We all form and possess our very own viewpoints and ideals in regards to relevant worldly issues and how we come to these conclusions can differ greatly. I feel as though "Why Politics Makes Us Stupid" goes hand in hand with "Corn Pone Opinions," in that they both point out that people would rather agree with someone to maintain a status of acceptance instead of arguing for what they truly believe and risking losing that sense of approval. I personally believe the political system would be in a much better place if there were no such thing as parties; rather than Republican and Democrat, have every politician identify as Independent. That way people would actually perform their research in order to formulate a sound belief in one candidate,
The very first U.S. president, George Washington, once declared the danger of political division, warning “they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines.” He continues his claim with an explanation of the negative effects that parties can cause in government. Despite this wise, respected man’s heeding, the U.S. has quite obviously split into two major parties, Republican and Democratic. Americans have allowed their personal opinions and preconceived notions to jeopardize the efficiency of government. It seems that the title of a party overpowers the importance of individual ideas. A 2014 poll further emphasizes contemporary idiocy. According to a National Science Foundation study, only three out of four Americans are aware the Earth revolves around the sun. Despite the conclusive and extensive scientific research regarding the topic, these people are entirely unaware of their insignificance in this universe, solidifying their knucklehead status. Ignoring the facts, their preconceived conclusions run their lives Even in a day and age with unbelievable technology and access to information, humans, especially Americans, have armed themselves with nothing but firearms and
Some of the most debated topics in America are based on politics. Everyone from homemakers to astronauts have their personal opinions of how the country should be governed. With so many political opinions and so little facts being used in decision making in our government, most of the pressing issues seem to be increasingly growing. There is very little consensus in our country today, hence bipartisanship being a hot topic among politicians. In my opinion, politicians act off of ego fighting to protect the political party with which they are associated. Often the common good of America is an afterthought when addressing issues in the country. People allow many factors to get in the way of everyday living
It does not hurt to reflect upon history and to determine what should and should not be implemented as to correct our previous faults and thus not repeat them in borderline insane process. Furthermore, this presidential election has shaken both political parties as both of them are scrambling for party unity instead of creating other beliefs which resulted in a gathered hate against both political candidates. I proudly state that I have reconsidered my political preference during this election as I am sure others did too. Unfortunately, I firmly believe that political parties are the only way to inspire and gather people with similar beliefs and aspirations as it is the only way we know how to approach politics. The systematic organization of the political process and parties is held to a fault based upon prejudices and predisposed historical follies, from there causes the intolerance of ideology. As what Alexander Hamilton said “If men were angels, government would cease to exist” which poses a paradoxical situation of flawed mankind redirecting other faulted humans as there is bound to lapse of judgement between the ideal representation of government versus vice. There is definitely no easy way as to fix this problem as we are too in depth in it, however the idea
There are copious Americans who believe that the political party system is shattering our nation. In my opinion, our nation would not be the nation we are today without political parties. Other than presenting candidates and electoral campaigns to the electorate, political parties perform innumerable tasks to better the United States of America. They serve as institutionalized mediators between our society and duly elected representatives who are responsible for determining and executing legislations. They seek public policy priorities and civic needs and concerns identified by their affiliates and supporters. Political parties educate the people on how the political, electoral system, and general political values work. By doing so, voters are well informed of each party’s stance on specific matters. They also inspire individuals to participate in political decisions and turning their outlooks into policy options for all. Unlike other countries, America is a democratic nation we want our people to freely voice their thoughts and support the party who shares their interest and perspectives. In addition, political parties help to annihilate any unexpected shifts in political trends that hold the ability to disrupt the balance of our government. As we all know our nation is a two -party system that assist in advocating stability in the government, because there will only ever be two
In Brian Resnick’s "How Politics Breaks Our Brains, and How We Can Put Them Back Together" Resnick talks about what, scientifically, makes us bias and prone to partisanship. He explores and evaluates many studies on the subject throughout the article to better explain his point. He talks about how difficult it is to change ones views because our “us versus them” (1) mindset, and how we can fix it.
