The American Political Tradition 3/11

"A longing to recapture the past, in fact, has itself been such a basic ingredient of the recent American past that no history of political thinking is complete which does not attempt to explain it. In American politics the development of a retrospective and nostalgic cast of mind has gone hand in hand with the slow decline of a traditional faith. When competition and enterprise were rising, men thought of the future; when they were flourishing, of the present. Now—in an age of concentration, bigness, and corporate monopoly—when competition and opportunity have gone into decline, men look wistfully back toward a golden age." Richard Hofstadter

I agree that people do long to recapture the past. It is natural that when one is in a tough situation, to think of a time where life was simpler. It may leave some with a sense of longing while leaving others with a feeling that things could begin to get better. That things may once again be like that time that occur a time ago. It is also natural that when a situation is getting better, to think what positives may become available to such a person in the future and of what decisions one can make in the present to lead one towards a good future. Looking towards the future for hope, looking towards the past for comfort and looking at the present to make decisions are all rather important to everyone. They keep people moving on in the present towards their futures. While this faith may not be the "traditional faith" I do not think we are suffering as we loose touch with it.

Doing away with the Electoral College 3/5

In an Electoral College, a group of people that become representatives for each state, vote along with all other Americans on Election day. There are 538 representatives in the United States. Those people however, are the one who's votes are counted towards the presidential election. Of those 538 people, 270 people are needed in order for a decision to be made.

Having this system of election has left me somewhat boggled as to why we have adapted it.  In the article, Doing away with the Electoral College, by Alexander Keyssar, He says,

"As a nation, we have come to embrace “one person, one vote” as a fundamental democratic principle, yet the allocation of electoral votes to the states violates that principle. It is hardly an accident that no other country in the world has imitated our Electoral College." 

The United States is an extreamly democratic Country. It is believed that we a group of people create what our present and our future will be through the decisions we make. The type of process we use to vote on such an important role as who will be our president, shows that we are not truly in control and that we are not trusted with that control. In a world where one person is supposed to equal one vote, that type of message would send mixed signals towards the american citizens. Do Americans really have a choice in the decisions in this country? Is that the true reason for the decline in people voting?

Two Faces of Power 2/13

            "The question is, however, how can one be certain in any given situation that the 'unmeasurable elements' are inconsequential, are not of decisive importance? Cast in slightly different terms, can a sound concept of power be predicated on the assumption that power is totally embodied and fully reflected in “concrete decisions” or in activity bearing directly upon their making? We think not. Of course power is exercised when A participates in the making of decisions that affect B. But power is also exercised when A devotes his energies to creating or reinforcing social and political values and institutional practices that limit the scope of the political process to public consideration of only those issues which are comparatively innocuous to A. To the extent that A succeeds in doing this, B is prevented, for all practical purposes, from bringing to the fore any issues that might in their resolution be seriously detrimental to A’s set of preferences?" Peter Bachrach, Morton S. Baratz

Power can be exercised in two ways. The first way is directly made decisions. The second way is through eliminating all other negative options so  another believes, that they are making their own decisions. While the first way of excising powers seems rather simple, the second way leaves many unanswered  questions and curiosity (on my part and the author's) to be answered. Are you really in control of the decisions you make in you own life? Or are you just making the best of the decisions that are options available for you? These question lead to finding out how to place countermeasures encase this may happen. However, can countermeasures be put in place for this type of threat? How can anyone tell the difference between a coincidental situation and deliberation?