++Allison Haffner++
The American System
In this section, The American System, I will discuss what politics and government are, why government is necessary and what forms of government there are in the world. This paper will be somewhat short, due to the limit of 600 words.
Politics and Government
Politics can be defined as the “process of resolving conflicts and deciding.” Mainly it is the power struggle over the ability to grant benefits or privileges given from the informal groups or within the organization giving the benefits and privileges. These groups can be found everywhere, not just in the government itself. Your family, your community, your church, school, business, social groups and basically any and all organized groups of people.
Government is “an institution in which decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits and privileges.” It is basically an institution that all must follow accordingly to be able to function smoothly, at times, with the rest of society. Government is the chief institution for any developed country.
Why is Government Necessary
Without a unified government, war would break out, simple as that. The book uses the example of the African country of Somalia. The situation in Somalia is a bit of a rarity, the chaos erupted between factions and warlords to control the vital resources for life and income. Many people, innocent and guilty, lost their lives in the struggle. Government is necessary to keep stability for society as a whole.
The book again, brings up the good example of there being too much government, instead of the opposite. There are many forms of over governing in the world, some of the most obvious are the dictators and communist parties, which will and do, control every aspect of power within the government itself. The people of a country need to be protected not only from a foreign regime or army, but from an over bearing government itself.
Types of Governments
The types I will discuss are the totalitarian regime, authoritarian, aristocracy, theocracy, oligarchy, anarchy and democracy.
Totalitarian Regime: Power of the ruler is absolute, the dictator, or small group, in question would make all political, social and economic decisions.
Authoritarian: There really is not much difference between totalitarian and authoritarian, the difference is that social and economic institutions exist that are not under the governments full and complete control.
Aristocracy: This Greek term means, rule by the best, which basically meant the ruling party was the wealthy.
Theocracy: This Greek term means, rule by God or the gods, which gives the power to the various religious leaders.
Oligarchy: This Greek term means, rule by few, pretty self-explanatory.
Anarchy: Anarchy is basically the exact thing happening in Somalia, an absence of government, where armed factions rule.
Democracy: This too, is a Greek term, meaning rule by the people. This the form of government that most of the world abides by.
Let us recap, we went over what government and politics are, why government is important and several types of governments throughout the world. I hope this paper has helped you understand something about politics and government.
Bardes, Barbara A., Mack C. Shelley II, and Steffen W. Schmidt. American Government & Politics Today: The Essentials. Print.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.bookbyte.com/isbn.aspx%3Fisbn%3D9780534615338&imgrefurl=http://www.bookbyte.com/1/1/67669-bluebook-uniform-system-of-citation-by-harvard-law-review-18th-edition.html&usg=__wBFtNGOKD2syR4nMDzKGfWGgL-c=&h=500&w=391&sz=33&hl=en&start=220&sig2=iqOT-rgroVSv3JE6dBdzeA&zoom=1&tbnid=jpKUbWL-7_-W_M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=87&ei=gY7ETbu2Aei20QGX0_i9CA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Damerican%2Bsystem%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1209%26bih%3D551%26tbm%3Disch0%2C43690%2C43691%2C4369&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&dur=171&page=11&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:220&tx=73&ty=83&vpx=1023&vpy=89&hovh=158&hovw=123&biw=1209&bih=551
Civil Liberties
Women’s Struggle for Equal Rights
By: Chris Leth
Like African Americans and other minorities, women had to struggle for equality. When the struggle for equality first began women’s primary goal was to be able to vote. This right was not provided in The Constitution like they had hoped. It also did not deny them the right to vote either. Founders left this decision open for states to decide. The states chose that if you were a adult white mail who owned property you had the right to vote.
The political cause women became active in was the movement to abolish slavery. In 1848 Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady organized the first women’s right convention. There were 300 women who attended. Over the next 12 years groups that supported women’s rights held even conventions. With the outbreak of the Civil War advocates of women’s rights were urged to put their support behind the war efforts.
In 1869 Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Women Suffrage Association. In the 1900’s The Congressional Union rejected the state-by state approach in weather to allow women to vote. In 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment was passed-“ The right f citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridge by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Source: American Government & Politics Today The Essentials
++Allison Haffner++
Civil Liberties
The paper will be, obviously, over Civil Liberties. But to be more precise I will be going over, The Bill of Rights, Freedom of Religion and unprotected speech. These subjects under the overall Civil Rights subject are what I am currently interested in discussing.
