POL 166 HW 4

Quote:
"In this economic  context, the "natural law" of equality tends to be obscured leading people to believe that inequality between people is the normal and natural state of being"

My interpretation:

    This is exactly what I feel "they" want. The truth of the matter is, I am an American Citizen, born and raised, by immigrant parents. Yet I truthfully do not know who are the people that manage our government or our politics, besides big guys like the President of the United States, and a few senators. I understand that there is a system. I don't know who works for that system. That's the sad personal truth. So in a greater sense, of course they would want us to forget the "natural law". Of course they would want us to believe that inequality between people is normal. Because "they" are at the top. Anyone at the top, would claim that there is nothing wrong with society, and that everything makes sense, while the opposite holds true for the people at the bottom. It's an ILLUSION that we are unequal. We are all human. If anything, our biology should determine whether we belong at the top, and not class or money. But we are all human. We all eat, live, and experience. We all have a brain, and we all are born and die. Inequality only exists because social constructs exist that determine the experience of any given man, and a man is a product of his experiences. I agree with the fact that the obscurity of "natural law" is leading people to accept that inequality is normal. Inequality exists, but it is definitely not a normal and natural state of being. That has been socially constructed over many years, and generations.

Homework#3 POL166

This is from "The Federalist No. 51", "The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments."
Quote: "Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure."

My Interpretation:
    When reading this, aside from the rest of the article, I felt like this was speaking to me. It's very much true, there are always going to be two different kinds of people, the majority, and the minority. I do agree, that the issue at hand, and if you read this quote carefully, is that while we divide the level of interests among the people, we simultaneously dismiss the interests of the minority. It's false to think that the interests of the minority are inconsequential. They are still very much important. They exist, in the realm of life, and are problems that truly exist, and need to be taken care of, as much as the majority's interest need to be taken care of. That very well may be the problem with our government today. We have "surrendered our power" for them, because they are supposed to help and support us, but now power is shaped and bent to their will, and there are people that have real problems that aren't being addressed because it doesn't affect a certain other group of people. I am not saying either, that the right of the majority needs to be dismissed either, but it should not be that the concern of one group gets addressed and the other dismissed. There should be a system where the concerns of both groups are handled, because at the end of the day we are all human beings, and some of us live in the slums, while other's can't even imagine what the slums are. So it that sense, just this one quote stood out to me, because that alone, says enough about how our government, and the system is unjust.

How it relates to class:
    We spoke about bias in class. Here lies, an obvious bias for the "majority", whatever that consists of.

Homework#2/POL166 Fall 2016

Chose Passage from Text:
         "Indeed, it is not uncommon for the eager Anglo- Saxon who goes to a vivid American university to- day to find his true friends not among his own race but among the acclimatized German or Austrian, the acclimatized Jew, the acclimatized Scandinavian or Italian. In them he finds the cosmopolitan note. In these youths, foreign- born or the children of foreign- born parents, he is likely to find many of his old inbred morbid problems washed away. These friends are oblivious to the repressions of that tight little society in which he so provincially grew up."

My Response: 
        What I took from this piece, and why it stood out to me, is because I feel this is saying, that Anglo-Saxon's prefer to be with "foreigners" because "...[they're] oblivious to the repressions of that tight little society in which he so provincially grew up". It almost feels like, they are using other people's cultures as a way to escape their own, and it works out because the other foreigners have no idea what the Anglo-Saxon goes through being as an Anglo-Saxon.  
         It can also be looked at in a positive way, because it is saying that without the "acclimatized" foreign born people, it implies that the Anglo-Saxon prefers to not be with their own people. It gives meaning to being different, shines light toward how different cultures can be used together, even if it's just to be an escape from your own. 

Assignment Due 12.10.13.

"You know that it was Jefferson who said that the best government is that which does as little governing as possible, which exercises its power as little as possible. That was said in a day when the opportunities of America were so obvious to every man, when every individual was so free to use his powers without let or hindrance, that all that was necessary was that the government should withhold its hand and see to it that every man got an opportunity to act if he would. But that time is past."

   This part of the passage stands out to me, because it's amazing how our ex president can put into words and change the perspective of the words of a previous president. Times have changed is what Woodrow Wilson is saying. While I personally believe that Jefferson wasn't incorrect to say that, I also don't think Wilson was incorrect to challenge his statement. I do believe a government that does as little governing as possible is the best government, because ideally that implies that we as a society are making sure things are handled for ourselves as opposed to trusting the government to handle things for us. But in a time where everything is so fast paced, it's hard for that idealism to ever come about, and we're living in a time that back in the day, was probably not even dreamed of. Technology and progression have taken us so far, and if we couldn't govern ourselves back then, it's unrealistic to say we can now. But the fact that they're both not wrong, is a beautiful thing. 

 So I chose this passage for that reason. It's amazing to see how one president's philosophy can be correct but unrealistic, and a future president acknowledging that very statement, and admitting that it is highly unlikely, because he knows the times we live in and he knows, that we will always need to be governed. And speaking from the point of view of the president, I'm assuming that he knew why he said, exactly what he said. It's not like me, saying that, without all the power in the world. It's an amazing feeling reading a passage such as this. 

