FRQ #1

The part of the government that was originally most closely tied to citizens was the House of Representatives. The House was the only element of government that was within direct control of the votes of the majority. On the contrary, state legislatures elected senators and special electors selected the president, meaning government officials would be selected by a small minority rather than the people, limiting majority rule. A separation of powers and system of checks and balances developed in the Madisonian Model also prevent one branch of the government from having too much power. In order to make the Constitution more democratic, amendments in the 20th century allowed more consent of the governed. For example, the 19th amendment allowed woman to vote, which allowed their opinions to matter. Also, the 26th amendment lowered the voting age to 18, allowing even more public input rather than mainly older, wealthy, white landowning men determining most of the decisions. Presidential Primaries also shifted the United States to a more democratic system by allowing the people to vote for candidates or delegates pledged to that candidate. Before primaries existed, delegates were selected to go to the national convention only by means of caucuses, in which state party leader controlled who went rather than the people. Other than voting, citizens can participate in politics by protesting and civil disobedience. The benefits of protesting include raising awareness and the availability for anyone to participate, unlike voting which pertains restrictions. Likewise, civil disobedience (breaking the law purposefully and receiving the consequence) clearly communicates a message. Sometimes instances of protesting can instigate violence, such as the Kent State Massacre in 1970. Students stood outside the school protesting the war in Vietnam and the Ohio National Guard opened fire on the campus, killing four and wounding nine. The violence grabbed the attention of America. Though policy did not change in that instance, sometimes violence pressure the government into reconsidering their actions.

The New American Center

The other day I took a quiz on the NBC News website that asked a series of questions to determine my place on the political ideology spectrum. The questions ranged in content anywhere from my moral and ethical views to how I think about politics, and in the end I was labeled as one of the Righteous Right. The Righteous Right is made up of a group of more conservative-type people and those who base their views often off of their beliefs. I think that this was a fairly accurate match up, though I’m not completely sure on how the government should regulate things and need a lot more political knowledge before I can make solid decisions. The article that goes along with the quiz explains The New American Center, a large group of people who are in the middle when it comes to being blue or red (liberal or conservative). Many of these people don’t consider themselves in the middle, but when they took the quiz it revealed otherwise. The center is made up of a majority of white people. They aren’t especially pleased with how the government is running and are overall pessimistic about the next few years. The center trusts democrats and people other than politicians more than republicans and do not like to bring religion into politics. They don’t believe in the government should only spend money on those who really need help and generally would prefer if the government would stay out of their personal lives. The center also believes that America should stop interfering with other nation’s problems and instead focus on our own. 46 percent of them strongly oppose ending the death penalty and somewhat agree with taxing the rich a little more. Overall, the center is up for grabs and demonstrated that America is not solely divided into two sides. I agree with the findings of this study, because I personally know many people who have central views and mixed opinions. I myself have some mixed opinions, but I do rely strongly on my beliefs and moral basis to make decisions, which is why I was classified as one of the Righteous Right and not part of the new American center.

**Are public opinion polls a benefit or a curse to American politics?  What influence do they have on campaigns?  On governing?  What do critics point to as the key weaknesses of public opinion polls? Do you agree?  Explain?

 

Public opinion polls are a benefit to American politics because policymakers can keep in touch with the people's changing opinions on issues and make corresponding corrections the the government's course; however, they are also a curse in that politicians in that politicians may become more concerned with following than leading and can distort the election process, thus weakening democracy. Political leaders often "track public opinion not to make policy but rather to determine how to craft their  public presentations" to win support. Polls can also create a "bandwagon effect" in that people vote according to how others are voting.  The key weakness of public opinion polls is that by altering the wording of a question, pollsters can usually get the results they want, distorting the real public opinion.

Young vs. Middle vs. Old on Politics

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuMDjH5M_x7ddDFtS1FHZE1CUTRjZUc4MmtJVVcxc3c&usp=sharing