Bill of Rights
The document known as the Bill of Rights is short and flexible, just as is the Constitution of the United States of America. It was meant to be a bit broad and loose in its wording to accommodate the future with its rules, technology and ever changing ideals. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the constitution, which are the God given rights to all men.
Freedom of Religion
This concept is indeed, very important, it is one of the founding principles of this country. But the way the amendment was written, it means that it conflicts with itself. The amendment was created with two main points, the first being the establishment clause and the other being the free exercise clause. The first “prohibits the establishment of a church that is officially supported by the national government, thus guaranteeing a division between church and state.” The second “constrains the national government from prohibiting individuals from practicing the religion of their choice.” In this chapter they discuss with the example of school prayer, if it is allowed then does the government take sides with a particular religion or if it is not allowed, does that bar the student their right to freedom of religion?
Unprotected Speech
Obscenity
The entire problem behind obscenity is the fact that we cannot clearly define and agree upon (ideals taken from the book) what is obscene. Even though, the states and federal governments have made it illegal to advertise obscene language and or material. In the case Jacobellis v. Ohio, from 1964, a man named, Potter Stewart stated that “I know it when I see it.” Obscenity does and will change with the flow of the times, as history has shown us many times before.
Slander
Slander is somewhat different then obscenity. The courts cannot take any legal action directly unless the person being slandered makes a civil suit against the slanderer. To be slandered, the person who is doing the slandering must tell a third party, knowingly or not. The defaming only counts if the third party hears the slandering, if it is just the slander and the slandered, then it is not slandering at all.
We went over the Bill of Rights, considering that you, the reader, already know each of the amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. We briefly covered the Freedom of Religion and what was written into to it. We also went over to types of speech that are not protected in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.
By Allison Haffner
Bardes, Barbara A., Mack C. Shelley II, and Steffen W. Schmidt. American Government & Politics Today: The Essentials. Print.
Allison Haffner
http://2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPxlDHMIBFqs&h=a68fa
Wes Stephenson
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The American System By: Michael Morris
A lot of people have different thoughts about the American system I may not know much about it but I know that in the last few years it has decreased in things that we need and things increased that was hard for us to manage to buy. For example the price of gas it has risen quite a bit it started off around 50 cent now it has increased to somewhere around 3 to 4 to 5 dollars and it really makes no since to me the American government or system are making it even harder on people by doing this.
People don’t know a lot about The American System like me but I did research on what it means and what it stands for. The American System, originally called “The American Way”, was a mercantilist economic plan that played a prominent role in American policy during the first half of the 19th century. Started in the “ American School” ideas of Alexander Hamilton, the plan “Consisted of three mutually reinforcing parts; a tariff to protect and promote American industry; a national bank to foster commerce; and federal subsides for roads, canals and other internal improvements to develop profitable markets for agriculture. “ Congressman Henry Clay was the plan’s foremost proponent and the first to refer to it as the “American System”.
Clay argued that the West, which opposed the tariff, should support it since urban factory workers would be consumers of western foods. In Clay’s view, the South (which also opposed high tariffs) should support them because of the ready market for cotton in northern mills. This last argument was the weak link. The South was never really on board with the American System and had access to plenty of markets for its cotton exports. This establishment of a protective tariff, a 20%-25% tax on imported goods, would protect a nation’s business from foreign competition. Congress passed a tariff in 1816 which made European goods more expensive and encouraged consumers to buy relatively cheap American-made goods.
Todays present tense of the American system is not a near as strict as it use to be. I feel like the government is letting much more pass by than they use to do in the old days and that’s not rite. I feel like the American System does not care like they use to back when Henry Clay was in charge of the American System. If Henry Clay was here and seen what was going on in this present tense of the American System I believe he would be very disappointed in what was going on I know I am. I’m not going to just be a bad person and let you know the bad things that they do because they do good things also. The system is getting involved with more stuff building around school and I think that’s good because I feel like they are wanting the kids to succeed and go on with there life or career whatever they may want to be.
