There are many factors that contribute to one’s political view. According to the book, due to the overwhelming statistics of my category, the political party I should belong to is Democratic. The characteristics that this decision is based off of is gender, race, ethnicity, age, and religion. These subjects all weigh on the view and values people acquire throughout their childhood and adolescence. Moreover, adopting a political opinion is crucial for those that desire to voice their concern on governmental matters. Although according to the book, American Government: Roots and Reform, many people are lacking the right to voice their concern on governmental issues, and so are left unheard. The governmental parties are a contributing factor to the system, it is practically the foundation of the political ideology in America. In context, according to the demographics in Roots and Reform, race and ethnicity is an important factor that aids in contributing and forming political opinions. The opinions of racial groups such as black, whites, and Hispanics vary, but do share similar characteristics. For example, Hispanics are more likely to favor immigration rights that protect the …show more content…
Age is an influential factor not just towards political parties in general, but to political socialization. The era in which we are born influences the views we will adopt. Moreover, our individual experiences are unique compared to others, so that can be a deciding factor in adopting a belief. Personally, age helped mold my beliefs to adopt policies that should have been induced in legislature partly because of my experience. To be specific, on the topic of Medicare, I don’t believe we should be paying taxes because of factors that pertain to the government not us in particular. In the book, many young people resist taxes to fund Medicare, while the elderly on the other hand are resisting all
There has been much speculation whether political parties have become too strong in American politics and if that is a good or bad thing. My belief is that political party power in the United States is just about right where I believe that there are some instances where political parties have been in situations where they have too much power and instances where it is moderate. First off, political parties are crucial to our democratic government because it is composed of a group of people that the constituents elect to represent their issues or achieve a common goal. Being part of a group that shares your common interests or goals is more powerful than tackling an issue by your self. It gives you more voice and power in government. Also, political
Millions of citizens around the United States, at some point in their lifetime, obtain a political ideology. Typically, their political values are influenced by their parents. Political scientists have identified that around age eleven, children begin to develop political opinion. According to Wilson’s, American Government: Institutions and Policies, 91% of a high school senior class indentified with the same party as their parents (American Government 158). I can attest to this since I in fact have the same party association as my parents. Ever since I was young, I categorized myself as a Democrat due to the fact that my elders were. However, as I have matured I am able to recognize the beliefs and ideologies that followers of certain parties possess. Since I have been more exposed to the political arena I am able analyze the issues more critically and hence I continuously question whether I should classify myself as a Democrat or Republican.
Diana Evans, Ana Franco, J.L. Polinard, James P. Wenzel, Robert D. Wrinkle. “Ethnic concerns and Latino party affiliation.” The Social Science Journal 49.2 (2012) 150–154
Cleavages existing in society are divisions such as religion, gender, race, and most importantly socioeconomic status. Political parties form around these divisions in society and in America’s society; money has proven to be the major factor. The major parties in American politics are Democrat and Republican, and the political preference of each member of these parties’ deals greatly with the amount of income they receive.
When it comes to the issues dealt with by all Americans, you generally have few choices with which to align yourself. You can either decide to stand on the right, taking a conservative viewpoint: believing in personal responsibility, limited government, free market, etc. with notable parties such as the Republican Party and the Peace and Freedom Party. Alternatively, you can stand on the left, taking the more liberal route: holding ideals such as government action and equal opportunity. Those parties include the Democratic Party and the Green Party. However, it is not a black and white cutoff between conservative and liberal, rather a circular spectrum going to the far left, the far right, and meeting back up. Therefore, there are many places one can stand on any given issue.
Political parties, like interest groups, are organized groups that effort to influence the government by electing their associates to important government offices. The first party system appeared in the 1970s and pitted the federalist beside the Jeffersonian Republican. Over the years, the federalists progressively weakened and disappeared altogether after the pro-British sympathies of some Federalist leaders for the duration of the War of 1812 led to charges of betrayal against the party. From the collapse of the federalist until 1830s, American had only one political party, the Jeffersonian Republicans, who gradually came to be known as the Democrats. There was strong factional conflict within the Democratic Party, principally between the
Political parties have been around since almost the beginning of this great country. Although George Washington strongly opposed political parties, and also warned the nation to stay away from forming political parties, the first political parties were formed right under his own nose. In George Washington’s cabinet was where the first parties started. The cause of these parties was simply differences in views. The thought of leaders of these two completely different parties was Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson started what then was known of as Republican or the Anti-Federalist. On the other hand Hamilton started what was known of as the Federalist Party. Both of these parties formed in the seventeen hundreds. These two parties have evolved into today being known as the Democratic, and the Republican parties. On the contrary one of the largest third party groups, the tea party was formed just recently in the year two thousand and nine. All three of these political parties effect our government today.
