...American Democracy have always gone hand in hand for the entire history of the United States since it's founding, and many say one cannot exist without the other. Many people today commonly associate Capitalism with Democracy when asked about the United States in general. But this statement is inherently flawed; capitalism is based on profits for the few while democracy is based on rights for many. Cities have been in existence for several thousand years, as much as seven thousand by some accounts (Henslin, 2006). They usually are built near transportation routes or areas rich in natural resources. They can only exist as long as there is the means for producing surplus food and other necessary supplies. Cities grow at different rates and for different reasons and there are different types of cities, or urban centers. Metropolis, megalopolis, and megacity are terms used to classify cities by size. An understanding of the beginning of common schooling in the United States requires attention to such social changes as urbanization, early industrialization, and patterns of immigration, all in the northeastern United States. Ideologically, the common school era was rooted in classical liberalism, which had practical consequences in urban New England different from those in rural Jeffersonian Virginia. These variations were due to differences in regional political economy as well as shifts in religious thought. While Jefferson had encountered difficulty gaining consensus for a state-funded...
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...America’s Democracy: Your Report Card Lucy Gallegos POL201: American National Government Instructor: Shella Gibson 12/21/15 1 The groups like the Constitutions, Federalism, Branches of Government, and Political Parties, InterestGroups, and Elections are the important mechanism in the United States that makes the ideas, needs and view that the citizens focuses on their concerns on political public policy. The American politics provide fertile ground that features the American system that enhances their influence in the political parties, which them, in parts, from the separation of powers each legislators must construct a winning coalitions in their own state or district of the nature of these coalitions that feature of the system that encourages interest groups in the decentralization of the Political Democracy of power to states and localities, know as the federalism national organization. Decentralization thus encourages a greater variety of interest groups. It also further weakens the party system, because the social and economic diversity of the 50 states make strict party discipline difficult. The strength of the U. S. Constitution’s is the complement of the Declaration of Independence, which provides the philosophical basis for the government that exercises legitimate power by “ the consent of the governed.” And it defined...
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...Jordan Gabson Writing and Rhetoric Tuesday April 30, 2015 Democracy vs. Communism Communism has always been used as secret weapon to make the poor believe that being rich is inappropriate, and that the poor have less because the rich people took the money away from them. In reality, the communist government wants to take the money from the wealthy to make the governing body itself rich. Democracy, on the other hand, promotes capitalism, which allows economic freedom, which helps political freedom; efficiency, economic growth, and everybody having the opportunity to start the business that he or she desires. Communism and democracy are two different ideologies that have each had a great impact in the world. Communism can be defined as a socioeconomic structure that stands for the establishment of classless, egalitarian and stateless society. Democracy, on the other hand, is a political system of governance either carried out by the people directly or by elected representatives. “Democracy may not be the perfect form of government, but sure it is way better than communism” said Jones in his journal, Power and Democracy Education Every single human being in the world knows that this is not true. Everybody knows that communism is a secret weapon that the rulers in the countries where communism is practiced use it to enrich themselves, their families and their friends. Communism is...
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...Tax Supported Education In today’s society, we do not think twice about public education being funded by our taxes at a district, state or federal level. We take for granted expected rights such as education and the right to vote. When we stop and take a look back at history, we realize that the expectation of education was not always a birth right but one that developed due to our ancestors realizing the effect an education (or lack of an education) can have on society. The involvement of Government supported schools began after the Revolution but expanded in the 19th century. By 1870, all states had free elementary schools. Originally, the tax supported schools were limited and existed chiefly to educate the children of the poor (Kennedy, Cohen & Bailey, 2013). The founders of our nation recognized that educated, well-informed citizens are fundamental to a democratic form of government. Well-to-do, conservative Americans came to realize that uneducated children grow up and influence society with their vote. Taxation for education was an insurance premium that the wealthy paid for stability and democracy” (Kennedy, Cohen & Bailey, 2013). The United States was also different in the fact that our citizens were not from the same background. Unlike citizens in other countries, who shared the same ethnic background or culture, Americans would need to base their national identity on shared ideas such as a belief in democracy and equality and on the common experience...
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...American Political Science Review Vol. 106, No. 2 May 2012 doi:10.1017/S0003055412000093 The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy ROBERT D. WOODBERRY National University of Singapore T his article demonstrates historically and statistically that conversionary Protestants (CPs) heavily influenced the rise and spread of stable democracy around the world. It argues that CPs were a crucial catalyst initiating the development and spread of religious liberty, mass education, mass printing, newspapers, voluntary organizations, and colonial reforms, thereby creating the conditions that made stable democracy more likely. Statistically, the historic prevalence of Protestant missionaries explains about half the variation in democracy in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania and removes the impact of most variables that dominate current statistical research about democracy. The association between Protestant missions and democracy is consistent in different continents and subsamples, and it is robust to more than 50 controls and to instrumental variable analyses. ocial scientists tend to ignore religion in the processes of post-Enlightenment modernization. In individual cases and events, the role of religious actors is clear—especially in the primary documents. Yet in broad histories and comparative analyses, religious groups are pushed to the periphery, only to pop out like a jack-in-the-box from time to time to surprise and scare people and then shrink...
