1. Which political party do you most identify with? Why? Are there things in the party platform with which you disagree? I do not completely identify myself with just any one party. I agree and disagree with certain beliefs and ideas from each party. Like Democrats, I believe in minimum wages and higher tax rates for those with higher income. I think Government should help monitor economics. But like Republicans, I favor a limited role for government in society. I could not just pick just one party to support.
2. Does America need political parties? The founders originally hoped that American politics would operate without need of parties? Would that work today? Why?
Even though not everyone can pick and support just one political party, I think they are still important. Political parties keep people informed of current events. They also encourage other citizens to become involved and vote. Political parties act as both informers and gates/gateways to political involvement. Without them, elections would not run as smoothly. Citizens would be less likely to understand who or what they were voting for.
3. Please research lesser known political parties - which one do you most identify with? Why?
There are many lesser known political parties out there that I was unaware of. One of them is the Constitution Party. It was formed in 1991 by Howard Philips. Their goal is "to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Bibical foundations." It calls for stricter penalties on illegal immigrants, are anti-abortion, want to reduce spending, and supports the death penalty.
Another party I found was The Green Party of the United States. They officially formed in 2001 and support environmentalism, social justice, peace, and nonviolence. They also supported Ralph Nader.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Chapter 8
1. From figure 8.1 in the text, select one of the interest groups and do some research on their issues and beliefs. What did you learn? What did you find interesting? Do you agree/disagree with their positions on issues? Why?
For this I chose the National Education Association. They are educators who want to see improvement in public schools. Their core values are: equal opportunity, a just society, democracy, professionalism, partnership, and collective action. Like me, they are concerned with the No Child Left Behind Act. They listed that it relied too heavily on test scores, takes away teacher rights, and ignores good local ideas. I agree with this, especially the part about relying too heavily on test scores.
2. Find an interest group with which you associate (positively). What is the name of the group and what do you find persuasive about their position on issues?
There are many interest groups I like but I choose NOW (National Organization for Women) for this question. Their goal is to bring about equality for all women, eliminate discrimination/violence against women, etc. I think its important that there are interest groups to represent women.
3. Do interest groups have enough/too much/the right amount of power in the political system? Most believe it's a fine-line balance between freedom of speech for the groups and keeping unfair persuasion out of government. Where is that line and when is it crossed?
In general, I do not think they have too much power. I think it is a natural and common thing for people who have similar interests and beliefs to form groups. While some groups do have more power/influence than others, they tend to balance each other out. While they can have negative impacts, I think the positive outweighs the negative.
For this I chose the National Education Association. They are educators who want to see improvement in public schools. Their core values are: equal opportunity, a just society, democracy, professionalism, partnership, and collective action. Like me, they are concerned with the No Child Left Behind Act. They listed that it relied too heavily on test scores, takes away teacher rights, and ignores good local ideas. I agree with this, especially the part about relying too heavily on test scores.
2. Find an interest group with which you associate (positively). What is the name of the group and what do you find persuasive about their position on issues?
There are many interest groups I like but I choose NOW (National Organization for Women) for this question. Their goal is to bring about equality for all women, eliminate discrimination/violence against women, etc. I think its important that there are interest groups to represent women.
3. Do interest groups have enough/too much/the right amount of power in the political system? Most believe it's a fine-line balance between freedom of speech for the groups and keeping unfair persuasion out of government. Where is that line and when is it crossed?
In general, I do not think they have too much power. I think it is a natural and common thing for people who have similar interests and beliefs to form groups. While some groups do have more power/influence than others, they tend to balance each other out. While they can have negative impacts, I think the positive outweighs the negative.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Chapter 7
1. Does objectivity still exist in the media's coverage of politics? Of the major news outlets (CNN, FoxNews, MSNBC, NPR, NBC, etc.), which are the most objective and which seem to have the most bias?
To a certain extent, some objectivity still exists. They are not usually openly biased when presenting the news. However, some of the news outlets do tend to lean 'left' or 'right.' I could not say for sure which ones because I often only hear about news through word of mouth.
