The political ideology that I identify with the most would be social democracy. The course textbook, We the People, defines a socialist as “someone who generally believes in social ownership, strong government, free markets, and reducing economic inequality” (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, 2017, 206). This means that socialism encourages government intervention in industry so that people can be better protected and more equal to one another. This political ideology revolves around the idea of helping those who are not socially and economically well off so that our society as a whole may greatly improve. The textbook, We the People, also states that socialist support ideas such as free public college and policies that protect worker’s …show more content…
While economic inequality isn’t something we necessarily discriminate against here it is so in Mexico. Visiting my family in Mexico made me very aware of my family 's financial status and how well off we were compared to how my parents had been growing up. My parents were always very money conscious and it is probably because of how they had grown up. They lived on small ranches with big families and because of they they weren’t able to afford much growing up. Because their families had ranches my parents had to help out from a young age. I know they don 't want my brother and I to ever worry about money but it 's hard not to. I never liked the idea of being able to afford something my friends couldn’t.
Another thing that greatly influenced my point of view would be my religion. I strongly believe in helping others and standing up for what you believe in. Because of this I do greatly support unions. They were essential in our past and fought for the rights we have today. While there are not as many big issues to fight for today I still believe that people should be allowed to unite and meet with their employers to discuss certain issues without the fear of becoming unemployed. The fact of the matter is that big businesses can often place profit over people and we have to be able to confront them about this. I feel that the government has allowed businesses to have too much power and they need to play a great role in the well being of it’s people. Maybe there
Coming from a family that relies on unions has greatly influenced my outlook on life. I was raised believing that being in a union was the best option, and this is what I truly think. My father and step father are both union stewards. My dad works for AT&T and has belonged to IBEW Local 21 for almost 21 years now. My step dad has been a part of Laborers Local 477 for 11 years. About three years ago, he became a correctional officer where he joined FOP and AFSCME in addition to the Laborer’s. Growing up around these two men has empowered me to fight for what I believe in both in work, school, and in life.
See, e.g., Marion Crain & Ken Matheny, Beyond Unions, Notwithstanding Labor Law, 4 U.C. IRVINE L. REV. 561, 562–53 (2014). “Unions served as a vehicle for worker voice and political influence . . . .”
I have to say that my relationship with my union is new and it means a great deal to me and my wife. I have long since been a hard and dedicated working piece of the American economy. I started as a young man mowing grass at a boys club in Savannah, Ga in exchange for mowing the grass I was able to be a part of the Boys club and my parents did not have to pay for me to be able to go there after school and during the summer which was great because between my dad and step mother there was five of us kids and for middle class family of seven to be able to have great amenities plus finding that extra money to pay for after school actives was no easy task so I worked for that. I then grew up and in my teenage years I worked fast food while in High school. I worked at a three in one restaurant it was a Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and it was unionized. However this was my first small union experience and it was not the ideal first experience that myself of anyone
No matter which country you would look into whether it’s from wealthier to those less wealthy countries through the eyes of economics, there are bound to be types of inequity within their borders. Inequity is a very crucial problem in the United States, you would think that our economy here in the states is booming, and the citizens are living life easy or without worry. Life is the United States isn’t as it seems, in fact, Inequity is in fact a big problem even in the United States. Over the years, there has been millions of Americans that were considered to be in poor or in poverty line that are not able to provide for themselves and their families. We can sadly see those Americans on the streets, cars or shelters unable to keep-ends meet that are not able to keep a decent paying job. That is why throughout this paper I’ll be discussing why inequity is a big issue in the United States from how income is distributed through causes of income inequality, social status, and even how the government interventions is trying to alleviate income inequity.
Initially, the intent of labor unions was for employed workers to meet together and collectively agree on fundamental workplace objectives and goals. The rise of the union came about after the Civil War, in the United States- responding to the industrial economy boom. Following the war, labor unions finally reached public popularity within the 1930-1950’s, and then again began to slowly decrease, through the 1960’s and on to today’s times. Although, the popularity of labor unions has decreased, its importance remains to be evident with politics, journalism, auto, and the public education industries.
The past of Unions is indisputable; however, the outlook can be altered to form a promising future. The reversal of history can be done through reconstruction and restatement of workers rights. A reestablishment of worker liberties should be considered in order to clarify any confusion in which present and prospective employees are faced with. Unions are notorious for being tyrannical and inconsiderate towards employees and thus union heads should confront this issue head on and give workers a voice (i.e. vote). In order to regain union strength in today’s society I believe Unions must give workers honorable rights and a democratic right to be heard.