In conclusion I feel like the American System or government can do more to help people for example get the homeless men and women off the streets at least give or build them a homeless shelter where they can stay for the night until they find something else better to do with their life instead of staying on the streets. What im saying is the system should help people get on the right path not just the homeless people but all people that are struggling maybe the system is doing something but its not enough maybe they will understand what im saying if they were in my shoes.
www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/barbaramik167674.html
www.searchquotes.com/…/The_American_system_of_democracy…,/138217/
People and Politics By: Michael Morris
People and politics are connected in a very strong way. For example without people doing the things they do in the government like voting and stuff politics would not be nothing. What people forgot is that people run politics without people running politics I don’t think politics would not exist. Politics are now existing because the people chose to do what they can for politics. In this essay I’m going to tell you about People and Politics in America’s Big Cities.
America is creating new challenges and opportunities for America’s urban centers. The emergence of new immigrant minority groups has transformed the competition for political power in large cities from one that pits native minorities against whites to one that pits new immigrants not only against whites, but also against native minority groups. The simultaneous growing disparity between the racial and ethnic composition of the public and the composition of the elected has resulted in an increasing ‘representation gap’ between elected officials and those they represent.
People and Politics in America’s Big Cities, released in May of 2003, was clear: urban democracy is at the crossroads. Significant demographic changes have complicated our electoral landscape. In addition to suburbanization and internal migration, massive immigration has burred older racial and ethnic backgrounds of those who govern and those who are governed by them. Experience has shown that if we fail to confront the nature of this “representation gap” in our cities or take steps close it, we pay a heavy price.
People and Politics uses New York and Los Angeles as case studies for a critical investigation into the impact the great changes underway in our nation’s largest cities are having on our politics and public policy. New York and Los Angeles are home to two-fifths of the immigrants in America. The traces lead to the political succession in these cities as they have changed from black and white multiethnic communities. Analyses show that the 2001 mayoral and city council elections in these demographic changes and to draw conclusions about significance of the representation gap for the function of urban democracy and future of these cities.
The government did a report with tables and maps that provide racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic data for neighborhoods in New York. When the government did this for both New York and Los Angeles and found out Latinos and Asians are increasingly prominent in cities where racial diversity used to be understood In terms of black and white. They also found out whites hold political office in both cities at far higher rates than their populations share and African Americans hold offices at about parity with their population or a little more. Also there is a 20-year ‘representation gap’ for Latinos and Asians in New York and Los Angeles, while both are diverse cities, which means segregation levels between whites and blacks, Latinos and Asians are significantly above the national average, especially in New York. After the report the government came up with a conclusion that New York and Los Angeles may provide helpful lessons about how to manage demographic change in ways that are politically inclusive and produce the best climate for democracy and prosperity in large urban cities.
In conclusion big cities are more feel with illegal immigrants basically and majority of the mayors of these big cities are white. In other words if you went to any other big city more than likely you will see a white mayor im not saying that its not some big cities in the u.s that doesn’t have a black mayor just most of them are not African American.
http://www.drummajorinstitute.org/library/report.php?ID=12
www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,3217,00.html
Brent Arnberger
George Washington
As one of the founding fathers, our first president, and having his face on the cover of the U.S. dollar bill; George Washington is one of the most recognizable faces and names in American history. He was born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Virginia gentleman. He pursued two intertwined interests in military arts and western expansion. At 16 he helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. He was later commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754, he fought the first small bits of battles of what grew into the French and Indian War. He moved his way up the ranks and steadily grew popularity. From 1759 to the American Revolution, Washington managed his lands around Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He also married a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis. He was looking forward to living a long happy life on his land. . But like many of his fellow planters, Washington felt like the mother country was exploiting the people of the colonies and he moderately started to voice his ideas. In the following years he was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. He then led his troops into a six year long battle with Brittan. This ended when Washington and his troops along with the French forced General Cornwallace at Yorktown. He later went on to be elected the first President of the United States.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewashington
http://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/george-washington-facts.html
Osama Bin-Laden
By: Chris Leth
Osama Bin-Laden was born in Saudia Arabia. He is the 17th child of 51 children. His father Yameni Porter, whom became the wealthiest construction magnet in Saudia Arabia.
Bin-Laden married his 15 year old first cousin in 1974. She was the first of 4 wives. He has fathered more than 20 children.
