Election Discussion Board
Election Discussion Board
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
Assignment:
In the context of the 2018 elections, to what degree does our government actually reflect the consent of the governed? Or does it just reflect the interests of various elites?
Source Material:
- Open to Debate e-text and corresponding Power Point Lecture outlines and Video Lecture clips (in Canvas Modules).
- Chapter Six Public Opinion
- Chapter Seven Interest Groups
- Chapter Eight Parties
- Chapter Nine Campaigns and Elections
- Online Sources:
There is a lot of material here. You are not required to use it all. If you would like to bring in other sources you are welcome to do so, however, utilize such material in the context the course materials and this assignment and please cite your sources clearly.
Trump and Democracy:
– Trump’s Tool Kit Does Not Include the Constitution; no wonder we are losing faith in our democracy.
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
– Russia Wanted Trump to Win: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
– Trump and the Rule of Law: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
– Donald Trump and the Stress of Liberal Democracy: https://www.newyorker.com/
Government and the Economy
– “Ten Years After the Crash” https://www.newyorker.com/
– Regional Ideological Differences
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Lies and the Media:
– Newspapers Denounce Trump’s Attack on the Free Press https://www.kpbs.org/news/
– https://www.politico.com/
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
– https://www.washingtonpost.
– https://www.newyorker.com/
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Civil Rights/Voter Suppression:
– Government Repression of Voting Rights: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
– Harassment of Female Candidates: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
– Is This the Year Women Win? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
Gerrymandering:
– America’s Warped Elections on Gerrymandering: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/
Money and Elections:
– Unlimited Campaign Donations: http://www.npr.org/blogs/
Tips for Success:
- I will be looking for direct references to assigned readings and podcasts (author and page # citations are adequate). Again, this is an assignment in which I am looking for your ability to display your knowledge of course materials!
– I recommend composing your content in an offline text editor and then copying and pasting in post. That way you will have an offline copy of all of your hard work!
– You are required to reply to two of your peers in this forum; reply first to those students who have not had a lot of replies. In your replies, provide some thoughtful feedback on their ideas. Are you all basing your decisions on the same type of reasoning? Might you be able to point someone to some resources from the course that they would find helpful?
Answer preview
The government is instituted by the power and the consent of the governed or the public. Ideally, the government should reflect the public opinions, and it’s the custodian of the people rights. If the government violates the rights of people and destruct the public opinion, then it’s the right of the public to abolish it and institute a new form of the government that conforms to the public opinions. In most cases, the views of the majority are reflected during the election, public debates, and controlling the government power. However, under various circumstances, the government reflects the opinion of the few wealthy elites. The wealthy elites see their opinion are catered through influencing other people to support them to control…
(600 words)