The role of unions and their importance has changed over the years. A mixture of poor wages, high unemployment, non-existent benefits and insignificant professional stability amongst the more youthful era makes a ready demographic for restoration. The younger era is the slightest unionized section of our general public today by a long shot. Unions are important in today’s society because checks and balances are necessary entities in business and government, so if CEOs are just focusing on themselves and profits, unions are a necessary check to all that corporate power. Today and in the future, labor unions will continue to play an important role in our country 's work force and the quality of life for working families.
“Unions are no longer beneficial in our society because today we have so many laws protecting the rights of workers. In the 19th and early 20th century the workers of America had virtually no rights and were unable to improve their work conditions, salary, etc. With the arrival of unions, the state of the common laborer greatly improved. But today, with so many laws ensuring the rights of employees, unions are doing more harm than good. For example, many analysts believe that union's demand for so many raises and benefits for the auto industry workers has driven it into the ground, so they are no longer able to compete with other countries.” (Nett, 2014).
As the child of Mexican immigrants, I am always encouraged to work to the best of my ability because of the sacrifices and struggles my family went through to get where we are today. Too young to remember, I am constantly reminded of the difficulties my family experienced as they attempted to rebuild their lives in a new country with nothing but their clothes on their backs and the few cash they had in their pockets. The place we called home was a shabby, old apartment in a neighborhood where the crime rate seemed as if it doubled in a matter of seconds. At a point in our lives my family begged for pennies to afford medicine from gas stations, and even the dollar store when we fell ill. It was never that we were out of money, but we were just financially unstable. We had a roof over our heads, food on our table, clothes, and even a family car, but my father’s income was not always enough to support the life of a growing family and on top of that, enough to invest in my family’s future.
“Eight for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for will” (Martha Bridgeman 2010). Have anyone in the audience ever experienced a time when you made a decision because you took information from your coworker or friend, instead of researching the information for yourself? Recently, I had to deal with my employer making a decision on becoming unionized and took information from coworkers that could have possibly changed my future in an economic way without knowing all of the facts. When faced with dilemmas that allow us to make choices, it is extremely important that decisions come from one’s own rational and informed conclusions, rather than relying upon what others present as unsubstantiated truth. Today, I will inform you on how I recently was involved in making a life altering decision of unionizing my employer, and my decision made after researching for answers; but first it is necessary to provide a brief history on labor unions in the United States.
A major topic that comes up with unions is getting better wages for the employees. This is one of the main reasons that unions came to be. Workers of all fields were tired of being paid unfairly by big companies. They realized that they needed a way to organize themselves to fight for better pay. Unions helped aid in this fight. According to History.com, “ The formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in Philadelphia in 1794 marks the beginning of sustained trade union organization among American workers.” This was the first time workers tried to organize themselves to get more money for what they did. A key way that unions used workers to make businesses meet their demands was organized strikes. With these organized strikes, the big companies had to comply with some of the demands to raise the employee 's wage, or it would cost them more money in the long run. Strikes are a very powerful tool that unions have used often in the past. Unions orchestrated the strikes in the past pretty well, and the majority of strikes accomplished the goal they were trying to complete. Unions have always fought with companies to give the workers the pay they deserve.
The labor union movement over the years has shaped the way individuals work and live for both the nicest and unpleasant. Some would think the unions influence has created a power struggle between management and union leaders. In today’s time, some citizens insist the existence of unions are a must to aid in employee freedom, while others view the labor unions as just another problem in the line of progress. The purpose of labor unions was for employed workers to come together and collectively agree on fundamental workplace objectives. The rise of the union came about after the Civil War- responding to the industrial economy. Surprisingly at the least unions became popular within the 1930-50’s and began to slowly decrease,
Upon entering my first semester at Southern Nazarene University I could not have told you my political ideology. I knew what my opinions, observations, expectations, and ideals were, but did not know the proper ideology that would define them. Through several courses that I have taken, I have become more informed as to the role that I would like to see the government take throughout society as a whole and in the economy. Upon reading the section of ideology in American Government and Politics Today: the Essentials I learned that the correct term for my ideology is right-wing Conservatism. I would like to see the government take action if necessary in the economy, yet let
The ideas, social democracy and conservatism have impacted social policy to support the citizens within New Zealand. They contrast in ways, which they are based upon. Social democracy bases their ideas in state intervention to support the welfare creating egalitarianism. Whereas conservatism base their ideas by providing minimal state intervention, where tradition social institutions are conserved and natural authority is established. Both ideas support individuals by providing a good vision; this is achieved through the state implementing policies.
In conclusion, I have found that I both agree and disagree with labor unions. I think they can be very beneficial but also very limiting. I think that the right to work movement is a great opportunity for a lot of workers and businesses to be able to escape some of the cons of unions. Labor unions can be tough but they can be helpful, because of them people can more easily speak out about issues as a group rather than individually, but because of some issues in each union, the right to work movement was created as a