Reflections on Interest Groups Today we are looking at Mancur Olson, The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups written in 1965. We are specifically looking at chapter 2 and chapter 3 of this book. Chapter II-  The chapter starts off by explaining the benefits of small groups vs large groups and is then backed by research. Small groups reach decisions quickly and are more decisive while large groups have a broader range of points of view and different reactions. The writer advocates for smaller groups for its superiority in getting things done compared to larger groups. The writer then highlights the issues large corporations have with many stockholders vs. corporations with very few stockholders. The writer then makes a distinction that they believe is lacking in identifying the types of small groups privileged, intermediate, and latent. Privileged groups have to resolve the issues of the majority which will probably be resolved regardless of wha...

Reflections on the Judiciary Today we are looking at eight landmark cases in our judicial system, Marbury v. Madison (1803), Swift & Co. v. The United States (1906), Schenk v. The U.S. (1919), Brown v. Board of Ed. (1954), Loving v. Virginia (1967), Roe v. Wade (1973), Buckley v. Valeo (1976),  and Gonzales v. Raich (2005). I believe the best way to look at these cases is first to look at the historical context, then the actual case and the impact the decision had on the country. Marbury v. Madison (1803)-  William Marbury was a judge that was supposed to be commissioned as a federal judge but during the transition into Jefferson's presidency, he did not receive his commission. The document was signed by the previous attorney general and handed over to the incoming attorney general to formally deliver the document, however, Jefferson was against Marbury's commission and ordered his attorney general James Madison that the document not be delivered. Marbury sued to ar...

Reflections on the Presidency There are three presidents to analyze John F. Kennedy, Ronald Regan, and Barrack Obama. First the Kennedy inaugural address, second Regan inaugural address, and state of the union address and our most recent completed presidency Obamas DNC address, Speech on Race, Fathers Day, Victory, and Inaugural address. John F. Kennedy:  He starts off his speech with calls of hope, reminding everyone listening that the rights of every man are not granted by the government but are endowed by God signifying how sacred rights should be treated. He then reminds everyone that we inherited our rights and the torch is being passed on to the younger generation. It is important that rights whether foreign or domestic should not be trampled on no matter what it takes because it is the heart of liberty. He then addresses the third world, he tells them he will help them no matter what not because of any other reason than it is the right thing to do. He then tells the world ...

Reflections on Congress The three articles to be analyzed speak about the topic of political gerrymandering and redistricting. The argument in relation to gerrymandering is that it serves to only give a political advantage through party lines. This is considered detrimental because it defeats the representational responsibilities that Congress is supposed to have. The three articles are The 10 Most Gerrymandered Districts In America, What 60 years of political gerrymandering looks like, and America’s most gerrymandered congressional districts. The 10 Most Gerrymandered Districts In America:  This article shows examples of gerrymandered districts throughout America and reasons why they would be given unnatural sections. Places like Maryland have unusual areas of representation due to the unusual ways of counties and terrain. It also gives examples of others that are clearly a flagrant disregard to how districts should look and how they directly cut out voters that may no...

Reflections on Equal Rights There were three documents to analyze that reflect on the concept of civil rights. The four documents are Citizenship and Social Class, and Ruling Class Strategies and Citizenship. Citizenship and Social Class: This is a short book written by T.H. Marshall that argues three ideas and how they would impact society. He argues that society has a responsibility to do three things, the first being "First, the compression, at both ends, of the scale of income distribution." This means that the wage gap between citizens is far too wide and efforts should be made to ensure that people make more similar amounts of money. This is something that people have been complaining about since the industrial revolution, however, this is just as much of an issue today as it was in the 1950s. The second is "the great extension of the area of common culture and common experience" which is a call for equal treatment for all. This was highly criticized because...

Reflections on Fundamental American Liberties There were four documents to analyze that reflect on the idea what are the basic liberties that Americans should be entitled to? The four documents are Civil Disobedience, Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?, and A Lecture on the Anti-Slavery Movement. Civil Disobedience:  The document opens up with a classical republican statement expressing how much better a smaller government would be. The government would move faster and be more effective if it were smaller but due to the large size of the government, it is actually paradoxically slower. The document continues to express how the government is nor representative of its people but the government imposes its will onto its people. It is made clear that the writer is not anarchist fighting for a no government system but a someone wishing to have a smalle more respectable government. Expressing how the military has turned into a ...

Reflections on Federalism There were three documents to analyze that reflect on the idea of the United States of America's federal system. The three documents are The Seventh of March Speech, The Diffusion of Innovations among the American States, and The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It. The Seventh of March Speech: This was a speech made on the 7th of March 1850, and was made to directly speak to the Senate to unify all moderates. This speech was risky because it put his career on the line but he hoped of this speech was enough to get votes from moderates to pass the compromise of 1850. The speaker begins by explaining the moral differences between people that do and do not believe in slavery and how this has polarized the north and south. He explains people who are raised from birth to believe that they have a right and are raised with slavery as a part of their morals, by this logic they are not doing anything immoral. He then explains that states soverei...

Reflections Debating the Constitution. The article "A nother Stab at the Constitution " asks legitimate questions about how the current system of federal judgeships. The writer argues that the constitutional framework which grants the United States of America's courts their current powers should not be implemented today. Article III of the Constitution is the section of the Constitution that grants federal judges their power. Every office in the United States of America has set term limits to ensure no one person holds power for too long. This does not apply to the federal judges who, so long as they have good behavior, will hold their power of judgeship for their whole life. The only way a federal judge can lose its position is by voluntary retirement or through congressional impeachment. The writers argue if we rewrote the constitution today this should be the first thing to be changed and reconsidered. The writer explains that at the time of writing chief justices did ...

Reflections The Politics of the American Founding- There are arguably four documents that are considered the most important and impactful in American history. They were the documents that helped shape the country's government and each deserves the individual attention when explaining how each triggered major events. The Declaration of Independence: This was a letter explaining to King Gorge while announcing to the world that the new world would no longer recognize the legitimacy of British rule over the thirteen colonies. There were 27 complaints laid out explaining how the rebellion is not only justified but necessary for all colonist to join. From dissolving house representation to blocking legitimate population through immigration, these issues where the fule that created the anger that made the United Colonies declare their right to be a free and independent state. The Constitution of the United States: This is considered the basis in which our entire government is designe...

Reflection on Trans-national America: It is true the Great War brought out anger we could never understand short of being in New York (the heart of immigration at the time). In 1903 the new colossus was placed on the Statue of Liberty representing our melting pot of a nation and embracing our immigrant population. This is being written just thirteen years later talking about how quickly the Americas are starting to drift away from that fundamental idea because of suspicions due to the war. Ostracizing the Germans trying to make them assimilate to what we believed is American. The writer notes while at the same time making them preserve their European traditions more and more pushing them together. The writer asked the question of how can a melting pot be a melting pot if we are pushed away from one another? The writer tells America that we must be the example for the world to follow, America cannot slip into becoming an "inferior civilizations." Telling the readers that they...

Reflection on Power & Citizenship in American Politics: When reading the article the first thing that is noticed is that language that is used to describe political status is very reminiscent of the Communist Manifesto. To suggest such as the writer as he does that the government is an us versus them system, an American populous represented by this "Empire/Superpower" is frankly absurd. The writers' goal is to show how crazy it would be if we were a nation that was governed as such and then shows you (the reader) that that is how things are. Frankly, this article is borderline un-American and reading this false "Representative institutions no longer represent voters" propaganda is insulting to the intelligence of the reader. Every part of the government is built on the checks and balance system; every judicial department has a higher level of an internal investigation office, every other department has an inspector general, all of Congress has the Office o...