Assignment 12.3.13

Passage Chosen: "The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced."

 My reason for choosing this passage is simple, I've heard the Gettysburg Address multiple times, but not until this very assignment, did I actually take the time to dissect the true significance of this speech, in history, and in our present. Although my honest opinion is, the nation does not know how to be as humble and as brave or as dedicated to the people, as Abraham Lincoln was. By far. Or maybe, it is us as a nation that have to pay more attention to who we decide to elect, because ultimately, we are the one's choosing who leads us, and it feels as if we have chosen qualified, but not exceptional leaders. 

 The significance of this passage and quote, I chose specifically from the Gettysburg Address because of how funny it is that Abraham Lincoln honestly kept it real, and said, that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but we can never forget what we did here." It makes me feel like in that moment, they didn't realize how big a change, they had made. What big a goal they accomplished. But regardless of the fact, I love that part, because I'm doing an assignment right now, more than a century later, on the very speech that Abraham Lincoln thought we wouldn't remember. And it's basic history as well. Truth be told, that was a well delivered speech, and it's sincerity and words, honestly, captivate me and motivate me. I would've loved to have lived in an Era where someone like Lincoln was president. Where the weight of the world is on his shoulders, and the lives of many lay on his command, yet he takes full responsibility and acknoledges them all for their sacrifices, even after succeeding. That kind of humbleness, is something I don't feel in our own time, and that's why I personally love this speech. It gives me hope. That one day a leader will rise up with his kind of bravery, and sympathy. Message well received, I'll never forget.

Assignment Due 11.26.13: "Choose a passage from Lincoln's speech on the Dred Scott case, interpret it and explain how it relates to class."

I chose : Judicial decisions have two uses-first, to absolutely determine the case decided, and secondly, to indicate to the public how other similar cases will be decided when they arise. For the latter use, they are called “precedents” and “authorities.”

 My interpretation of this passage is simple, the decision made in the Dred Scott case, was not only unjust in itself, but a horrible example set for future major court cases. I don't blame President Lincoln at all, for creating a speech as he did, because there is truth to his words, and in particular the passage I chose above. I am a believer of "right now is the future". Every choice we make, leads to another circumstance in which we have to make another choice. The decision he made ultimately led to angering and mistrust and obvious showing of how immoral the judicial system was. "He denounces all who question the correctness of that decision, as offering violent resistance to it.". Another example of he makes a decision and cannot reveal his reasoning behind it. If this country is meant to be one giant ideal, made up of all it's citizens, then secrets, and being shady are the exact things citizens should avoid keeping, especially political leaders that at that point in time affected the African American portion of the men that inhabit our land. 

How I think that relates to the class is that's one of those decisions in American Politics that made history and shaped our country today. Even if time passes and it's become more minimal, it's still there, it's not erased, and it can potentially corrupt and leave other leaders cynical because of decisions like the one that was made with the Dred Scott case. Luckily it gave birth to Abraham Lincoln who came online when seeing how that situation was handled, however, extremes like this I feel should be avoided, and learned from. Also comparing and seeing how much we've progressed since this case was established and learning from this case is another reason I feel this is relevant to the class. 

Assignment #5

Passage Chosen (Straight from the lecture): "You are sensible, Sir, that the Seeds of Aristocracy began to spring even before the Conclusion of our Struggle for the Natural Rights of Men, Seeds which like a Canker Worm lie at the Root of free Governments. So great is the Wickedness of some Men & the stupid Servility of others, that one would be almost inclined to conclude that Communities cannot be free. The few haughty Families, think They must govern. The Body of the People tamely consent & submit to be their Slaves. This unravels the Mystery of Millions being enslaved by the few!"

I honestly chose this passage because I didn't have the means to get the original packet, and being that I read the lecture over and over again, I feel, although I might not have exact insight, the professor did a fine job expressing the views of Federalist vs Anti Federalist. This quote stood out to me the most because of how sarcastic it sounds. It almost sounds like a compliment, but in reality its saying, you're a fool for believing this is freedom or that people are happy with your (federalist) methods. I love and wish I had gotten a chance to read the actual writings in entirety because the themes described here are the root of who we are today. Makes me want to go back in time and live in that time period where it seems, although unsuccessful, your voice was heard a little bit more, as an "anti federalist", and I feel I would also be an anti federalist, given my personality today.

What's being said in this passage is, in my own words, who do you think you are to think that we can't govern ourselves, and need you guys to govern us?. It is almost sickening to think that there are people out there who think so highly of themselves, and are so convinced that our freedom, which is what we live by, isn't being used right, or in a good matter, so they should govern and lay down the rules because the higher ups know what's best. You expect the people to be happy about the fact that you're trying to create consequences to their actions of free will? Makes you think twice about what freedom is really all about.

Horizontal and Vertical Federalism are opposites. Horizontal Federalism is cooperation between the 50 states to make decisions, while Vertical Federalism traditionally deems anything the national government of complete importance.