Constitution and Federalist

“The valuable improvements made by the American constitutions on the popular models, both ancient and modern, cannot certainly be too much admired; but it would be an unwarrantable partiality, to contend that they have as effectually obviated the danger on this side, as was wished and expected. Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority. However anxiously we may wish that these complaints had no foundation, the evidence, of known facts will not permit us to deny that they are in some degree true.”

In the article “The Federalist No. 10, The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection” written by James Madison states that people aren’t too happy with the USA’s constitutional laws, they believe that the government is too unstable and doesn’t do things based on justice but based on party of interest.  I totally agree with this statement because this does kind of violate equality to all citizens and their personal liberty. And if Citizens were to be asked how they feel about the USA government and the USA constitution, most citizens will agree with Madison’s statement.

Now a days I see government as business because law will be on your side if you have money. For example one of the big multibillion dollar fast food company “McDonald”, working behind the government system is really isn’t an ideal system of government where people or citizen cannot sue a company for getting sick from eating from these restaurant because government has their backs. And there has been many cases that proves this point. This is the country we are living in today, everything relies on money and very little justice. And where there is money there is also government interest.

 

 

Bourne and Chesterton

“We act as if we wanted Americanization to take place only on our own terms, and not by the consent of the governed. All our elaborate machinery of settlement and school and union, of social and political naturalization, however, will move with friction just in so far as it neglects to take into account this strong and virile insistence that America shall be what the immigrant will have a hand in making it, and not what a ruling class, descendant of those British stocks which were the first permanent immigrants, decide that America shall be made. This is the condition which confronts us, and which demands a clear and general readjustment of our attitude and our ideal”.

Every individual living USA has a different image of what Americanizing is. Many living outside of USA has a completely different idea of Americanizing compared to actual people living in USA based on what is presented in the media about American culture. I strongly believe that the USA amendment shapes the USA culture especially the “right to expression” amendment. This law gives people in USA to express their self however they want and believe in whatever they want and government won’t get involved in it unless it is threating someone or it is a national issue.

According to my belief I think Americanizing is the acceptance of any culture mixed with the modern society. Many US citizens whose parents are from another country tend to follow in their own background culture and the modern culture together. A good example of that would be that in media we see that raps can be done in any languages; it is sort of Americanizing internationally.

 

Despite Negativity, Americans Mixed on Ideal Role of Gov't

“A majority of Americans (56%) believe that government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses, while 39% hold the view that government should do more to solve the nation's problems. Responses to this question have been quite fluid over the two decades in which Gallup has asked the question. In October 2001, in the aftermath of 9/11, 50% said government should do more to solve the country's problems -- the highest in Gallup's history of asking the question. Sentiment that government should do more was lowest in the 1995-1998 time frame, when only about a third held this view and about 6 in 10 said government was doing too much.”

This quote from the article demonstrates what the article was mainly about. The article basically summarizes the Gallup survey based on telephone interviews that took place on September 8-11, 2011 with a random sample of 1,017 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. This survey was taken to understand how citizens of USA feel about the US Government.

According to the Survey majority of the citizens feel that the government has too much power and some feel that the government has prefect amount of power and it is their job to look after every aspect of their country. It seems like as years are by passing, people are stating that government is gaining too much power according to previous record and the recent survey data,

 

 

 

 

Bachrach and Baratz

“Pluralists hold that power may be tied to issues, and issues can be fleeting or persistent, provoking coalitions among interested groups and citizens, ranging in their duration from momentary to semi-permanent. . . . To presume that the set of coalitions which exists in the community at any given time is a timelessly stable aspect of social structure is to introduce systematic inaccuracies into one’s description of social reality. “

I believe this quote from the Article “Two faces of Power” written by Peter Bachrachand Morton S. Baratz is very important part of the article, it actually frames what the entire article is about. In order to understand this quote, we have to clarify who are the “Pluralists” and how power is distributed in the community. Well Pluralists are citizens in a state of society where members are diverse in ethnicity, racial, religious, or social groups, who maintains and develop their own traditional culture or special interest within the boundaries of a common civilization around them.

This quote especially demonstrates that there is different levels of power within a society and that does determine which social group, ethnic group, racial group, or even religious group has most power to make changes. Usually people of the same group tends to  support their own background ideas, the ideas that would only be favorable to that specific social group, ethnic group, racial group, or religious group. That is ethnocentrism, which causes groups to not focus on common ideas that would be better for the society. It is very important for groups to come together to share power among all.