Q1: Investigate the following: Who are your representatives in the US Senate? Who is the member of the United States House of Representatives who represents your hometown? Who represents you in the California Assembly and State Senate? Describe the political party of these individuals, and the boundaries of the District that they serve (that is, some cities and communities that are included in their District).
A: California is represented in the Senate by Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris. Zoe Lofgren represents my hometown, San Jose. The democratic party is one of the oldest parties in the United States of America. The two senators are Democrats while Zoe Lofgren is also a Democrat. California has 58 counties and 482 municipalities.
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Q2: California’s voter guides include “Candidate Statements,” where candidates for office concisely explain their qualifications, experience, and the political agendas they would implement if elected. Write up your own (brief) candidate statement for a seat in the US Senate- write it as though you are running for that seat and speaking directly to the voters of California. In your statement, include your qualifications (if you were already in the midst of your dream career), a national priority you would address, and a state issue that you would solve (Your state and federal matters must be two different issues). Conclude by naming a prominent California political party, California political group, or California politician whose endorsement you would like to have.
A: if given a chance to be your face in Congress I will bring the desired change which has not been witnessed in California for long. I have been working as the CEO of Acadia Pharmaceuticals. My work as a head of a big company and business owner has set me an exceptional outlook on the lengths and challenges you face. California is deliberated as a global pacesetter in popular culture, innovation, and politics hence it occupies a special position in the USA. It is also the most populous state in the united states of America. it is composed of diverse geography
First of all, I will vote for laws and propose measures that can generate jobs in my state of California. After inquiring from people throughout the country about the continually falling condition of the industries and the alarming unemployment rate I am planning to oppose the democratic measures introduced in Congress to meet the deprivation and ensure there is employment.
Secondly, as your senator, my primary obligation will be to protect the interests of California residents and make sure the county government plays its vital role. I will be of constant reminder to the governor to ensure the progress reports are tabled to Californians also the political promises are conveyed. As your senator, I will make certain efficient use of public resources by legislating against loopholes and collecting timely audits and other management reports.
Thirdly, the issue of guns which has not been addressed adequately by the current regime will be sorted out when I take office. Gun gangs who illegally acquire weapons have been witnessed in California. Under my rule, I will propose a bill to address the gun menace in the state.
I would like to work for the democratic party with the endorsement of Kamala Devi Harris. If elected I will ensure your concerns are tabled at the local and national levels.
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Q3: To what extent should race be used as a “plus factor” for universities to determine who they will admit into their schools?
A: Affirmative action is an action that leans towards favoring those who undergo discrimination.
The suitable percentage of racial minorities registered should sum up more than tokenism. Race is used as a plus factor to attain a diverse student body. Research showed that a class made up of various races is likely to produce professionals.
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Discussion Point#1
Q: Which of these options accurately describes the American form of government?
A: The American government is a democratic republic. It operates on principles derived from the republic and democracy. Decisions are made directly by democratic processes, while others are completed by democratically voted representatives.
Discussion Point#2
Q: Organize the Regimes!
A: Who: Bad Good
One: Tyrant King
Few: Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many: Polity Democracy
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Discussion Point#3
Q: How many words long are the US Constitution? The AL Constitution? The CA Constitution?
A: The United States of America constitution contains 4543 words. The state of Alabama’s constitution contains 310,296 words. The state of California constitution comprises 35000 words
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Discussion Point#4
Q: If you were able to start up a new country, which arrangement would help you choose: a unitary system, a confederation, or a federal system? Team up with another student and come up with three reasons why you would pick this arrangement and not another.
A: I could choose the federal system of governance because it promotes unity within a country since leaders work together to achieve a common agenda. The central system also allows for the equal allocation of resources in that the resources within the state are allocated after much analysis has been done and the areas that seem marginalized are given a share that is a bit higher as compared to the other regions. The federal system promotes participatory decision-making because leaders all leaders make decisions as one.
Discussion Point#5
Q: What did the Founders think of Civil Liberties? Did they think a Bill of Rights would protect Civil Liberties? If so, do you think they foresaw any problems down the road?
A: The founders foreknew that problems would arise in the future whereby the blacks and other minorities who were considered to have no rights would discover that they deserved to be treated like others, that is why they presented a process of amending the constitution if at all need arose.
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Discussion Point#6
Q: How many of the Bill of Rights protections are incorporated now? Which ones are unincorporated? (Entirely or partially?)
A:14 of the bill of rights protections are incorporated while 4 of them are unincorporated.