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...Eradication of Poverty and Extreme Hunger Not everyone is born into a rich family. Those lucky enough to have been born into one have a responsibility to help those not so blessed. The United Nations' job is just that. They are an international agency whose aim is to eliminate poverty, illiteracy, and disease, stop environmental destruction, and encourage democratic rights and freedoms. Poverty and extreme hunger are something that are affecting most country in the world; no matter how big or small, rich or poor. This issue causes the most pain today, and is also the biggest threat to a person's future. Eradicating poverty and extreme hunger are the top priority of the United Nations in the 21st century because it will reduce the amount of malnutrition in people and improve their education. One of the reasons why poverty and extreme hunger must be eradicated is because without it there would be a dramatic drop in the number of malnourished people around the world. Poverty and hunger can affect young and old and is the biggest contributor to malnutrition. This can be seen in the Central American country of Guatemala. The Guatemala Poverty Assessment states that, "There is a strong correlation between poverty and malnutrition, as four fifths of malnourished children are poor" (Guatemala Poverty). In politics, a 66% super majority is rarely required when deciding on an issue because of the difficulty in achieving it. Therefore, when a supermajority is achieved, it can always...
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...WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? Andrew Heywood The origins of the term 'democracy' can be traced back to Ancient Greece. Like other words ending in 'cracy' - autocracy, aristocracy, bureaucracy and so on -democracy is derived from the Greek word kratos, meaning 'power' or 'rule'. Democracy thus stands for 'rule by the demos', demos meaning 'the people', though it was originally taken to imply 'the poor' or 'the many'. However, the simple notion of 'rule by the people' does not get us very far. The problem with democracy has been its very popularity, a popularity that has threatened the term's undoing as a meaningful political concept. In being almost universally regarded as a 'good thing', democracy has come to used as little more than a 'hurrah! word', implying approval of a particular set of ideas or system of rule. Perhaps a more helpful starting point from which to consider the nature of democracy is provided by Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, delivered in 1864 at the height of the American Civil War. Lincoln extolled the virtues of what he called 'government of the people, by the people, and for the people'. What this makes clear is that democracy serves to link government to the people, but that this link can be forged in a number of ways - government of, by and for the people. Nevertheless, the precise nature of democratic rule has been the subject of fierce ideological and political debate. The next section will look at alternative models of democracy. For the...
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...Democracy Expansion In a democracy, the government is the spokesperson for the people and the needs they would like to be met. The government is a group of people in the state who have the ultimate authority to act on behalf of that state. A democracy is a state in which citizens vote to choose the best candidate. Democracy derived from liberalism, which is the ideology that individuals develop their capacities to the fullest. A democracy reflects the liberal value that individuals are responsible for their own choices. Citizens can be free to run their lives as they want. Democracy requires an attitude of mind, a belief that every citizen has the right to a hearing, a sense that no doors are closed to talent and energy. Democracy in Africa is slowly coming together, but not fast enough. 1993 was the first presidential in 10 years. Abiola won, but soon went to jail for treason and the military remains in power. The wave of democratization called “second liberation” began at the end of the cold war. Political institutions have to be built in order for Africa to become a full fledge democracy. "Most of Africa lacks the crucial educated middle class and professional classes and the mediating private and public institutions that compose a civil society”(William Pfaff). Political conflicts have brought a collapse of government of authority. The low levels of income at about $300 per year continent wide and huge trade deficits is not a good standing in moving...
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...Factors of Democracy in the Caribbean and its Challenges The political systems of the Commonwealth Caribbean nations paradoxically are both stable and fragile. All have inherited strong democratic traditions and parliamentary systems of government formed on the Westminster model. Political succession generally has been handled peacefully and democratically. For example, Barbados' Parliament deftly coped with the death in office of prime minister Errol Barrow in 1987. At the same time, however, the multi-island character of many of these nations makes them particularly open to fragmentation. Democracy is about power sharing and continuos balance of powers. Most countries of the West Indies follow a Westminster system that is associated strongly with the convention that political change should only occur in accordance with rules and precedents. Commonwealth Caribbean (English-speaking) either operate the constitution they were given at independence or have a constitutional change by making a process of small adjustments. For example in Jamaica in the Peoples National Party (PNP) under the leadership of Michael Manley in 1976 promised to create a republic which is a public financing of political parties, and included the extension of "integrity-legislation" to include senior public officials. But due to these radical reviews the people were able to vote against PNP prevented these implications. This proved that the people were able to balance out the power of...
