...January 1933 because he was the leader of the most popular party in Germany” – How far do you agree with this opinion. Hitler did not become chancellor in January 1933 because he was the leader of the most popular party in Germany, it was however to do with the support of the elite that made him Chancellor. There were other factors also such as the decline of the Weimar Republic and the economy but it was mainly to do with the conservatives. One factor that shows that the support of the elite was the reason that Hitler had become Chancellor was the event of the Bamberg conference. It could be argued that this conference had changed the ideology of the NSDAP and had made it more conservative. In the Bamberg conference, a new autocratic, and centralised structure was discussed, which stressed complete obedience to Hitler and the Fuhrerprinzip, and adherence to the “programme of 1920”. However it could be argued that the main reason why he had won the vote was due to the support of the elite, which includes Gustav Krupp and Hugenburg, who was a media tycoon. These elites had promised Hitler funding and they were against the radical anti-capitalism of Gregor Strasser. This shows how Hitler had become chancellor in 1933 because of the support of the conservatives as without them he may not have been the leader of the nazi party to start with. One argument that would show to some extent it was due to the fact that Hitler’s party was the most popular, which made him the chancellor was...
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...States Government Political parties & interests groups Political Parties * American political parties do not have clear programs, regular members, annual meetings, party leaders don’t decide who will run for election, etc. – the ideology of American parties is not very distinctive – they are electoral machines – they help people get elected to Congress and help us organize our thinking. * Political parties have existed since the first decade of the new government’s existence. Americans have always had ambivalent feelings about them. * Parties are necessary, and they perform vital functions, they are crucial institutions when it comes to organizing competition when it comes to elections, structuring the thinking of the society. If they help us distinguish various political sides, we can start identifying with them (liberal, conservative) * Ad-hoc coalitions – built in order to pass a specific bill. Party functions: * Organize the competition * Unify the electorate * Inspire and inform voters * Translate preferences into policy * Provide loyal opposition * Organize Government * Help Govern * Act as Watchdogs * Nominate Candidates * Ensure Candidate Quality * Winner takes all election system – if you have to be big to win, it makes no sense for small parties to function. * Party systems – Multiparty and Two Party System. * Minor parties: Persistence and Frustration * American parties are fairly loose coalitions...
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...411). She offers that the major contributing factor to this contrast is the fact that health reform was fostered by political institutions which formed party systems in the two countries. Institutions are, in her book, stated as the most significant challenge faced by health reformers. Organizations related to the health industry play a rather important role in shaping insurance policies within the United States and Canada (Martens & Roos, 2005 p.72). This is further explained to be as a result of the way the institutions condition the role of political parties in policies. Maioni analyzes the creation on the social democratic third party in Canada which was not present in the United States of America and the influence exerted on the development of health reforms by the third, left-wing party in Canada. Two institutional attributes; parliamentary government and federalism are used to explain the differences between Canada and the US. The parliamentary government in both countries has similar characteristics. They both have single-member plurality electoral systems whereby two-party dominance is emphasized hence reduces chances of a third party occurrence. The parliamentary government in Canada accommodates the existence of third parties unlike in the US whereby such rules do not occur. Presence of these third parties in Canada is very...
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...over 16% (51 million people) this was due to immigration and birth rates, therefore over the years they have become more influential as they are now a larger proportion or the electorate. Furthermore, because they are a young group and a significant proportion are not yet of voting age, with one quarter of Hispanics being under 18, Their full political importance is yet to show as they have not yet acquired the right to vote, which is one of the main reasons the Hispanic population is known as the ‘sleeping giants’ as their full potential of their impact towards the electorate has not been ‘awoken’ due to them not being able to vote. so over the years they will become increasingly important. Many Hispanic communities are also located in several vital swing states, for example, in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. Where the Hispanics make up more than 25% of the population. Particularly in Florida where they have a high number of electoral college votes, where their votes are even more important because of the closeness of the vote in these battle ground states. The fact that Hispanics are a disparate group- from Mexico, Puerto Ricco and Cuba as well as other central American countries. Means that all the different groups may all have their own political leanings. They are by no means a unified bloc, and so could heavily influence party votes in US elections. In particular, they can be seen as important ‘swing voters’ due to this, especially over social issues...