We should heed George Washington's advice on political parties because he is shrewd. Political parties do “open the door to foreign influence and corruption”. Money does definitely sway peoples opinion these days. Tension is another factor of political parties because congress may disagree on which side you should take and things can get heated and cause arguments.
If one stops and takes a look at our political system today, one could be surprised by the remarkable progress that we have accomplished in this great country of ours. Many people believe that all is good in the USA, and that our political system could not be any better than it is today. However, this isn't true, our political system is taking a dive towards the worst. Who might the culprit be behind this decline of the political system in America today? The answer to this, is none other than polarization and partisanship. One might wonder, how exactly does this spread? The answer lies in social media. Americans will be able to find common ground and become less polarized, in a political sense, if and only
Since the start of the United States, there have been politics. Starting with those in charge of the new colonies, leaders of battles for land all the way to the leaders of the revolution, politics have played a role in American life. Once the revolution occurred and it was determined that George Washington would be the nation’s first president, a new track for politics was formed. It was from this line of presidents and official democratic government that political parties, ways of voting, and the various branches of our government were created.
1. List and explain the four main features and functions of constitutions. Be sure to associate your answers with specific models from countries explored in this course.
Because each party sees the other as the complete opposite of themselves the individuals making up the party hate and alienate each other. Raising awareness about this issue is important because it is necessary to see how easily people accept a certain ideas as the ultimate truth when others see it differently, and how alienation has prevented people from seeing that their hatred of the other side is the same as the other side’s hatred of them. Further, it is important to consider how our acceptance of the truth causes us to view the non-truth as immoral because we see it as inherently wrong and ignorant. This can effectively be explored by considering the two-party system in America because it is a great example of full-heartedly believing a truth that is not necessarily true - conflicting morals. Moreover, I will explore this issue by examining the causes and consequences of polarized thought and how it occurs in this political
The United States is growing more and more polarized every year. Not only is the government refusing to cooperate with itself, but its very people are splitting into two allegiant parties. US citizens either conform to party ideals or risk losing all representation. This positive feedback loop forces people to polarize their ideas of themselves and others. People are seeing each other as either Republican or Democrat, not the complex mix they really are. America needs to drastically change how it views its citizens and politics.
The United States had learned a lesson in moderacy. For the next century, the parties, though still opposed, never again resorted to the violent factionalism of the past. Compromise was prevalent and disputes were resolved. Third parties even began to receive some real popular support. Recently, however, this theme has been on the decline. The political polarization of today has changed the scene of politics from a real courthouse where civil Democrats debate respectable Republicans to a conjured battlefield where militant Communists contend with fanatical Fascists. What is missing from today’s society that has precipitated this result? Well, what do you need to do to destroy a civilized government? How can one be patient when time is of the
Aristotle once said that “Man is by nature a political animal.” What could he have possibly meant? Well, if there is anything that a student who had taken Politics 135, at Northern Virginia Community College with Professor Smith, knows it is that people like two things-- money and power. However, money and power was not always the answer, back in the 1780’s it was definitely not the answer. Over two hundred years ago our, America’s, economy and political systems were nothing compared to what they are today. From Federalists against Democratic Republicans to Democrats against Republicans, America has raised its citizens in complicated homes of various political parties.
In the last decade, political polarization has become more relevant in the United States. As controversial topics have become popular issues in our court system, media coverage, and everyday conversation, people’s political ideology on these topics have also changed. First, republicans and democrats are classified under the two main ideologies in America: conservatism and liberalism. As our world, has changed the democratic and republican party ideologies have developed negative views against opposing parties. Recently the American people develop such strong opinions on a topic they have difficulty seeing the others view point which I think is causing more people to become independent. In addition, if the majority in the community, you are
At first when I read this question I automatically thought of how divided our nation is today. I wonder if we were all for the same party would, there be so much hate and ignorance amongst us. However, after doing a lengthy research I realize it is necessary to have political parties. Without these political parties, how would a government run in the first place? We need a variety of people to help run the whole system.