Posts

Module 15

  Policy and Domestic Policy?  First of all, we have to define the policy. A policy is a law, principle, or strategy that is used to solve a problem or problems. When policies are implemented and enforced, they help address issues that are important to the public. The new law does not appear out of nowhere. First, the problem addressed by the new law has to become part of the political agenda that is, the problem must be defined as a political issue to be resolved by government action. Furthermore, once the issue gets on the political agenda, proposed solutions to the problem have to be formed and then adopted. Issue identification and agenda-setting, policy formulation, and policy adoption are all parts of the policymaking process. (The process does not end there) however, once the law is passed, it has to be implemented and then evaluated. During all this process there are interactions with individuals and various groups. (President and members of Congress are obvious partic...

Video- Final Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP9gMTDocUc&feature=youtu.be

Module 14

  As we all know, the political influence that the media has is difficult to characterize. What the media says about a specific topic always has an impact on what Americans think, (including political beliefs). The power of the media is indiscerptible, and it's getting more powerful each year. There are many ways of using the media and candidates use it in plenty of ways to share their thinking and to gain followers. One of the easy politics in the media is by doing political advertising. This type of advertising is to familiarize voters with the candidate and his or her views on campaign issues; also advertising for or against policy issues. I saw one example on the tv these past months, President Trump had an ad where he stated who he was and shared that he wanted the best for all Americans.  Another type of ad is the Attack Ads. We all know this type of ad because we have lots of them on the television (newspaper, etc.) before elections. This type of advertisement is the on...

Module 13

     Bureaucracy is simply a large complex administrative organization that is structured hierarchically in a pyramid-like fashion. Government bureaucrats carry out the policies of elected government officials. Bureaucrats deliver our mail, clean our streets, teach in our public schools, run our national parks, and attempt to ensure the safety of our food and the prescription drugs that we take. “A bureaucratic organization allows each person to concentrate on her or his area of knowledge and expertise.” The reason the bureaucracy exists is that Congress, over time, has delegated certain tasks to specialists. Another key aspect of any bureaucracy is that the power to act resides in the position rather than in the person. Like I mentioned before we encounter bureaucracy every day without knowing it. Two types of bureaucracies impact citizens: federal bureaucracies and state bureaucracies. Some examples of bureaucracy services include having mail delivered to your home, goi...

Module 12

  The book mentions that interest groups is an organization of people sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence government policymakers through direct and indirect methods. Whatever their goals (more or fewer social services, higher or lower prices) interest groups pursue these goals on every level and in every branch of government. How do these groups are formed? The main goal of these groups is “change”. It can be political, or economic change, a dramatic shift in population or technology that affects how people live or work, or a change in social values or cultural norms. Some other groups form to support the change or even speed it along, while others form to fight change.  Interest groups help bridge the gap between citizens and government and enable citizens to explain their views on policies to public officials. They also help raise public awareness and inspire action on various issues. Some examples if interest groups are, AARP (strives to better th...

Module 11

Congress it is known as the lawmaking branch of government. Congress consists of two chambers, the House and the Senate. The House was to represent the people as a whole, or the majority and the Senate was to represent the states and would protect the interests of small states by giving them the same number of senators, two per state, as the larger states. (Pg. 239) The House seats are assigned depending on the state’s population. (according to the census). One example is California, this state has more representatives because the population is bigger, and states with smaller populations like Wyoming. How do the congressional elections function? The U.S Constitution requires that representatives to Congress be elected every second year by popular vote. Senators are elected every six years, by popular vote. There are qualifications that a person needs to have in order to be part of the Congress. To be a member of the House,a person must be a citizen of the United States for a least seve...

Module 10

  5 topic areas: The Constitution: Basic understanding of the constitution Campaigns and election: How the people have a voice? Politics and the Media: How the media has gotten more important throughout the years? Civil rights?: “Your rights end when you start to harm others” Congress: How congress works?