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...How far could Britain Be described as a democratic country by 1911? Lisa Wilson A democracy should allow people to vote freely in order to influence the decisions of their government and enables citizens to voice their opinions by electing a party that represents their views. In the 1850’s the franchise was restricted to upper class male landowners who had the choice between two parties, the Conservatives and the Liberals. Industrial cities were poorly represented and corruption commonplace. However, the Industrial revolution changed the social and economic structure in Britain, where the emerging middle classes were demanding political reform. Throughout the late 19th century a number of acts were passed that ensured Britain were well on their way to becoming fully democratic. The extension of the franchise in Britain was a significant factor in securing democratic status. The Second Reform Act of 1867, known as the “Great leap in the dark” doubled the British electorate and gave one in three men living in towns the vote if they were property owners or paid an annual rent of over £10. This was a step towards democracy however, although a greater number of men were now liable to vote the electorate system was still dominated by middle classes and voting remained open to bribery and corruption. The 1884 Reform Act proposed further parliamentary reform, allowing working class men living in the countryside the same voting rights as those in towns; thus ensuring the electorate...
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...participation: Women’s engagement in democratic politics in Pakistan Dissertation – MA Gender and Development Marion R. Mueller, September 2004 Abstract This paper contributes to the discussion about the involvement of women as decision-makers in democratic political processes. It questions the conditions that are necessary to promote such involvement and that open up spaces for the translation of women’s representation into political influence. The context of the devolution of power process in Pakistan shows that it is not enough to only set up democratic institutions to achieve women’s political effectiveness. Instead there is need for significant support through the state, political parties and civil society. To personalise the political is necessary for successfully being able to achieve policy outcomes that reflect women’s interests. Table of contents Abbreviations & Foreign Words 4 List of Figures and Tables 5 Acknowledgements 6 1. Introduction 7 Choice of case study 8/ Methodology 9/ Dissertation structure 10 2. Locating women’s engagement in democratisation 11 3. Imagining the political: women and the nature of the state 16 The framework of the state 16/ Defining access: affirmative action policies in Pakistan 16/ Devolving power to the grassroots 18/ Personalising the political: the presence of women councillors 20 4. Institutionalising the political: political parties and women’s involvement...
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...Parting at the Crossroads: The Development of Health Insurance in Canada and the United States, 1940-1965 Author(s): Antonia Maioni Source: Comparative Politics, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Jul., 1997), pp. 411-431 Published by: Ph.D. Program in Political Science of the City University of New York Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/422012 . Accessed: 12/10/2013 14:05 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. . Ph.D. Program in Political Science of the City University of New York is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Comparative Politics. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 130.63.180.147 on Sat, 12 Oct 2013 14:05:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Parting at the Crossroads The Development of Health Insurance in Canada and the United States, 1940-1965 AntoniaMaioni Frequentlyraised in recent discussions abouthealth care reformin the United States has been the model of the Canadianhealth insurancesystem.' While debates about health insurance often...
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...JCMS 2010 Volume 48 Annual Review pp. 95–118 Institutions and Governance: A New Treaty, a Newly Elected Parliament and a New Commission jcms_2096 95..118 DESMOND DINAN George Mason University Introduction Elections for the European Parliament (EP) and the nomination of a new European Commission made 2009 a particularly important year with regard to European Union institutions and governance. More significant than these five-yearly events, however, was the long-delayed ratification and implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. In June 2009, EU leaders approved a Decision ‘on the concerns of the Irish people on the Treaty of Lisbon’, which they annexed to the European Council conclusions. They also agreed that ‘at the time of the conclusion of the next accession Treaty [. . .] the provisions of the annexed Decision’ would be included ‘in a Protocol to be attached [. . .] to the Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union’ (Council, 2009a). The purpose of the promised Protocol was to facilitate a second referendum in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty and to help ensure a successful outcome. The Irish government soon announced that the referendum would take place on 2 October. The prospect of a favourable result looked bright, thanks to the global economic crisis, which hit Ireland particularly hard. Although ratifying the Treaty would not make a material difference, it would send a positive signal to international investors...