While in college Osama was introduced to “transitional jihad.” In 1979 Osama left Saudi with other Muslims after the Soviet Union invaded the country. He became a guerrilla fighter raising money and fighting against the Soviets. Bin-Laden created Al-Qaidia to help remove the Soviets from Afghanistan. In 1989 after the Soviets left Afghanistan Osama returned a hero. A year later he was expelled for being with a terrorist group.
The first attacks Al-Qaidia had against the United States was the bombing in Somalia when they bombed a hotel where U.S. troops were staying. In 1993 they bombed the World Trade Center. In 1996 Osama declared war on the USA. On September 11, 2001 Osama and Al-Qaidia were behind the planes that crashed into the world trade center, a plane hit the Pentagon and a third plane was crashed into the ground in Pennsylvania. Over 2,992 people were killed in this attach.
May 1, 2011, ten years after the attack on the USA, Osama- Bin Laden was shot and killed by US Navy Seals team. Osama was given a speedy Muslim burial at sea. DNA and photos were taken to prove it was Osama that was killed. President Obama has decided that the pictures and video will not be published.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42853015/ns/world_news
The Libertarian Candidate
By Judith L. Tippets
Edmund Gerald Brown was born on April 7th, 1938. He is known to most as “Jerry.” After graduating from Yale in 1964, he took a position as a law clerk for a California Supreme Court Justice. Brown traveled to Latin America and Mexico to study various cultural customs.
He moved to Los Angeles to work for a well-respected law firm. His history as a candidate began when in 1969 he was elected to the board of trustees for LA Community College. He went on to win another California election in 1970 for secretary of state. While he was secretary, he pushed for the compliance of legislators with regard to disclosure laws. He faced oil companies in front of the state Supreme Court over violations of election laws. He also established himself as an advocate for the environment.
In 1974 Brown was elected governor. In 1978, he was re-elected. He started the California Conservation Corp, and signed the California Coastal Protection Act into law. Brown seemed to accomplish the impossible by reducing taxes while simultaneously building his state's greatest budget surplus in history.
Brown made diversity a standard in politics by appointing more women and minorities to government positions than all others in his league. He proved that a person can play an important role in politics without being a member of the most aggressive of majorities.
Brown was known as a proponent for technological advancement. He created the Office of Appropriate Technology, and the California Commission on Industrial Innovation. He also made it mandatory for high schools to clearly establish graduation standards, cementing his reputation for supporting better education.
Brown proved himself to be as tough on criminals as he had been on racial injustices by enacting measures against crime such as the “Use A Gun Go To Prison” Law. He established mandatory sentences for many violent crimes and for the solicitation of illicit drugs.
In 1982, Brown lost the race for governor to Pete Wilson. Brown displayed a “too tough to die” attitude by launching a series of lectures and by studying and traveling abroad to Mexico, India, and Japan.
In 1989, he became the chairman of the Democratic Party in California but resigned from the position two years later, siting an undue influence of money on politics. He went on to seek the Democratic party's nomination for president. Staying true to his policies, he refused to take more than $100 in campaign contributions from any one source. Even though he might have stacked the deck against himself in the financial department, Brown still defeated Bill Clinton in a few states during the 1992 primaries. He was defeated in his run for president, but remained active in politics.
Jerry Brown ran for governor again in 2010 and won the election, making himself a testament to the spoils of never giving up, even in the face of defeat. Recently, Brown issued a proclamation in support of President Obama's call to regard May 5th as a day of prayer. He is a devout man, and married his wife in the same church where he was baptized decades ago.
Brown continues to affiliate himself with an appetite for justice. He has remained consistent in his values throughout his career, while also aggressively preserving solid footing as a go-getter in California and national politics. It is a tough balance to maintain, but Jerry Brown has managed to achieve political stasis.
References:
Jerry Brown (2006). Meet Jerry Brown. Retrieved May 6th, 2011 from http://www.jerrybrown.org/about
Office of Governor Jerry Brown (2011, May 5). Governor Issues Proclamation Declaring A “Day of Prayer.” Retrieved May 6th, 2011, from http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=17023
Break the Chains
By: Aisha Moss
Freedom, what our country is based on. Freedom is what drove our founding fathers to create a document that gave them the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But, are we really free?
