a) There are two patterns displayed in the graph shown. One is that the House of Representatives and the Senate lines on the graph are inverses of each other. For example, in 1981, while the re-election rates in the House of Representatives were up and around the 90 percentage, the re-election rates in the Senate plunged to half of that rate, around the 55 percentage. Another pattern is that the House of Representatives' re-election rate is always and constantly higher than that of the Senate's.
b) One factor that contributes to incumbency advantage is wealth, it takes a whole lot of money to run a candidacy. The fact that elections take a lot of money to run makes it very common to have wealthy business owner or someone who comes from money run for re-election. The other factor that contributes to incumbency advantage is that the citizens already know the incumbents name, face, and what they stand for. Since they already have political background and experience, it makes it easier for a voter to choose them, rather than some yahoo that is running for the first time.
c) One consequence of incumbency advantage is that since they continue to be re-elected, there is a higher chance of corruption in Congress. Nowadays we hear every day about a new senator or representative scandal. If the incumbents were never re-elected, there would be no chance for the congress men and women to get antsy and start doing or participating in illegal things rather than focusing on doing their job and serving their country.
The graph above shows reelection rates for incumbents in the House and Senate. From this information and your knowledge of of the US politics, perform the following
tasks.
a) identify two patterns displayed in the graph
b) identify 2 factors that contribute to incumbency advantage. Explain how each factor contributes to incumbency advantage.
c) Discuss one consequence of incumbency advantage for the US political process
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/repository/govpol_us_01.pdf
Monday, February 24, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Meth Assignment
Source #1:
The meth epidemic is becoming more and more dangerous as the days and weeks pass by because in every state except Oregon, the decongestant pseudophedrine (a main ingredient of methamphetamine) is still not a prescription drug. This allows cookers to obtain the ingredients they need to create the meth through the "shake and bake" method, which means they put all the ingredients together and shake them to crystallize it. This is obviously dangerou on so many levelsbut that mny chemicals in that small of a space leads to fires and explosions, and eventually harming the cooks themselves. Since Oregon made pseudophedrine a prescription drug that you can only get over-the-counter, the number of meth labs in the state as decreased by 90%. If we could get all states to pass this law, maybe we can start to get a handle on thismeth epidemic.
The Meth Epidemic. Dir. PBS. 14 Feb. 2006.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
In the recent years, meth has overwhelmingly become one of the most distributed and used drugs in the United States. Its content has slowly and slowly become so pure that it is now also one of the most dangerous drugs on the market. Shows like AMC's Breaking Bad glamorize the making and use of methamphetamine though the truth is that it can deteriorate your body and kill you. Meth is making it way up a list of drugs that can seriously harm you and its not coming down anytime soon.
Source #2:
Engle, Jonah. "Big Pharma And Meth Cooks Agree: Keep Cold Meds Over The Counter." npr. npr, 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/2013/09/26/226476602/big-pharma-and-meth-cooks-agree-keep-cold-meds-over-the-counter>.
The meth epidemic is becoming more and more dangerous as the days and weeks pass by because in every state except Oregon, the decongestant pseudophedrine (a main ingredient of methamphetamine) is still not a prescription drug. This allows cookers to obtain the ingredients they need to create the meth through the "shake and bake" method, which means they put all the ingredients together and shake them to crystallize it. This is obviously dangerou on so many levelsbut that mny chemicals in that small of a space leads to fires and explosions, and eventually harming the cooks themselves. Since Oregon made pseudophedrine a prescription drug that you can only get over-the-counter, the number of meth labs in the state as decreased by 90%. If we could get all states to pass this law, maybe we can start to get a handle on thismeth epidemic.
Source #3:
Rawson, Richard. "How Meth Destroys The Body." Frontline. PBS, 14 Feb. 2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/body/>.
Using meth has become overwhelmingly popular in the past decade, but what people don't knnow, is the harm it can do to your body. When ingested, methamphetamine releases a massive amount of dopamine to the brain. So much so, that researchers have suggested that one hit of meth releases more dopamine than having an orgasm. However, after the first use, your body builds up a tolerance to the drug which requires you to use more and more of it to feelthe same high again. And that is the biggest risk of the drug: you will get to a point where you need large amounts of the drug to feel high and that will eventually kill you. Not to mention the way it deteriorates the body through your skin, teeth, and most importantly, the brain.
