How Do House Of Cards Make Perfect Sense

Politics has changed so much over the years that it has become a knockout fight between Demarcates and Republicans. Centralism has disappeared in favor of extreme left and extreme right. Congresswoman Olympia Snowe left congress as a result of this change. Snowe now aids in the effort to reform congress by encouraging less extremism and more cooperation. She hopes to change the environment in congress and increase cooperation and advancement in the political system. The approval rating of congress is declining. Freakonomics Radio asks different politicians and scholars from both sides of the political spectrum what ideas and practices must go to improve the political atmosphere and

Chapter two in a nutshell says, your success depends on your party’s organization and membership. It is mentioned on page 35, that the majority of people are represented by a small percentage of people because it is only that small group whose opinion and beliefs are taken into consideration. It stresses the connection between political involvements depending on your level of education. People with college degrees

In his book Hardball, Chris Matthews discusses the useful strategies for getting ahead in politics that he observed during his time working in Washington, D.C. He breaks up his observations into chapters with different lessons. Three of the most important lessons are “It's Not Who You Know; It's Who You Get to Know,” (Chapter 1) “All Politics is Local,” (Chapter 2) and “Dance With the One That Brung Ya.” (Chapter 4). These chapters illustrate how important making and keeping connections and relationships is in Washington. The “game of politics” is played by using these relationships to gain favors, votes, support, etc. According to Matthews, the people who get ahead are the ones who make and keep these important connections and relationships with other politicians and the public.

The best politicians out there, are often not the ones that have the best ideas, but rather the ones that can trick and then steal the hearts of their audiences. The people of the world will often support and vote for the candidate with the story that impacts them the most. The stories the candidates say may often not be true, this is what Hedges’ meant when he said that “the most essential skill…. Is artifice.”

In 1910, Cannon was Speaker of the House as well as Head of the Rules Committee, giving him incomparable power in the House. However, George Norris, backed by the Progressives in Congress, called for a vote to give the power of electing the Rules Committee to the House, to avoid the monopoly of power. This example, of recognizing power and dispersing it away from one individual, furthered American ideology of avoiding dictatorial rule (Burns, 1988). During the film Charles MacDowell, a newspaperman, states, “The Congress is where we speak, the Congress is where we are. The Congress is where ordinary mortals go about the business of compromise; compromise that gets us through the day” (MacDowell, 1988). This statement is relevant, for me, as it imposes the necessity of compromise in Congress. The way that Mr. MacDowell states the functionality of Congress, makes it apparent that in this country the power truly lies with people of all beliefs. Therefore, to maintain fairness, compromise must ensue. Another statement that challenged my personal belief of how Congress operates, was made by Barbara Fields, a historian, stating “I wonder whether the ideal of democracy lives, in real sense, in our

Hardball by Chris Matthews is an interpretation of what many know as “hard-politics”. The book describes the skill of playing the game in Washington and how to be successful at it. The book is a guide that teaches a series of maxims that would be in favor of politicians to learn in order to be successful. The different tactics provided in the book hold a lot of knowledge that would make the life of anyone following these strategies much easier when trying to get ahead in life. Matthews describes a countless number of examples of successful politicians that rose to the top. Those politicians are the ones who learned how to play hardball in Washington.

Next, Weber indicates that a passionate and likable politician is integral to using politics as a vocation and it still can be traced to modern day politics. Rico Reyes, another Democrat in the race ended up placing last in voter percentage and a lot it had to do with him being an unlikable candidate. Weber cites that, “passion as devotion to a ‘cause’ also makes responsibility to this cause the guiding star of action” (21 of 27). Jade is a charismatic likable candidate because she has a clean blank state to work from. Now, although Rico has credentials and leadership characteristics, his platform does not connect with community members. Up against two women who openly have worked with Planned Parenthood and show dedication to pro-choice work, Rico doesn’t appeal to a lot of the women voters. He attempts to play this off by using his wife’s fight with breast cancer as a gateway into the women’s health care issue,

In an era where strong partisan divisiveness continues to paralyze Congress, The Challenge of Congressional Representation offers a well-formulated, insightful study of the intricate relationship between Congress and their home constituencies. It invokes nostalgia for a time before the Tea Party insurgency and the dreadful Citizens United decision – a time when Congress members put “country before party”, by listening to the people they represent rather than their echo chamber and the unlimited fiscal influences of Political Action Committees. To be sure, author Richard F. Fenno presents this noble exploration as a follow up piece to his earlier study, Home Style, and maintains focus on the micro-analysis of Congress members and their relationships with their constituents (p. 1). Indeed, The Challenge of Congressional Representation seeks to fill the chasm of Congress ' personal narratives within their home constituencies through the innovative approach of personal observation and storytelling. However, the author’s transitions between first and third person can be dizzying at times. Nevertheless, the book is enjoyable and presents the reader with a captivating cast of characters and an inside glimpse of the painstaking process of casework while juggling family, hectic travel schedules, and legislative duties.