Our great nation is known for opening its doors to those who tried to escape persecution. Angel Island opened its port to over 300,000 people from 80 different countries. Ellis Island welcomed over 484,000 people from Europe in 1910 alone! And yet, we do not want any more Hispanics coming through our borders. We are still claiming to be the great nation we were over 100 years ago, what has changed? Many of the illegal immigrants in our borders just want a better life for themselves and their families. So did our founding fathers.
We have the freedom of speech, and I think some of us use it to our advantage. Cough Cough…Westboro Baptist Church. They are/were allowed to protest at soldier’s funerals, at a school where one of the teachers may or may not have been gay, and many other random places. They express an extreme hatred for homosexuals and those condoning homosexuality. So, where do our freedoms come in? Do we have the freedom to mourn our loved ones in peace, or teach in public schools without being ridiculed? When do other’s freedoms contradict our own?
Equality is also taught to American’s at a very young age. However, no one is really equal. We might be equal as human beings, but socially we are all placed in a pecking order. If you are a white male you are more likely to be successful. Why? Males have always been the dominant figure in our society, and white males are better educated; therefore growing up in families with more money. Females will always be looked at as the weakest link. We cannot pull our own weight. If you have money or are well known, you get off much easier. I might go out and get a DUI tonight. I would be thrown in jail, given a fine and possibly my license taken away. Lindsey Lohan on the other hand, she can get a DUI five or six times before someone bats an eye lash. So, where is my freedom of being treated equal?
America’s freedom of religion is a major difference between us and other countries. We are given the freedom to practice any religion we choose without being persecuted for it. In one city alone you might find a church, Buddhist temple, Mosque, and many more religious structures. Schools, on the other hand are not able to teach or reserve time for any type of religious activities. Only private Christian/Catholic ect. schools are not bound by law to teach the state curriculum.
As you can see, with every freedom there is something contradicting its value. Our founding fathers had a great idea when putting together our Constitution and then later the Bill of Rights. The government these days, however, does not see our world through the same eyes. Are the people of the United States of America really free? Is our country all it’s cracked up to be? These questions will be asked for many years to come, and no solid answer will be given. When our freedoms have “except for” and “only if” attached to them…they are not true freedoms.
http://public.findlaw.com/civil-rights/civil-rights-basics/civil-rights-vs-liberties.html
www.ask.com
Reload
By: Aisha Moss
Firearms are one of the greatest discussions among people today. Should we be allowed to posses firearms? At what age should someone be able to buy or receive a firearm? What laws should be followed for those possessing a firearm? All these questions have gone through everyone’s mind at one time or another.
The Second Amendment states a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. To break this down, our founding fathers were run by a professional army and decided that a “well regulated militia” would work better. This means every able bodied citizen (male-at the time) would make up the army.
With today’s technology we can make pretty much anything into a weapon. We have robotics that can run a firearm all on its own, or rifles that have a firing distance of great lengths. So, what should the average American citizen be able to have in their homes? Some would say, “Anything! If you can buy it, you should be able to own it”. Others say, “Nothing, guns cause too much violence in our streets”. In Australia they ban semi-automatic .22 rifle and shotguns, not only did this cost their government 500 million dollars, the crime rate increased dramatically. Banning guns permanently in our nation would cause a massive riot.
Each state has the right to enforce their own firearm laws. Kansas laws are pretty laid back. You do not have to have a permit to purchase/carry a shotgun or handgun. Also, you do not have to register your shotgun or handgun. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase a firearm with a barrel less than 12 inches. The laws to get more strict for a person who has been convicted of a felony weather they were in possession of a firearm or not. It is unlawful to sell, give or otherwise transfer any firearm to any habitual drunkard or narcotics addict. Now, I would hate to think what would happen if they took guns away from Kansans. There would be no hunting, no extra food on the table, and a major sport would be taken out of many lives. I know that boys (mainly) around here grow up with guns, that is what they are given on their 10th birthday if not before. Firearms are a way of life, not just a way to protect oneself in these parts.