Using meth has become overwhelmingly popular in the past decade, but what people don't knnow, is the harm it can do to your body. When ingested, methamphetamine releases a massive amount of dopamine to the brain. So much so, that researchers have suggested that one hit of meth releases more dopamine than having an orgasm. However, after the first use, your body builds up a tolerance to the drug which requires you to use more and more of it to feelthe same high again. And that is the biggest risk of the drug: you will get to a point where you need large amounts of the drug to feel high and that will eventually kill you. Not to mention the way it deteriorates the body through your skin, teeth, and most importantly, the brain.
Friday, January 17, 2014
North Korea Blog Post
Brief History
Since world war two, the Korean peninsula has been partitioned into two occupation zones, divided at the 38th parallel. The US took control of the south, whereas the USSR controlled the north. North Korea is now a one-man dictatorship due to Kim Jong-il. North Korea was first established on May 1, 1948 with Kim II Sung as president. After an invasion on South Korea and a seize of Seoul, Kim II Sung died on July 8th, 1994. Four years later, in September, North Korea launched a missile test over Japan, claiming it was just a scientific satellite, making North Korea's nuclear intentions unclear. Korea allowed the US to conduct inspections in exchange for increased food aid and an introduction of potato production. In the fall of 1999, North Korea experienced a severe famine, killing an estimated 2-3 million due to only 10% of the rice fields available for work. Malnutrition then continued to plague North Korea in 2000. Thousands attempted to flee to China or South Korea but only few were successful. Those who weren't, were captured for torture and/or execution. North Korea has grown to have one of the world's most secretive societies, being accused of violating human rights, inhumane conditions in prison camps, summary executions and denial of freedom of expression and movement. Recently, suspicions have heightened, and Kim Jong-il is taking a dictatorship over North Korea.
Current State of Affairs
The North Korean government has formally rejected the nuclear test moratorium it had been placed under by the United Nations Security Council. A prior deal between the U.S. and North Korea to exchange food aid to the communist country in return for the nuclear test moratorium is now off the table indefinitely. North Korea has traditionally enjoyed the support of its powerful neighbor China, but in recent years Chinese leaders appear to have become increasingly frustrated and embarrassed by Pyongyang's intransigence over its nuclear program and its resolute isolationism in all other areas.
Regime and State Change
I think that there could be regime and state change if there was a change of leaders. It seems no one likes how North Korea is being ruled so if the main problem was taken out of the equation, control would change drastically. The people of North Korea are desperate for a change in both their state and regime and if given the opportunity of a change of power, the people would take it immediately. If Kim Jong-Il was removed, torture, execution, and fear would also leave which would bring change in itself. To see North Korea with fearless citizens and children with homes, that would be a change in the state itself.
Sources
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/02/a_nation_of_racist_dwarfs.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/secret-state-of-north-korea/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/secret-state-of-north-korea/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-il http://ukshadowlight.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/i-just-read-th-3/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15256929
Since world war two, the Korean peninsula has been partitioned into two occupation zones, divided at the 38th parallel. The US took control of the south, whereas the USSR controlled the north. North Korea is now a one-man dictatorship due to Kim Jong-il. North Korea was first established on May 1, 1948 with Kim II Sung as president. After an invasion on South Korea and a seize of Seoul, Kim II Sung died on July 8th, 1994. Four years later, in September, North Korea launched a missile test over Japan, claiming it was just a scientific satellite, making North Korea's nuclear intentions unclear. Korea allowed the US to conduct inspections in exchange for increased food aid and an introduction of potato production. In the fall of 1999, North Korea experienced a severe famine, killing an estimated 2-3 million due to only 10% of the rice fields available for work. Malnutrition then continued to plague North Korea in 2000. Thousands attempted to flee to China or South Korea but only few were successful. Those who weren't, were captured for torture and/or execution. North Korea has grown to have one of the world's most secretive societies, being accused of violating human rights, inhumane conditions in prison camps, summary executions and denial of freedom of expression and movement. Recently, suspicions have heightened, and Kim Jong-il is taking a dictatorship over North Korea.