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...An overview and Descriptions : In very democracy, Interest groups are as old as political parties existence. Interest groups, equally known as advocacy or pressure groups, are associations or organizations of individuals who share a common interest and assert their collective strength in the political process to protect — and in some cases, expand — that interest. They are Non-profit and usually voluntary organization whose members have a common cause for which they seek to influence public policy, without seeking political control. Their primary activities are lobbying the members of legislative bodies through contribution to political parties, working to elect sympathetic or pliable politicians, and conducting covert or open propaganda campaigns. At this juncture, My emphasis is on The Anti-Abortion Right Group in My State of Maryland,which is of particular interest to me. Because my Delegate is a Republican. In the late 1960s, a number of organizations were formed to mobilize opinion against the legalization of abortion. In the United States, the National Right to Life Committee was formed in 1968, while in Australia, the National Right to Life formed in 1970. The United States pro-life movement (also known as the United States anti-abortion movement or the United States right-to-life movement) as a social and political movement in the united state opposing on moral or sectarian grounds elective Abortion and usually supporting its legal prohibition or restriction. Advocates...
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...PO 4008: African Politics: Development and Democracy Staffan I. Lindberg: Forms of States, Governance, and Regimes: Reconceptualizing the Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa Prof Tom Lodge 16th of March 2015 Introduction In this review essay I will focus on arguments imposed by Staffan I. Lindberg, in his article Forms of States, Governance, and Regimes: Reconceptualizing the Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa. For the purpose of this essay I have selected two African countries (Ghana and the Republic of South Africa) that belong to most developed ones, in terms of their ability to accomplish the process of democratization. If we try to apply Lindberg’s three structural layers system to the chosen states we have to follow the structure of his method. In this regard, firstly we need to identify processes which will inevitably lead to democratization. In such a state we should expect a gradual change in the state form, from capstonian to more penetrative form of state, as Lindberg suggests. To do so we need to identify in which ways and areas is state penetrating society. 1. Forms of States According to Lindberg, there are two most common approaches to the study of African transformation processes. First theory is based on structural determinants of democratization, the second is underlying the importance of actor- oriented analyses. Lindberg distinguishes three structural layers of the state, on the basis of which we can identify the democratization...
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...In most city-states, male citizens were involved in such shared civic responsibilities as jury duty or military service in time of war. Every polis had resident aliens, foreign merchants, and others, and on occasion, those people would be made citizens; however, that eventuality was rare. Some women might’ve...
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...Value System Reading these articles has introduced me to the Norwegian culture, its values and its egalitarian social democracy. Residents of Norway are predominantly ethnic Norwegians who believe that it is their obligation to share their wealth with those who are less fortunate. Spouses are regarded as equals and it is important that the citizens maintain a good healthy balance between their work life and family life. Being wealthy is frowned upon by the general population of Norway, having an excess of money and material items are ranked very low on their list of values. There are no homeless or hungry residents, education, day care and government services are offered to all, and their financial security is guaranteed. Norway has evolved from a fishing and farming community to a mostly white collar high-tech, state-owned oil export industry with very little manufacturing thereby preserving their pristine environment. Norms Norway is a very small country but it spends 1% of its GDP each year to fight global poverty donating millions more in foreign aid than the U.N. Oslo often serves as a mediator to foreign conflicts between North and South Korea and in the Middle East peace process, gaining clout and global respectability. It is my opinion that the United States has a much different agenda for the foreign aid that we offer as compared to Norway. It appears to me that our current government may be viewed not only as the most powerful, but also as the “Bully”...
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...Government = The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. Governments can be classified in various ways, although the usual way is by how many people hold power: one, a few, or a majority. 2. Public Policy = A deliberate plan of action designed to guide government decisions. Individual and groups often attempt to shape public policy through education, advocacy, or mobilization of interest groups. 3. Legislative Power = The power to establish legislation and to frame public politics. Legislative power serves as a check on the power of various government ministries - especially in the presidential system of governing where the legislature is separate from the executive. 4. Executive Power = The power to execute, enforce, and administer law. Executive power in government is the President's power, given by the Constitution, to execute, enforce, and administer law. 5. Judicial Power = The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes within the society. The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. 6. Constitution = The body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government. The United States Constitution was adopted in its original form on September 17, 1787. 7. Dictatorship = A form of government...
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...AMERICAN HISTORY POST CIVIL WAR American History Post Civil War Test 2 Growth Of Education In The United States In Nineteen Century Education in the United States has faced great changes toward development in the past hundreds of years. A society that was coming to depend increasingly on specialized skills and scientific knowledge was, of course a society with a high demand for education. The late nineteenth century, therefore, was a time of rapid expansion and reform of American school and universities. One example was the spread of free public primary and secondary education. In 1860, there were only 100 public high schools in the entire United States. By 1900, the number had reached 6,000, and by 1914 over 12,000. By 1900, compulsory school attendance laws were in effect in thirty-one states and territories. But education was still far from universal. Rural areas lagged far behind urban-industrial ones in funding public education. Also, in the south, many blacks had access to no schools at all. The post-Civil War era saw, too, an important expansion of educational opportunities for women. In the years after the war, many of the land-grant colleges and universities in the Midwest and such private universities as Cornell and Wesleyan began to admit women along with men. The female college was part of an important phenomenon in the history of modern American women; likewise, the anthropologists, sought to provide educational opportunities for the Indian tribes...
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