So, guns can be used for recreation and help put food on the table; however, guns can be used for great harm. The Columbine shooting and Virginia Tech. shootings put a different perspective on owning guns. Using automatic weapons, handguns and rifles, both shootings resulted in many murders and many more injuries. After incidences like this, firearm laws are brought back into discussion. Many believe that you can protect yourself without the use of a firearm. There are many other choices like pepper spray and tasers. Self defense classes are held in almost every town and can be very useful. Some say guns don’t protect us, bullet proof vests do. Guns are weapons when intended to be and nothing more nothing less.
I do agree that we should be able to purchase and own firearms. I do not, however, believe those firearms should be an A.K. 47 or any type of machine gun or heavy artillery. Shotguns are useful for hunting, and sporting. Hand guns can create a personal kind of safety. I also, think that there should be strict laws on who can purchase firearms and what kind. Guns can be used to do this world some good; however, they can also be used for great evil.
http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/a/gunlaws_ks.htm
http://utdailybeacon.com/opinion/letters/2011/mar/31/gun-controversy-creates-conflicting-views/
The People of the African American Movement
By: Aisha Moss
The African American civil rights movement stated in 1955 and did not end until 1968. This movement was to stop the discrimination against African Americans and create equal voting rights. It was much more than just to get a law passed. The “Southern Freedom Movement” was about getting respect, equality, dignity, and to earn their rightful place in society.
There were many nonviolent acts of protest, but there were also some violent ones to go along with them. We all know the names Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but do you know who Malcolm X or that Black Panthers are? In 1957 King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and from there on he went to some pretty amazing things. He organized many protests in Alabama, a peaceful march in Washington D.C., and everyone knows about his “I Have a Dream” speech. King was arrested up to 20 times and assaulted at least four times. He also received the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of thirty-five. Rosa Parks was the women on the bus. She refused to give up her seat at the front of a bus for a white person. She was arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance. This led to the Supreme Court ruling that there would no longer be segregation on public transportation.
Malcolm was known more for is disruptive movement. The beginning of his anger started after he got out of prison for a burglary crime. He was sentenced seven years and during his time he became a Muslim. He was intrigued with the teachings of NOI leader Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad taught that the white community wanted to keep the African Americans from achieving political power and empowering themselves. He also wanted the African Americans to have their own state, where there would be no whites at all. Malcolm later felt that he was betrayed by Muhammad when he found out that Muhammad had been having relations with at least six women. Muhammad taught celibacy, which he himself did not follow. So, Malcolm withdrew his membership with the NOI and formed his own religious organization the Muslim Mosque, Inc. He was a very intriguing leader and had many followers. Malcolm was killed by three men who rushed at shot at him when he was on stage.
The Black Panthers were another group that relied on violence rather than peace keeping. They were founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966. They worked with all minorities not just blacks. They engaged in violent confrontations with the police which resulted in deaths on both sides.
Both the Black Panthers and Malcolm X were thought to have placed a bad name to the movement. But, when you really look a little deeper, the movement would not have been so successful. Malcolm X made Martin Luther King Jr. look like an angel, and the Black Panthers founded organizations that actually helped our country. They set up kitchens that fed over 10,000 children every morning before school, and helped initiate free medical centers.
As you can see, everyone involved in the African American Movement played a huge roll. Not just the names we hear about today. Yes, Malcolm X and the Black Panthers did create havoc in our nation, but so did King and Parks. They ALL were arrested at some time or another and all tried for their crimes. Peace is not always the answer. Our nation was founded by rebels, and I believe they did a pretty good job at creating this country.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0bio-1
Abraham Lincoln
By: Cherish Manning
ABRAHAM (ABE) LINCOLN (1809-1865)
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th 1809 in Hardin Co., Kentucky. His fathers name was Thomas and his mothers name was Nancy Hanks. Abe self taught himself throughout his education.
Abraham Lincoln served a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1847-1849, but lost his backing when he criticized the Mexican War. In the mid-1850’s, he became the Illinois leader of the newly founded Republican Party. He ran as the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1858, opposing Stephen A. Douglas, who was seeking reelection. Although Douglas won the election, the debates between Lincoln and Douglas make Lincoln a national figure.
In 1860 at the Republican National Convention Abe was nominated for Presidency. Abe served as President from 1861-1865. When he won the election, the Southern states alarmed at the aggressive antislavery policy of many of the leading Republicans, began to secede from the Union.