Current State of Affairs
The North Korean government has formally rejected the nuclear test moratorium it had been placed under by the United Nations Security Council. A prior deal between the U.S. and North Korea to exchange food aid to the communist country in return for the nuclear test moratorium is now off the table indefinitely. North Korea has traditionally enjoyed the support of its powerful neighbor China, but in recent years Chinese leaders appear to have become increasingly frustrated and embarrassed by Pyongyang's intransigence over its nuclear program and its resolute isolationism in all other areas.
Regime and State Change
I think that there could be regime and state change if there was a change of leaders. It seems no one likes how North Korea is being ruled so if the main problem was taken out of the equation, control would change drastically. The people of North Korea are desperate for a change in both their state and regime and if given the opportunity of a change of power, the people would take it immediately. If Kim Jong-Il was removed, torture, execution, and fear would also leave which would bring change in itself. To see North Korea with fearless citizens and children with homes, that would be a change in the state itself.
Sources
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/02/a_nation_of_racist_dwarfs.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/secret-state-of-north-korea/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/secret-state-of-north-korea/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-il http://ukshadowlight.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/i-just-read-th-3/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15256929
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Fundamental Goals of Politics Essay #10
While
interest groups and political parties each play a significant role in
the United States political system, they differ in their fundamental
goals. The fundamental goal of interest groups in the political process is to
influence the public policy along with Congress and government
officials. It's possible that the interest groups are also working towards
changing laws that they don't agree with.
There are many ways interest groups influence the political process,
one being media campaigns. Media campaigns are a good way for interest
groups to get noticed and to have their most important issues gain
attention. The more attention an issue gains the more likely the
government is to deal with it. Another way interest groups influence the
political process is through Political Action Committees (PACs) donations. With
the money they receive, they can put more emphasis on certain issues or
policies they want changed or acted upon.
Media campaigns are seen worldwide for particular policies that
interest groups focus on. Through the media interest groups are able to
catch policymaker's attention and therefore have a greater influence on
them. If media is covering an issue from an interest group, it obviously
has enough of a voice to gain media attention and is then more likely
to gain a policymaker's attention. This leads to interest
groups having a greater influence on the decision making
process/policymakers, and from there, they have their foot in the door
of the political process.
The fundamental goal of major political parties in the political
process is to elect certain candidates they favor into office, as well
as gaining as much control as they can over the government. Gaining
control and having who they want in office would make it so more of
their ideas are heard and acted upon in society.
Policy Agenda Essay #9
One of the most important ways the media influences politics is through agenda setting.
A policy agenda is a collection of important issues which people are
closely examining. These people may or may not make up the government,
however, they play a part in the policy-making. The media engages in the agenda setting by the media getting the nation's
citizens to watch and try to understand the subject or problem on that topic. The president tends to have an advantage at gaining media attention because of his personal image. He is the leader of the United States and this public image attracts more attention. Contrasting between 1974 and 2002, older generations tend to view the network nightly news more than younger generations and continues to be that way. Also comparing 1974 and 2002, the young people's viewership of the network nightly news has gone down significantly and continues to decline. One implication for presidents in their use of the media to promote their political and policy objectives to the American public is the State of the Union address. It is broadcasted on every network and also on the internet so it gives everyone the opportunity, young or old, to hear the president promote their policy objectives.
citizens to watch and try to understand the subject or problem on that topic. The president tends to have an advantage at gaining media attention because of his personal image. He is the leader of the United States and this public image attracts more attention. Contrasting between 1974 and 2002, older generations tend to view the network nightly news more than younger generations and continues to be that way. Also comparing 1974 and 2002, the young people's viewership of the network nightly news has gone down significantly and continues to decline. One implication for presidents in their use of the media to promote their political and policy objectives to the American public is the State of the Union address. It is broadcasted on every network and also on the internet so it gives everyone the opportunity, young or old, to hear the president promote their policy objectives.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Majority in Congress Essay #8
Two advantages the majority party the United States House of Representatives has in lawmaking are: the majority party in the house sets the legislative agenda which means they decide which bills get voted on and when they get voted on. This means that they plan everything when it comes to try and passing a bill, therefore, making the House of Reps the most important part of Congress for passing a bill.
