POLIS 1104 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Meritocracy, Political Action Committee, United States Dollar
Kousser ad ‘aey 5 Politics i the Uited States, i Poell et al., Coparatie
Politics Today: A World View. Essex: Pearson, 703-749
1. On p.704, the authors mention the Affordable Care Act, migration and public debt as key
policy challenges. Consider how effectively has the Obama administration addressed these
halleges i light of Doald Tups eletoal ito i Noee .
The Obama administration addressed these challenges in a far more effective way than the Trump
administration. The Trump administration has continued to fluff about, not offering any concrete
solutions to these problems apart from building walls. The healthcare challenge is a particular
debacle, as the republicans rolled out a new healthcare bill which cut coverage from thousands of
Americans. This bill was more of a way to repeal Obamacare than anything else. Their philosophy
was pass now fix later, and the coverage was far less than that of Obamacare. Those who lose are
the old, the poor, and those living in rural areas. People with chronic illnesses are also in danger. This
is a stak otast to the Oaa adiistatios poli, patiulal the adate the had placed in
their bill, stating that everyone must have health cover or face paying an extra tax for it. The Obama
adiistatio, i opaiso to Tups, hadled these atioal issues i a effetie a, ol fo
them to be sadly removed after leaving office.
2. Toads the ed of p., the autho use the te atio-state. Defie the te ad
critically consider the use of the term in this sentence.
Nation-state: all members of a nation organised into a single state, without any other distinct
communities present.
The closest our world has gotten to a true nation state are countries such as South Korea, Iceland,
Japan, Lebanon, and Portugal. The authors of this chapter seem to use the term interchangeably
with state, which is incorrect. They state that the US would go after any organisation or nation-state
that sheltered terrorists like Al Qaeda, however, there are no such nation-states in or around Iraq or
Afghanistan apart from Lebanon, meaning that the authors used this term incorrectly.
3. On p.705, the authors mention the issue of surveillance and conclude that the Americans
hae had a ope, ogoig disussio o this issue. Do ou agee?
No, I do not agree. The American government has seemed to use surveillance without regard for
what the people thik of it. A ope, ogoig disussio is a e idealisti ie o the deate
surrounding surveillance in America and around the world. Americans have tapped the phones of
world leaders across the globe, and while this resulted in a scandal, there was no confirmation of
them ceasing to tap phones, and spy on people of interest. However, this has led to the retaliation of
other countries, such as Russia. The Russian interference with the 2016 election is part of this
greater discussion about surveillance and security, and the US has done nothing but debate about
hethe the itefeee atuall took plae athe tha hat to do aout it. The ope disussio
is anything but, with politicians, journals, and everyday citizens having an opinion and believing that
theirs is the one that is right.
4. Toads the ed of p., the authos delae Oaas legislatie ats as the shapest
poli shifts sie Fakli Delao ‘ooseelts Ne Deal. Do ou agee? Wh/h ot?
I am inclined to agree, only because American politics is a bit wishy washy. Truly major policy change
has ot ee a pat of Aeia politis sie FD‘s Ne Deal, ad hile Oaas hages a ot
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have been so drastic as the New Deal, they certainly were drastic enough to mark a change in the
American political landscape.
5. What ke stages i the Uited “tates politial histo do the authos idetif? pp.-709)
Founding of their nation
- American revolution of 1776 leading to their constitution of 1787, and a strong democracy
instead of a dictatorship
- War of 1812 showed how fragile the new state was
- Broadening the electorate allowed to vote, only finally allowing persons of any colour,
gender, or socio-economic status to vote in the 1960s
Civil war
- After the civil war (1861- the U“ as o loge a ofedeatio, ut oe atio,
idiisile. Befoe this people felt loal fist to thei state, the thei atio
- The 14th amendment (1868) stated that all persons born in the US were American citizens,
showing that after the civil war, people were first and foremost American
- The Ciil a also solidified the U“s eputatio aoad, shoig that the aazig poe
that could be rallied to fight this internal war, hence showing that this power could also be used
abroad
The Twentieth Century
- The Cold War defined the 20th century for the US. Locked in a decades long struggle of
ideologies against the Soviet Union, the US emerged as the victor as the berlin wall came down and
other socialist states fell quickly.
- Internally, their biggest struggle was the Civil Rights Movement, which came to a head in the
60s after anti-segregation laws were passed, after years of peaceful protests (that would eventually
turn violent). The Voting Rights Act was the all-important piece of legislation that ended the
movement.
America Today
- Now a more diverse nation, with more diverse government representatives, however still
ranks behind many other western countries
- However still has its problems with inequality, in regards to people of colour and women.
Immigration policies are still being discussed
6. Do ou fid the authos aguet egadig the etalit of the Ciil Wa to the foatio
of the US federation (pp.707-8) convincing?
Yes, as the internal struggle led to the reunification of the states (albeit somewhat unwillingly on the
souths side). After the 14th aedet as added to the ostitutio, the atios pshe haged
in the way they regarded themselves, they were now American first, then loyal to their state.
7. On p.707, the authos use the te soeeig atio. Do ou see a poles ith the
usage of this term in this context?
The term was used in this context
whether the united states was merely a convenient alliance made among independent sovereign
state … or a indissoluble sovereign nation whose people chose to divide power between the
atioal goveret ad the state goverets
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Document Summary
Kousser a(cid:374)d a(cid:374)(cid:374)ey (cid:894)(cid:1006)(cid:1004)(cid:1005)5(cid:895) (cid:858)politics i(cid:374) the u(cid:374)ited states(cid:859), i(cid:374) po(cid:449)ell et al. , co(cid:373)parati(cid:448)e. Essex: pearson, 703-749: on p. 704, the authors mention the affordable care act, migration and public debt as key policy challenges. Consider how effectively has the obama administration addressed these (cid:272)halle(cid:374)ges i(cid:374) light of do(cid:374)ald t(cid:396)u(cid:373)p(cid:859)s ele(cid:272)to(cid:396)al (cid:448)i(cid:272)to(cid:396)(cid:455) i(cid:374) no(cid:448)e(cid:373)(cid:271)e(cid:396) (cid:1006)(cid:1004)(cid:1005)(cid:1010). The obama administration addressed these challenges in a far more effective way than the trump administration. The trump administration has continued to fluff about, not offering any concrete solutions to these problems apart from building walls. The healthcare challenge is a particular debacle, as the republicans rolled out a new healthcare bill which cut coverage from thousands of. This bill was more of a way to repeal obamacare than anything else. Their philosophy was pass now fix later, and the coverage was far less than that of obamacare. Those who lose are the old, the poor, and those living in rural areas.