Congressman Gregory Meeks is the representative of District 5 [NY]. He was born in East Harlem, New York County, NY in September 25, 1953. He graduated from Julia Richman High School, New York, NY in 1971. Congressman Meeks earned his bachelor's degree at Adelphi University and he received his law degree from Howard University. He is a member of the Allen AME Church in St. Albans New York and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is married to Simone-Marie Meeks and has three daughters – Ebony, Aja, and Nia-Aiyana Congressman Gregory W. Meeks has been representing the District 5 of New York in the US House of Representatives for seventeen years. He is respected by both the Republican and Democratic party in the Congress and in New York because he is an effective leader who gets things done. He holds two important and prominent role in the House: the Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

From the rousing introduction, Chris Mathews' Hardball presents itself as a godsend to young aspiring politicians, businessmen, and frankly, everyone alike. Pompously self-assured, Mathews discusses his reasoning to sharing his wisdom collected from his own experience and other major players in "Hardball". However after finishing the book, his audacity could be forgiven by the enjoyable nature of his work, the information it provides, and the uncanny resemblance to Benjamin Franklin's writing style. In the first section of Mathews' self-proclaimed "classic" and political manifesto, he presents the world of politics through a series of informative--if not redundant--phrases, historical examples, and his own experience in Washington.

The political game is a dog eat dog world, there are several factors that determined weather a politician will be successful or not. Having alliances, enemies, and deals is all part of it. In the book “Hardball: How Politics is Played” written by Chris Mathews explains what it takes to get ahead in politics and how to avoid disasters techniques previously used by others.

Washington gives a look at the sociology of political Washington, D.C., from the perspective of a woman who spent a very long time living and writing there. Greenfield starts with a comparison that is rehashed all throughout the book: the social climate of Washington is, she says, is like the social structure of secondary school. She expounds by itemizing the useless arguments and fixation on one 's reputation that describe both secondary school and political Washington. Greenfield argues that some political careers destroy the personalities of lawmakers, making them show stilted, unnatural forms of themselves. This is meant engage voters, though often ends up causing politicians great harm in their personal lives. She then

To be on a legislative council generally you must run for office. To run for office, you must pick a political party. This is another issue in the discussion of politics that can raise many eyebrows. Although Ellen White frequently mentions avoiding political parties, it is my view that she is referring to the dirt and smearing that goes on in the political system. Furthermore, during Ellen White’s time politics was an even more backroom experience than it is today, something that I have studied in another class. (White E. , Gospel Workers, 2005) (Kellner, 2008)

From watching the first episode of House of Cards, there were many unique elements of the show, but the one that stood out was the quality of discourse and careful intent that some of the main characters possess. Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire Underwood, both particularly exhibit a fashion of speaking that communicates intent in a cutthroat fashion. The effects of their discourse is clearly evident on the effect it has on characters and the relationships that exist. Beginning with Frank Underwood, his ability to control conversations, speak with intent, and make every word carry meaning is noteworthy. When he speaks to the audience of the show, he does so in a manner that makes it seem as if he is completely sure of the events that will occur later on in the show.

"There are two kinds of pain: The sort of pain that makes you strong, or useless pain. The sort of pain that 's only suffering. I have no patience for useless things”. This opening quote from the Netflix original series, House of Cards, sets the tone for the ultimate theme of power displayed over the course of the show. The main character, Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, first speaks to the audience after mercilessly killing his neighbor’s dog after it was hit by a car. Because the dog was injured, it became a useless being and merely a nuisance to Underwood. This example seen in the first episode is a blunt introduction to a main character that is not only power-hungry but also shows no sympathy for the weak. Frank Underwood states that power lasts centuries while money causes people, and things, to fall apart. According to the article by Sivanathan, power is based on an individual’s intentional and effective capacity to control, modify, or influence others by “providing or withholding resources or administering punishments” (Sivanathan). Frank Underwood chooses power because it allows him to leave a legacy that will never be forgotten, while simultaneously granting him access to other types of power.