The biggest difference between the House and Senate in the filibuster rule (an extended debate). In the House a simple majority passes legislation, but in the Senate only 40% can block a vote by filibusters. 60 of 100 votes (a two-fifths majority) is needed to end a filibuster. In the House of Reps, there are more formal procedures and rules and no filibuster which means no unanimous voting because there needs to be 2/3 votes. Also, the Senate can have holds on the bills.
The biggest difference between the House and Senate in the filibuster rule (an extended debate). In the House a simple majority passes legislation, but in the Senate only 40% can block a vote by filibusters. 60 of 100 votes (a two-fifths majority) is needed to end a filibuster. In the House of Reps, there are more formal procedures and rules and no filibuster which means no unanimous voting because there needs to be 2/3 votes. Also, the Senate can have holds on the bills.
The differences in the previous paragraphs can lead to a passage of a bill in one chamber but not the other. One reason is because even though the House may pass a bill, the Senate can kill the bill with a filibuster. Another reason is because even though the House may pass a bill, the Senate can delay or stop it with a hold.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Finance Proposals Essay #7
Eliminating soft money
a) The first proposal is to eliminate the political contributions earmarked for party-building expenses at the grass-rootslevel or for generic party advertising. Though after the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002 was passed, was finally when soft money contribution were subject be limited to a certain amount instead of unlimited. In favor of the proposal, soft money is unfair because if a candidate comes from a wealthy background, or has individuals with deep pockets, their campaign would receive more money than another candidate's. On the contrary, soft money does not go straight to the candidate, it goes directly to the campaign which does make it fair because the candidate needs the campaign to run in the election.
b) The second proposal is to limit independent expeditures on the campaign trail. Independent expenditures are when a candidate can spend as much money as they want on their own campaign with no limits. The advantage to limiting this helps level the playing ground so that the fight is fair, and a wealthy person gets more help because they used more money on their campaign. On the contrary, limiting how much money a candidate can spend on their own campaign, is like limiting free speech. So, there are two sides to this fight and neither one is wrong, they both just have separate advantages and disadvantages.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Linkage Institutions Essay #6
A linkage institution is a structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority. These institutions include: elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.
The younger the person is, the less likely they are to be involved in politics and to vote. In addition, if a person has gone through at least high school, and or college, they are more likely to vote in elections than someone who has a lesser form of education.
One government electoral requirement is that you have to register with a political party before you vote for a presidential candidate. It's hard to get people to vote, especially if they have to immediately identify which party they would like to be associated with before the vote which is the main reason so many people choose to be Independents for the sole fact that you don't have to to choose one side or the other.
Citizens are most connected to the government through media. The media gives them a quick insight to candidates and issues that they may choose to vote on. Though media can be helpful, it may also hinder. Media can be very biased and one-sided but it still has to give you the facts. It is the fastest and easiest way for the government to advertise candidates and issues and to also see how the people respond to certain issues.
The younger the person is, the less likely they are to be involved in politics and to vote. In addition, if a person has gone through at least high school, and or college, they are more likely to vote in elections than someone who has a lesser form of education.
One government electoral requirement is that you have to register with a political party before you vote for a presidential candidate. It's hard to get people to vote, especially if they have to immediately identify which party they would like to be associated with before the vote which is the main reason so many people choose to be Independents for the sole fact that you don't have to to choose one side or the other.
Citizens are most connected to the government through media. The media gives them a quick insight to candidates and issues that they may choose to vote on. Though media can be helpful, it may also hinder. Media can be very biased and one-sided but it still has to give you the facts. It is the fastest and easiest way for the government to advertise candidates and issues and to also see how the people respond to certain issues.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Interest Groups Essay #5
The term interest group refers to virtually any voluntary association that seeks to publicly promote and create advantages for its cause. Litigation, Campaign contributions, and Grassroots Lobbying / mass mobilization all contribute to enforcing the point behind interest groups. Litigation is the process of resolving legal disputes through the court system. It includes civil lawsuits and criminal actions. Interest groups can provide support for causes they wish to promote, such as by providing free legal assistance to individuals or groups whose causes they support. Interest groups use campaign contributions as a form of bribery - the interest groups will give money for the candidate's campaign and in return, the candidate will usually vote in favor of the interest groupd when voting on legislation. Grassroots lobbying/mass mobilization is when a group gets a lot of its followers together in an effort to raise awareness through media coverage. This technique is utilized because it is inexpensive for interest groups and highly successful.