Today, political parties can be seen throughout everyday life, prevalent in various activities such as watching television, or seeing signs beside the road while driving. These everyday occurrences make the knowledge of political parties commonly known, especially as the two opposing political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. Republican and Democrats have existed for numerous years, predominantly due to pure tradition, and the comfort of the ideas each party presents. For years, the existence of two political parties has dominated the elections of the president, and lower offices such as mayor, or the House of Representatives. Fundamentally, this tradition continues from the very emergence of political parties during the election of 1796, principally between Federalist John Adams and Anti-federalist Thomas Jefferson. Prior to this election people unanimously conformed to the ideas of one man, George Washington, and therefore did not require the need for political parties.1 However, following his presidency the public was divided with opposing opinions, each arguing the best methods to regulate the country. Ultimately, the emergence of different opinions regarding the future of the United States involving the economy, foreign relations, ‘the masses,’ and the interpretation of the Constitution, led to the two political parties of the 1790s and the critical election of 1800.
Party identification is the political party that an individual categorizes them self with. Political parties came about as a way to organize citizens with similar beliefs and attitudes. These parties then attempt to influence the government by electing members into office. Today there are two main parties people can identify: Republican and Democrat. There is also a third choice, being an Independent, but for the purpose of this paper this group will not be recognized as a political party. These reasons will be discussed later. There are many different theories as to why people do or do not identify with a political party, including social psychology, issue related, and psychological attachments. I believe the social psychology theory has the right idea. Sociology is about studying human society and how it develops and functions. So, it makes sense that social factors would have a big impact on whether we identify with a political party or not.
Democracy is rule by the people; the people elect governing officials based off of their personal values and beliefs. Different political parties rule the political scene and are serving to represent the people’s opinions in the best ways possible. Previously, I had a belief that my political view was essentially the only one possible and therefore it was the best. These views changed quickly once I learned the different political parties, their views, how they represent the people’s views, and how public opinion shapes politics. The government is formed around differentiating opinions on which policies should be in place and which social aspects need to be considered first. Not only is the government guided by opinion, but the people’s lives are guided by opinion as well. Each individual holds a different view, and each view can have an influence on society. Fortunately, after roughly eight weeks of studying American Government, I now have a better sense of complexity and the value of
The views of my parents were the first experiences that I had relating to politics, and they helped shape the political opinions and beliefs that I hold today. In this paper, I will be discussing the political party I identify with, as well as which interest groups have influenced my life and beliefs the most. I will also discuss specific policies that I support, and what we as Americans can and cannot do because of the laws passed by the political party that I support. I will also touch on my personal level of interest and involvement in my political party.
The political culture that defines American politics shows that despite this compromise, America is still very much a democratic society. The very history of the country, a major contributor to the evolution of its political culture, shows a legacy of democracy that reaches from the Declaration of Independence through over two hundred years to today’s society. The formation of the country as a reaction to the tyrannical rule of a monarchy marks the first unique feature of America’s democratic political culture. It was this reactionary mindset that greatly affected many of the decisions over how to set up the new governmental system. A fear of simply creating a new, but just as tyrannic... ...
To understand American society fully, one must understand America’s political makeup. In order to do that, it is necessary to understand a person’s political opinions and how they came about. This is done by examining how political ideology and political socialization influence society and individuals within that society. Political ideology is the set of beliefs that shape the way someone views government action; it is the way that they think the government should act and react to certain situations. In the United States, the two main political ideologies are liberal and conservative. How American’s teach the tenets and goals of the political system is known as political socialization. This is typically done through parents, peers, school,
As political parties adapt to the norms or beliefs of the society the parties’ definition changes along with this adaptation. Firstly, the three aspects of a political party organization, party in government and party in the electorate. Party organization is the parties’ leaders and professionals who give their time, money and skills to their specific party. They are the ones who run the party at the national, state and local levels. Volunteers for the party are under this. The leaders of the party organization would be Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus and Democratic National Committee Chairman Donna Brazil. The party in government are the party candidates and office holders, who are a part of the three branches of government
Choosing a political party is an important decision to make in today’s American society. The options for the political parties are Democrat, Republican, and Independent. Picking a political party can happen for some people at a young age. I chose my political party when I was 16 years old. I chose Independent. My parents are Democrats themselves. It makes for an interesting discussion at the dinner table when talking about politics. Some people will choose their political party for a few different reasons. Some people will choose their political party just to be the same thing as their parents, because they really believe in what either party is saying, and sometimes people feel pressured to do so.