2. How does talk radio (Rush Limbaugh, Air America, etc.) affect your view of politics? Why?
Overall, talk radio is not something that affects me. I do not normally listen to talk radio. It is something that is probably geared towards and more appealing to the older generations of people.
3. Is media objectivity important? Why or why not?
Media objectivity is very important. When media outlets do not present news in a way that is completely objective, they may cause people to misunderstand information. They also may influence people to believe or feel a certain way about political issues that they would not normally had they been completely objective. It is important that they simply present the facts so that people may form their own opinions without being influenced.
To a certain extent, some objectivity still exists. They are not usually openly biased when presenting the news. However, some of the news outlets do tend to lean 'left' or 'right.' I could not say for sure which ones because I often only hear about news through word of mouth.
2. How does talk radio (Rush Limbaugh, Air America, etc.) affect your view of politics? Why?
Overall, talk radio is not something that affects me. I do not normally listen to talk radio. It is something that is probably geared towards and more appealing to the older generations of people.
3. Is media objectivity important? Why or why not?
Media objectivity is very important. When media outlets do not present news in a way that is completely objective, they may cause people to misunderstand information. They also may influence people to believe or feel a certain way about political issues that they would not normally had they been completely objective. It is important that they simply present the facts so that people may form their own opinions without being influenced.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Blog 6
1. Is American news media too dependent upon polls? Is it appropriate for news agencies to create polls and then report on them? Why or why not?
I do not think the media is too dependent on polls. Polls are a good way to predict outcomes, general beliefs, etc. I do think its fine for a news agency to create polls and report on them as long as they are being honest and fair when making and tallying the results. The results can be educational and interesting to viewers or readers.
2.How important is political party identification to you (e.g. as a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, etc.)? Was it more or less important to your parents & grandparents? Does it seem more or less important to your friends? Why or why not?
To me, political part identification is not that important. Instead, it is more important to know what your views and opinions are on issues. In other words, it is more important to know whether or not you support abortion, stricter immigration laws, your opinions on gun laws, etc. Just because someone is a democrat does not mean that they will agree with everything democrats stand for. However, it was probably more important to identify yourself with a party in the past. Today, it is not as important because the country is not only more modern but has a wider range of issues to deal with.
3. Do you feel that you opinion of politics is more influenced by economic issues or by social issues? Why?
My opinion of politics is probably more influenced by economic issues. This is probably because a lot of social issues do not directly effect me. Issues such as abortion, homosexual marriage,immigration, etc have not had any direct impact on me. However, economic issues, seems to affect me more. It affects me more as a student trying to pay her way through college. Or when I see people who have lost their job due to outsourcing, a company in financial crisis, etc. Therefore my opinion of politics are going to be more influenced by economic issues.
I do not think the media is too dependent on polls. Polls are a good way to predict outcomes, general beliefs, etc. I do think its fine for a news agency to create polls and report on them as long as they are being honest and fair when making and tallying the results. The results can be educational and interesting to viewers or readers.
2.How important is political party identification to you (e.g. as a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, etc.)? Was it more or less important to your parents & grandparents? Does it seem more or less important to your friends? Why or why not?
To me, political part identification is not that important. Instead, it is more important to know what your views and opinions are on issues. In other words, it is more important to know whether or not you support abortion, stricter immigration laws, your opinions on gun laws, etc. Just because someone is a democrat does not mean that they will agree with everything democrats stand for. However, it was probably more important to identify yourself with a party in the past. Today, it is not as important because the country is not only more modern but has a wider range of issues to deal with.
3. Do you feel that you opinion of politics is more influenced by economic issues or by social issues? Why?
My opinion of politics is probably more influenced by economic issues. This is probably because a lot of social issues do not directly effect me. Issues such as abortion, homosexual marriage,immigration, etc have not had any direct impact on me. However, economic issues, seems to affect me more. It affects me more as a student trying to pay her way through college. Or when I see people who have lost their job due to outsourcing, a company in financial crisis, etc. Therefore my opinion of politics are going to be more influenced by economic issues.
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