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...Are interest groups in the USA too powerful? Interest groups are an organised pressure group in which members hold similar beliefs and actively pursue ways to influence government. Unlike political parties, which seek to win control of government, pressure groups are principally interested in influencing those to determine policy. There are different structures of pressure groups within the United States, for example there is a predominance of business groups, the larger pressure groups (e.g. NRA) tend to have a wider scope of insider activity and the evolution of associated Political Action Committees by focusing on the funding side. In this essay I am defining ‘too powerful’ as something that is a hindrance to democracy. On the one hand there is the pluralist view on pressure groups. Many believe they provide true representation for the ordinary citizens between the long stretches of elections. Interest groups provide a valuable addition to any democracy in which the range of views and beliefs can be heard and fed into the decision-making process. Pressure groups highlight the inherent value of the first amendment to the constitution, which formally protects the freedom of speech and the right to petition for the remedy of grievances. In this light, pressure groups can effectively never be too powerful, as they are providing a source for ordinary citizens to participate in politics, which they normally don’t get to do between elections. Pressure groups offer many forms of...
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...● 01. 6 generalizations about institutions 1. People use institutions to serve specific ends. 2. They divide labor .3. Institutions save everyone's time and energy; in technical language, they reduce transaction costs. 4. Institutions exist independently of the particular people participating in them. 5. Institutions distribute authority. More power inheres in some roles than in others. 6. Participants will attempt to adapt it to their own purposes; but they are difficult to change. ● 02.How do institutions check tyranny? - checks and balances:Social pluralism, we divide government up between three institutions with all the same amount of power, ● 03.Why are institutions difficult to change? Path dependency: reliance on experience, constrained by status quo; solutions based on familiar institutions. Some participants are content with current arrangements and not willing to change. ● 04.Framers consciously designed a set of institutions for making it possible to do politics of this kind. The point is to design a set of institutions that control the effects of factions--by setting them against one another, but dividing authority among institutions ● Problems with the Articles of confederation No ability to tax , No central currency, No way to negotiate treaties ,No executive capacity, difficult to maintain public order, nation security. ● 06.Deals addressed by the constitution Path dependency: reliance on experience, constrained by status quo; solutions based on familiar...
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...Outline John F. Kennedy vs. Nixon Thesis Statement: John F. Kennedy and Nixon were both very popular presidents of the United States of America. They both had tremendous influences on history that can never be forgotten. Intro: 1. Both first elected in Congress 1946 2. Both had unorthodox view points 3. Nixon- conservative Republican, Kennedy- conservative Body: I. Friendship - Both in navy - Nixon agreed with Kennedy on issues. - Kennedy-play boy wealthy and charming, Nixon was poor. II. Campaign - Kennedy won the Great debate - Kennedy won do to his looks - saved the country from nuclear destruction - Nixon supporters not happy, heard the plan to assassinate Vietnam president. III. Nixon presidency - Nixon president 1968 - Nixon kept the countries reputation in the world - Met with a Chinese leader, built china- America relations IV. Both supported the space program - Kennedy focused on traveling to the moon - Nixon approved 5 year long program with Soviet Union - Both pushed integration in schools. V. Nixon Watergate Scandal - “deep throat” revealed Nixon used aid to commit crimes. - Nixon having secret alliances, tarnished reputation - Nixon rejected to leave office, resigned VI. Kennedy presidency - Fatal end, assassinated in Dallas - Oswald killed him, than killed by Jack Ruby - FOX news poll showed there was cover up with Kennedy’s assassination - “Zapruder” film approached, “Magic Bullet theory” ...