The interest group NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) uses mostly litigation because most of the progressive work they do involves court cases. For example, the Brown vs. Board of Education was a case that was brought all the way to the Supreme Court to raise awareness of segregation in public schools. The NAACP demonstrates the most successful way to stop civil rights injustices.
The interest group NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) uses mostly litigation because most of the progressive work they do involves court cases. For example, the Brown vs. Board of Education was a case that was brought all the way to the Supreme Court to raise awareness of segregation in public schools. The NAACP demonstrates the most successful way to stop civil rights injustices.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Senator Wyden
Biographical Outline:
Ronald Lee Wyden was born in Wichita, Kansas on January 3, 1981. His parents were both Jewish and fled Nazi Germany and Wyden is still practiced Judaism. He grew up in Palo Alto, California and after graduating high school, he attended UCSB, then transferred to Stanford, then completed his doctorate degree from the University of Oregon School of Law. In 1980, Wyden ran for the US House of Reps and was elected, and has continued to be reelected seven times from this district, never dropping below 70% of the vote. In January 1996, Wyden defeated Oregon State Senate President Gordon Smith in a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Bob Packwood. He has and is currently still holding that Senate seat, and gets reelected every year.
Committees:
+Committee on the Budget
+Committee on Finance
-Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
-Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
-Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
+Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
+Select Committee on Intelligence
+Special Committee on Aging
+Joint Committee on Taxation
Background/Discussion:
Education
Senator Wyden authored the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act which provides all potential college students with reliable information on what they can expect to find in the workplace. It allows the students to choose their path of schooling and careers based on their financial abilities and the financial return they will receive later in life.
Foreign Policy
Senator Wyden was one of the 23 Senators to vote against going to war with Iraq. He has since worked to bring the troops home and provide them with quality veteran services when they return. He also is an advocate for human rights around the world and his latest accomplishment was getting the US State Department to cease selling arms to the Kingdom of Bahrain until their human rights abuses end.
Questions for the Senator:
1) Is there one issue or topic that you are most passionate about and why?
2) How has going to law school to get a J.D. helped you in the political world?
3) When elected to the U.S. Senate, you pledged to hold at least one public town meeting in each of Oregon's 36 counties each year. You have kept that promise since 1996. How has connecting to the people helped you get reelected each year?
Ronald Lee Wyden was born in Wichita, Kansas on January 3, 1981. His parents were both Jewish and fled Nazi Germany and Wyden is still practiced Judaism. He grew up in Palo Alto, California and after graduating high school, he attended UCSB, then transferred to Stanford, then completed his doctorate degree from the University of Oregon School of Law. In 1980, Wyden ran for the US House of Reps and was elected, and has continued to be reelected seven times from this district, never dropping below 70% of the vote. In January 1996, Wyden defeated Oregon State Senate President Gordon Smith in a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Bob Packwood. He has and is currently still holding that Senate seat, and gets reelected every year.
Committees:
+Committee on the Budget
+Committee on Finance
-Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
-Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
-Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
+Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
+Select Committee on Intelligence
+Special Committee on Aging
+Joint Committee on Taxation
Background/Discussion:
Education
Senator Wyden authored the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act which provides all potential college students with reliable information on what they can expect to find in the workplace. It allows the students to choose their path of schooling and careers based on their financial abilities and the financial return they will receive later in life.
Foreign Policy
Senator Wyden was one of the 23 Senators to vote against going to war with Iraq. He has since worked to bring the troops home and provide them with quality veteran services when they return. He also is an advocate for human rights around the world and his latest accomplishment was getting the US State Department to cease selling arms to the Kingdom of Bahrain until their human rights abuses end.
Questions for the Senator:
1) Is there one issue or topic that you are most passionate about and why?
2) How has going to law school to get a J.D. helped you in the political world?
3) When elected to the U.S. Senate, you pledged to hold at least one public town meeting in each of Oregon's 36 counties each year. You have kept that promise since 1996. How has connecting to the people helped you get reelected each year?
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