Tall and strong, but a big unkempt and shambling, he was sustained by his sense of humor, his magnanimity and his faith in the justice of his cause. His main concern was to preserve the Union but, when public zeal for the war was waning, he widened the cause to include antislavery, though his Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 was of doubtful legality. He was reelected in 1864, defeating Democratic candidate George B. McClellan. Five days after Appomattox, on Good Friday, he was shot by John Wilkes Booth in Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. He died the next morning.
Volume Library. 1. Nashville: The Southwestern Company, 2006. Print.
Bardes, Shelley, Schmidt, . American Governments and Polotics Today: THE ESSENTIALS. 2008. Print.
Political Institutions By: Michael Morris
Political institutions are a very important part of our lives and the government also. The government plays a huge role in political institutions in the past the present and I’m sure that its going to be a huge part in the future. In this essay I’m going to tell you about the modern times and how Bottomore identified the three types of political situations in the contemporary world and how the Middle Eastern states and North African states, the Asian states and Latin American states fall under this category.
Bottomore has identified three types of political situations in the contemporary world: First there are tribal societies mainly in the African countries which are being modernized under western influence on the lines of western political institutions. Africa was out among colonial powers according to their needs and convenience. As a consequence particular tribe had been distributed among three or four neighbouring nation-states. The African societies faced in addition to the challenge of bringing about rapid economic advance and ensuring economic well-being to the vast majority of the population and consolidating a national community formed out of tribal groups whose existence within their frontiers is in some measure the result of the arbitrary division of Africa among the colonial powers. Another type of political situation obtains in those developing countries of ancient civilization which are attempting to modernize their societies after emancipation from foreign rule.
The Middle Eastern states and North African states, the Asian states and Latin American states fall under this category. These developing countries face a number of difficulties in implementing a fore said program of work. In most of these countries, the political institutions set on western model are not working as well as expected because the people have not been able to develop the appropriate political culture. Social institutions in form of kinship system, patterns of families, class divisions and traditional outlook of the life do not favor smooth functioning of a modern political system.
These factors are not as productive in the growth of work culture. As a consequence economic growth is slow. Failures of the government in meeting the aspirations of the people encourage army generals or ambitious leaders in some of the countries like Pakistan, Myanmar and more to assume dictatorial power and do away with democratic political institutions. In the third category are included industrially advanced countries of Europe, North America, and Australia etc. Here a distinction should be made between two types of political systems – the democratic capitalist and communist countries.
The general political characteristics of the modern industrial societies of the first type are the existence of a nation state as the political movement, the election of the political executive by universal adult suffrage and the administration of public affairs by a large bureaucracy. The most important characteristic of the industrial societies of the second type is the existence of a single party which monopolizes political power. The dictatorship of the party is equated with the dictatorship of the proletariat in a transitional period during which the foundations of the ultimate class less society are being laid. After the establishment of the class-less society, the state will wither away. On the contrary the coercive power in the communist states has vastly increased jeopardizing in the process the liberty of the individual and freedom of expression.
In conclusion the three types of political institutions play a very important role dealing with the government and the things that go on in it. The three types do not only play a good role in the United States of America it plays an important role in different parts in Africa, Asians, Latins, and some states in the Middle Eastern parts of the world so political institutions are not only important in the U.S. but these other countries as well.
http://www.sociologyguide.com/political-modernization/institutions.php
http://polisci.wisc.edu/content.aspx?cmspageid=819
Brent Arnberger
The Kansas State Capital
The Kansas state capital building is not only known for its famous murals, captivating painting, and structural size, its also known as the eight wonder of Kansas architecture. The reasons being because in the early days the capitol was being built, Kansans were still living in sod houses. The building was built with ever intention of the one building representing the whole state, making the Kansas state capitol one of the largest state capitols in the nation.If you have not made it to the Kansas state capital building before, you should try to make an effort to go and see what makes this capitol building so bold and breath taking. Lets break down what the Kansas state building has to offer. First when approaching the building you will notice at the top of the building there is an Indian with a bow and arrow shooting towards the sky. The representation of this symbol is Ad Astra; this is the Kansas Indian warrior. The motto for Kansas is, “Ad Astra per Aspera,” to the stars through difficulties, is the Kansas state motto, and gives meaning for the great qualities that the people of Kansas have to offer. The Kansa Indians were the original people of the Kansas land and have great meaning and respect from the Kansans. Ad Astras aim is to the North Star, a position that remains constant and steady. On the inside of the building, you will see The Chamber of the House of Representatives. In this room there are twenty-eight hand cast bronze columns decorated with morning glories and roses. There are forty desks in the room all made from Kansas’s wild cherry wood. Many imported details finish the room from the Belgium and Italian marble floors, to the French glass windows; even the onyx was imported from Mexico.The house of Representatives is a safe room where all of the state authorities have their meetings and where they make the state decisions. In this room, the representatives are passing and not passing new laws, keeping ideas and traditions alive and making new traditions today. In this room is where it all happens for Kansas. In the year 1861 Kansas became the 34th state in the United States, in 1866 the Kansas State Capitol was being built and making history with its bold designs, elegant architecture, and futuristic political stature.