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...Political, Social, and Economic Environments of the United Kingdom December 2, 2010 Political, Social, and Economic Environments of the United Kingdom Historically, the United Kingdom has been one of the dominant world powers. While much of their power has declined over the course of the last 100 years, the UK remains a relevant western power in today’s world. The reason for this are varied between their political and legal history, social environment and economic status in today’s world. Political and Legal History Prior to 1707, the nations that currently make up the UK were each separate states. On May 1, 1707, the UK was formed by the unification of the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Wales by the Act of Unions (Duncan 2010). This act formally joined all three kingdoms located on the British Isle under the same crown and government, with England remaining the most powerful entity within the UK. Also formed under the Act of Unions was the Parliament at Westminster, the UK’s main political body and rough equivalent to the United States’ Congress (Duncan 2010). Nearly 100 years later, the kingdom of Ireland joined the UK under the Union with Ireland Act of 1800 (Office of Public Sector Information). While Ireland would remain a part of the UK for over 120 years, they would leave the UK on December 6, 1921 as part of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (Factindex.com 1). During Ireland’s exit from the UK, the subdivisions of Ireland had to each approve the move to leave the...
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...The very notion that Khomeini was at times connected to the Mahdi is representative of how influential and powerful he quickly became following his persuasive speech on Ashura in 1963. Indeed, he used this symbolic day as an opportunity to appeal to the emotions of Iranians through Karbala references: “If the Bani Umayyad and the regime of Yazid ibn Mu’awiya were at war with Husayn, then why did they commit such savage and inhuman crimes against defenseless women and innocent children on the day of Ashura? What were the women and infants guilt of?” By reminding Iranians of their own struggles under the Shah through deeply symbolic language, especially during the month of Muharram, Khomeini strategically connected with the people on a personal level. He was not a distant ruler like the Shah or foreign governments; he was...
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...Define an interest group with examples. Interest group – usually a voluntary organization where members share a common interest in which they seek to influence public policy, without seeking political control. They have primary activities such as lobbying the members of the legislative bodies through contributions to political parties, trying to elect sympathetic or pliable politicians, and by conducting covert or open propaganda campaigns. (Interest Groups, n.d.) There are a few different types of interest groups and they are as follows: Economic Interest Groups This is the largest category that includes organizations that represent big businesses, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), as well as big labor – the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012) Public Interest Groups These groups usually do not expect to profit directly from policy changes. These groups gain financially by getting donations from individuals and foundations that support their activities. Groups such as Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), League of Women Voters, and Common Cause belong with the public interest groups. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012) Government Interest Groups Even with the structure of the federal system, it does not surprise us that there are organizations to bring issues of local and state government...
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...policy that exclusively benefits group members or one segment of society (e.g., government subsidies for farmers) or a policy that advances a broader public purpose (e.g., improving air quality). They attempt to achieve their goals by lobbying—that is, by attempting to bring pressure to bear on policy makers to gain policy outcomes in their favor. Interest groups are a natural outgrowth of the communities of interest that exist in all societies, from narrow groups such as the Japan Eraser Manufacturers Association to broad groups such as the American (AFL–CIO) and to even broader organizations such as the military. Politics and interests are inseparable. Interests are a prevalent, permanent, and essential aspect of all political systems—democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian regimes alike. Definition According to Wikipedia, ‘The term interest group refers to virtually any voluntary association that seeks to publicly promote and create advantages for its cause. It applies to a vast array of diverse organizations. This includes corporations, charitable organizations, civil rights groups, neighborhood associations, professional and trade associations’.1 Professor Dennings denoted that, ‘an interest group is usually a formally organized association that seeks to influence public policy. This broad definition, increasingly used by scholars, contrasts with older,...
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