Discussion Point#7
Q: Using the limits of recent Supreme Court rulings we just discussed, which of the following acts of “symbolic speech” are constitutionally protected? Which are not?
A: Wearing political messages at school and putting political signs in your front yard is constitutionally protected while Flag and draft cards burning is not constitutionally protected.
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Discussion Point#8
Q: As our textbook notes, an ongoing dynamic in civil liberties discussion is the balance of security and freedom… Name a specific CL issue that you think should be prioritized differently than it is. What is it? Why?
A: The right to privacy should keenly be scrutinized and made clear to the public to what extent it should be practiced. This is because freedom is being misused by some individuals because it is used as a loophole for terrorism and anti-social acts.
Discussion Point#9
Q: Since the Constitution was written to precisely avoid the question of the legality of slavery……Was the Dred Scott ruling a legitimate approach to the problem before the court? What do you think the USSC ought to do when the Constitution does not explicitly address an issue that comes before the court?
A: Dred’s ruling was not legitimate because due to his race he was not a citizen and had no right to be sued under the constitution. The USSC ought to take into consideration the inclinations of their immediate colleagues, inclinations of players past the court, and institutional customs and rules that might distress the verdicts made in the court.
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Discussion Point#10
Q: Literacy Test Group Activity. According to the literacy test (1965), after reviewing the analysis, how many of those questions on the test do you think your group could answer? If passing this test required you to be willing to vote today? Would you be able to answer?
A: Yes, by voting your voice is heard and your opinion on how the government should run is presented.
Discussion Point#11
Q: Publish or don’t publish? For what reason? What would be the consequences of your decision? If you made the wrong choice?
A: Publishing information will be of much help if the data is useful but if the info is fake which implies defamation of law it calls for legal action.
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Discussion Point#12
Q: Clearly, new technology is fundamentally changing the nature of the media and the news: how news is presented/consumed. What is a contemporary example that illustrates the benefit of these changes? What is a modern example that shows a drawback of these changes?
A: Information is available throughout and can be accessed from anywhere on the internet. News can now be obtained in a faster way as compared to when people waited to watch the news on television and listen to the radio.
Print media, radio, and television are no longer being majorly relied on as before. People are now relying on the internet. Information on the press is not limited to a readership because it can easily be accessed on the web even by the wrong audience. The quality of news on the internet is preempted because of the massive editing by the bloggers who are after money.
Discussion Point#13
Q: Which political party has the most “votes” within your group?
A: In our group, the Democratic party had the majority votes.
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Q: Which Washington post-post-group within the political party seemed the most represented by your group?
A: The agnostic left mostly represented our gro left up. The agnostic left is one of the Washington post-post-group within the democratic party.
Discussion Point#14
Q: Do you think a divided party government or a unified party government is better for our democracy? Explain.
A: The divided government is better. In the split government, the divisions of the national government are controlled by a blend of political parties which have things done owing that they all have a stake. In the divided government leaders from diverse political parties share ideas that contribute to better decision making although it takes time.
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Discussion Point#15
Q: Should Senator Andrade “logroll” and support Jackson’s pork, or should she decline? Why or why not? Which model of substantive representation?
A: She should decline, the taxpayers will shoulder what will be of benefit to a small percentage. Pork barrels lead to stagnation of the economy because the resources which are meant to be allocated equally are allocated to areas where the residential leaders have personal interests. Pork barrel spending benefits small geographic regions; as a result, federal priorities are ignored.
References
Boadway, R., & Flatters, F. (1982). Efficiency and equalization payments in a federal system of government: A synthesis and extension of recent results. Canadian Journal of Economics, 613-633.
Constitution, U. S. (1787). Article I.
Davis, D. W., & Silver, B. D. (2004). Civil liberties vs. security: Public opinion in the context of the terrorist attacks on America. American Journal of Political Science, 48(1), 28-46.
Evans, D. (2004). Greasing the wheels: Using pork barrel projects to build majority coalitions in Congress. Cambridge University Press.
Frymer, P. (1994). The ideological consensus within divided party government. Political Science Quarterly, 109(2), 287-311.
Graber, M. A. (2006). Dred Scott and the problem of constitutional evil. Cambridge University Press.
Henkin, L. (1963). ” Selective Incorporation” in the Fourteenth Amendment. The Yale Law Journal, 73(1), 74-88.
Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D. L., Russell, J. D., & Mims, C. (2008). Instructional technology and media for learning.
Swanson, J. L. (2002). Unholy Fire: Cross Burning, Symbolic Speech, and the First Amendment-Virginia v. Black. Cato Sup. Ct. Rev., 81.
