Chapter 9

1.       1.   Which political party do you most identify with?  Why?  Are there things in the party platform with which you disagree?

I really am stuck in the middle with this one, probably because I don’t have much of an opinion about politics anyway.

2.   Does America need political parties?  The founders originally hoped that American politics would operate without need of parties?  Would that work today?  Why?

Without political parties America would be in an even worse shape than we are today.  At least our government has some sort of organization at present.

3.       3.   Please research lesser known political parties - which one do you most identify with?  Why?

I like the Whig Party because they seemed defiant which is cool.

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?

I researched The American Federation of teachers (AFT). AFT was founded in 1926 and represents teachers and school related personnel. This is the second largest education labor union in the United States.

 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?

I like the AFT in that they are really focusing on bullying right now which is becoming a big epidemic in our country for thousands of children.

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?

I don’t know enough about interest groups to really say; seems like they have worked out for us so far.

Chapter 7

1.      Does objectivity still exist in the media's coverage of politics?  Of the major news outlets (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, NBC, etc.), which are the most objective and which seem to have the most bias?

Out of all the major media outlets, Fox News is definitely the most biased.  They are definitely in support of the Republican Party which is wrong for a news station.  A news station shouldn’t have any opinion on politics; they should just report the news.

2.      How does talk radio (Rush Limbaugh, Air America, etc.) affect your view of politics?  Why?

I have no opinion on this matter being that I do not listen to any talk radios besides Clark Howard once in a blue moon.

3.      Is media objectivity important?  Why or why not?

The news should just be to inform the public about what is happening in the world, not to speak their opinions about a subject. 

Chapter 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 think the media is too dependent upon polls. The media often twists their words to make something sound different than what is true which causes unneeded chaos in American’s lives.

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?  Why or why not?

 For me, I could care less about political party identification and for the most part my family is the same way.  It bothers me how some people will judge you on whether you are a democrat or a republican.  I don’t think you should be based on what your political beliefs are.

3.       Do you feel that your opinion of politics is more influenced by economic issues or by social issues?  Why?

 I don’t really have an opinion when it comes to politics, but I think the country as a whole are mostly influenced for economic issues right now with the economy in shambles and all.  I think people consider social issues very important, but they are on the backburner right now.

Chapter 5

1.      The issue of race:  does the government do too little or too much to reduce the instances of racial discrimination?  Why or how so?

I believe overall that the government does the best job it can of racial discrimination.  The government is really in a pickle when it comes to race because some people take things out of proportion when race is involved.  Just like with anything, the government can’t make everyone happy.

2.      The issue of gender:  does the government do too little or too much to reduce the instances of racial discrimination?  Why or how so?

I believe the government has the right idea when it comes to gender but the workplace has it all wrong.  Women to this day are still being treated unfairly and underpaid compared to males because of their gender, which is wrong.  One should get paid the same whether male or female.

3.      The issue of sexual orientation:  does the government do too little or too much to reduce the instances of racial discrimination?  Why or how so?

I don’t really think the government has any say in this matter.  When it comes to sexual orientation I think you should let people do what they want.  If the government starts telling people they can’t be themselves, then that is going to cause chaos that America doesn’t need, especially right now.  Who cares if not everybody agrees with the LGBT community, let them do their thing and they won’t bother you.

Chapter 4

1. Freedom of Speech:  How important is it?  Does the freedom "go too far"? What areas of speech should be protected?

Freedom of speech is a wonderful concept but can be taken advantage of if not careful.  People often use the excuse of freedom of speech to just say anything they want in public settings which is not good.  People need to have restrictions when it comes to their freedom of speech.

2. Freedom of Religion:  Is separation of church and state necessary?  Why or why not? 

It is very important to have freedom of religion.  If we did not have separation of church and state, it would be virtually impossible to teach all the religions of the world which would only be the fair way to go about it.  There are hundreds of different religions and a school could not choose just Christianity to be taught in school.  Separation of church and state is very necessary for our country to thrive.

3. Criminal Procedure: Are defendant's rights crucial to our system of government?  Why or why not?  Many argue that defendant has too many rights - do you agree?  Why or why not?

  Accused criminals should have some rights until they are convicted. After that happens all their rights should be taken away.  I don’t think necessarily that defendants have too many rights because many of them are actually innocent so they deserve what rights they have

Chapter 3

1.       Is a strong national government necessary or should the state governments have an equal share of power? 

In my opinion, I think our national government should have more power. If the states had equal or more power than the national government, our country would be fighting itself. Things such as armies and overall power need to be conducted on a national level.

2.       National power increased during the Great Depression but then power began to shift back to the states (somewhat) during the Reagan administration?  Why did that happen and is that shift appropriate?

The power shifted back to the states during the Reagan administration because Reagan fully supported The New Federalism idea. Reagan wanted to greatly reduce the power of the government because he thought that was where the United States problems were.

3.       Education stirs much discussion relating to the issue of federalism.  Should the national government regulate education or is it a matter best left to state and local governments?  Why

I believe the national government should have a role in education to some degree.  If there was one set “standard” for every state to follow, I feel like that would be fairer.  It seems like some states are much further behind than others in education because some states just don’t find it necessary to fund education the way it should be funded.