual’s religious beliefs play an important role in pro-life arguments. This argument would fall...
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...Allen Insanity, as defined by Albert Einstein, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The Republican Party can relate. In the words of Reince Pribus, the RNC Chairman: “The way we communicate our principles isn’t resonating widely enough. Focus groups described our party as narrow-minded, out of touch and, quote, stuffy old men.” Pribus’ interpretation confounds me, along with the thought process behind “The American people have twice elected a liberal President because we didn’t communicate our conservative values enough!” I call into question Pribus’ sanity for literally assuming that the focus group didn’t take issue with the narrow-mindedness itself- but rather the method of delivering said narrow-mindedness. Alas, the GOP will persevere on its path of self-destruction by investing $10 million in a PR campaign directed at young, female, and minority voters about “what it means to be a Republican”. Good luck. As a young female, I know exactly what it would be like to be a Republican. Yikes. National Ratings for the party are at historic lows. In the long run, electoral success isn’t feasibly possible for the GOP without ditching 1950 for 2013, so to speak. That leaves us with the question of when this adapting will occur. In 2012, Republicans won the House majority despite Democrats receiving 1.4 million more votes than Republicans. This was due to gerrymandered districts in key states, along with Democrat’s high concentration in cities. As for the...
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...conservatives in Democratic part? A way that the conservatives are still influential in the Democratic Party is through foreign affairs. Through foreign policy they take a conservative approach in which they intervene in other countries. For example Obama initiated a military surge in Afghanistan, showing that conservative ideologies are still influential in the Democratic Party. However this may be because through foreign policy the president can express more of his powers and position in the party. So actions in foreign policy may not show an influence of conservatism but rather a way in which the president can take more leadership in. Another example of how the Democratic Party holds some conservative values is that some pro-life democrats influence Obama not to allow Federal money to be used to support abortion. Demonstrating that the Democratic Party can be traditional in their views i.e. being pro-life – believing that all life is sacred. Also some democratic supporters hold some traditional conservative views. For example Latinos, who supported Obama in 2008, are not generally pro-choice. Showing that those that support the Democratic Party may not necessarily support some of their policies as they may contradict with their conservative views. Thus conservatism is still influenced in the Democratic Party. However the Democratic Party still hold their liberal values. This is illustrated in the history of Obama’s presidency and Clinton’s presidency. For example the healthcare...
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...Conservative Republican with humble beginnings born and raised on a ranch in West Texas. She has profound origins in Texas as she comes from generations of proud Texans. The prosperous entrepreneur is the granddaughter of former governor Joe "Big Daddy" Johnson who was the Texas governor in 1954-1958. As a highly educated individual that knows what it is to work hard and strive for what she wants, being a pro-business individual she started her own software company in Dallas back in 1993 and later sold to Dell Company in 2014 for $2.5 million dollars. She is a recently divorced with two grown children who support her and can attest of what great mother she has been as they grew up admiring of what a hard worker she was to provide for her family. She strived to be a role model to her children and show them that with perseverance and dedication you can achieve anything you set your mind to. This make her very passionate about mothers and children as she knows firsthand how tough it is to be a working mother. Jane “Bitzi” is the example of a strong woman in politics in today’s society, she is conservative in her ways, compassionate in her actions and has a vison of what she beliefs Texas needs and wants, making her the best candidate for the job. Culture and Regional Support Texas is known to be composed of a combination of traditionalistic and individualistic culture rather than moralistic. Its decisions are based on the citizens’ combination of beliefs, values, experiences...
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...Introduction Every four years, the United States presidential election becomes one of the country’s biggest news stories for a large chunk of that year. During this time there are a great many words both spoken and written about how people are going to vote and what factors supposedly lead them to vote a certain way. It seems that much of the time the analysis of these issues is of a qualitative nature, and with that in mind this paper will attempt to approach the problem from a statistical point of view. That is not to say there is a lack of quantitative research on how specific demographics tend to vote; indeed, some of the good data and information out there will be used to inform this paper’s hypotheses and econometric model. This study will focus on the 2012 U.S. presidential election Barack Obama and Mitt Romney (there were several other candidates on the ballot, but none received a significant portion of the votes). Pundits threw around seemingly countless factors in an attempt to analyze and predict how people would vote in this election; this paper will focus on a select group of those factors, in hopes of drawing some firm and well-grounded conclusions as to whether they actually played a statistically significant role. Countywide data will be utilized. The recent widespread availability of election results on a county-by-county level, combined with countywide information from the U.S. Census Bureau, allows for a very large number of observations (at least in...
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...of the course we address several different themes that shaped modern America. The first is the importance of the Civil War and Reconstruction in setting the stage for the great industrial growth and development in the late 19th century. The second theme is the impact of industrialization in late 19th century America--economically, politically, socially, and culturally. A third theme centered on the emergence of an aggressive America foreign policy that in general sought to export American values and ideas so as to bring order to the international scene. The fourth major theme is the rise of progressivism in the first two decades of this century. Like the unions and Populists before them, the Progressives responded to the tremendous impact of industrialization and corporate capitalism on American society, however with much more success. A fifth theme centers on the American entrance into World War I and the war's impact on American society and politics. A sixth theme is the conflict over values and power in American society. Different groups (African-Americans, KKK, nativist/anti-immigrant, socialists, women, etc) with their own unique visions of what American society should be came into conflict over whose vision should predominate. A final theme is emergence of a powerful, welfare state in the form of the New Deal which finally addressed in a large-scale and systematic effort the negative consequences inherent in capitalism and industrialization. Below are some questions that...
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...Texas in primarily an attempt of imposing conservative values on the state government (Ericson 7). For this reason, the present constitution of Texas aims at replicating the provisions of constitutions of pre-Civil War that had nothing to do with reconstruction or slavery. Evidence in the Texas Constitution Plainly, one of the best ideas for this argument that the constitution of Texas is a backlash against reconstruction is found in the Bill of Rights (Cornyn 4). Note that the Bill is included in the constitution. In the beginning, the Bill of Rights explains the statements that Texas is a state that is independent. For this reason, Texas is subject only to the United States Constitution. In other words, such a statement aims at implying that the Congress has no power to tell the state what to do. Precisely...
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