Brent Arnberger
The Capital Building
The Capitol building was completed in 1928 after six years of construction. But the original capital building was partially burnt down by British soldiers in 1814 during the war of 1812. It is one of Americas strongest symbols of the American dream and democracy. It is one of the 5 monumental buildings designed by the New York Architects Walter Wilder and Harry White. The design was chosen in an architectural competition in 1911. The designs were completed and set into motion in 1922. Since it opened in 1928 it has with stood 3 major earthquakes. But in 1949 and 1965 there were significant seismic upgrades. There was also a 3 year ear quake -repair and rehabilitation project completed in 2004 that cost $120 million. These upgrades added modern heating and cooling, plumbing, fire protection, and state of the art wireless technology systems. They also upgraded security measures and repaired damages made by the 2001 earthquake. Even with all of these modern changes they managed to maintain allot of historic features. It is also the fourth tallest Masonry dome in the world. When they made all of these repairs’ they went green and recycled everything they didn’t use. They even added 144 solar panels on top of the fifth-floor roof of the building. This is the largest array of solar panels on a capitol in the United States. It has housed the meeting chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate for two centuries.
http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/facts.htm
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc76.htm
Political Institutions
By: Chris Leth
The Office of the Vice President was created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President is elected together with the President. The vice president is the first person in line to ascending the presidency upon the death, resignation or removal of the President.
In the history of the Presidency the Vice President has ascended the presidency 8 times due to the death of the President: John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Calvin Coolidge and Harry S. Truman. Gerald Ford became President when Richard Nixon resigned his Presidency.
The formal duty of the Vice President is to preside over the Senate- which is rarely necessary. He is mostly needed for the deciding vote in the Senate if there happens to be a tie. They are also expected to participate only informally in senatorial deliberations. He or she is also in office to support the Presidents activities’.
When the Vice Presidency becomes vacant Section 2 of the 25th Amendment states the President shall nominate a Vice President and they shall take office after a majority vote from the House of Congress.
The Functions of Congress
By: Cherish Manning
Power in the federal government has shifted back and forth between the president and Congress throughout the history of the United States. The Constitution seems to give preeminence to the Congress, but the Congress itself is too unwieldy to govern directly.
The bicameral structure of Congress was designed to enable the legislative body and its members to perform certain functions for the political system. These functions include lawmaking, representation, service to constituents, oversight, public education, and conflict resolution. Of these, the two most important believe it or not are lawmaking and representation.
THE LAW MAKING FUNCTION
The principal and most obvious function of any legislature is lawmaking. Congress is the highest elected body in the country charged with making binding rules for all Americans. Lawmaking requires decisions about the size of the federal budget, about health-care reform and gun control, and about the long-term prospects for war or peace. A majority of the bills that Congress acts on originate in the executive branch, and many other bills are traceable to interest groups and political party organizations.
THE REPRESNTATION FUNCTION
Representation includes both representing the desires and demands of the constituents in the member’s home district or state and representing larger national interests, such as the nation’s security of the environment. Because the interests of constituents in a specific district may be in conflict with the demands of national policy, the representation function is often a variance with the lawmaking function for individual lawmakers and sometimes Congress as a whole.
//Volume Library. 1. Nashville: The Southwestern Company, 2006. Print.
Bardes, Shelley, Schmidt, . American Governments and Polotics Today: THE ESSENTIALS. 2008. Print.//