POS 110 FINAL!!

AHHHH

1. Why are protest movements “only civil in retrospect.” Please specifically reference the article with this title and tell me a bit about how and why this is often the case when it comes to protest movements in the United States.

According to a New York Times article, protests are often deemed "civil" only in retrospect because the chaotic, confrontational nature of social struggles is sanitized over time, allowing successes to fit into a comfortable national narrative. The piece notes that past American movements, including those led by Martin Luther King Jr., were widely viewed as too disruptive by contemporary critics who preferred order over, or before, justice. 

2. What is the “calculus of voting” equation as described by Downs? Please describe the equation and tell me a bit about what each term in the equation is supposed to represent. Based on this original formulation of the equation, would we expect the average voter to turn out and vote in elections? Why or why not?

V=pB-C  V= voter turnout P= probability your vote will be decisive in the election B= the utility you will derive from your chosen candidate winning (aka what will you get out of this?) and C= the costs of voting.  According to the math, not many people would turn out because there are many obstacles such as jobs, schools or natural events that could disrupt someone's ability to vote. 

3. Riker and Ordeshook proposed a major revision to the “Calculus of Voting” equation as originally proposed by Downs. What term did they recommend adding? Tell me a bit about what this new term represents. Based on this revised formulation of the equation, would we expect the average American voter to turn out and vote in elections? Why or why not?

They added a +D which means the affirming civic duty, goodwill feeling, psychological and civic benefit of voting, and the efficacy of democracy. Voter turnout could be higher because now adding the element of a civic duty and getting rewarded for it such as getting a sticker or posting about it on social media makes people want to vote. 

4. What is “social pressure” and how might it increase or decrease the likelihood that Someone might vote in U.S. elections?

Social pressure is the direct or indirect influence that makes people want to conform to something that is the norm. Slight threats such as emails that say DO YOUR CIVIC DUTY  or other emails that point out who and who has not done their civil duty in your area can apply social pressure on people to vote. 

6. Describe one of the most prominent social movements in U.S. politics today. What issues do they focus on? What policies or changes do they advocate for? Is this movement currently popular? How are they portrayed in the media? And do you expect this movement to be successful - why or why not?

One of the most prominent social movements that I can think of today has to be the pro-choice movement which advocates for woman’s right to abortion. the movement is quite popular especially after the overturning of roe v. wade. It really depends on what type of media they land on but usually on media that is pro-life presents these people as muderers

8. What is Direct Voter Contact and what role does it play in U.S. elections? What forms of Direct Voter Contact are most effective and why?

Direct voter contact is seen as the most effective way to get people to vote since its more personal such as door to door since you’re talking to other human beings face to face it leads to a more lasting impression rather than an annoying phone call. 

9. What is “identity politics”? How is it distinguished from other forms of politics? Give at least two examples of policies that fall into the category of identity politics and explain their connection to social identity.

political positions and movements based on the interests, experiences, and social identities of specific groups—such as race, gender, sexuality, or religion—rather than broad, universal ideologies. It centers on addressing distinct injustices, inequalities, or power dynamics experienced by these marginalized communities. Examples of identity politics could be civil rights of 1964 which banned work discrimination of any kind or when women in 1920 were granted the right  to vote. 

10. Define “systemic racism”. How does this different from “interpersonal” racism or other forms of racism. Give at least two examples of systemic racism and its differential impact on the American people.

Systemic racism can be defined as policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society that leads to a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race.  It's different from interpersonal racism because it's more about a person's conscious or subconscious racial bias influencing how they treat others   Two examples of systemic racism is the embedded mistreatment of African Americans in the United States whether it was from the institution of  slavery or environmental racism. Other examples can include the economic power that privileges white people in terms of job placement, advancement, wealth, and property accumulation.

11. What are “in-group attitudes” when it comes to measuring identity politics? Define and describe at least one way we might measure in-group attitudes in political science and tell me a bit about the strengths and weaknesses of this particular measure

In group attitudes is when behavior in voting is based on identity. A way that it could be measured is through Group membership requires the assignment of an individual into a particular group based on characteristics that are specific to that group. It is the easiest one to measure which is why it is a pro on length but a con when it comes to how it is too simple and broad to be accurate enough.

13. What is “linked fate?” Which scholar is known for developing this measure of racial identity? Which identity or social group was this identity developed to apply to, and what are some of the potential difficulties with using this measure for other groups or types of People? (WILL BE ON TEST)

It is the degree to which individuals believe their own self-interests and life chances are tied to the interests and fate of their racial or ethnic group. This concept was founded by Micheal C. Dawson and he applied this to African Americans and it can be difficult to apply this to groups such as Latinos since Latinos have such different backgrounds including race, socioeconomic status and nationality.

14. What is public opinion? Define and describe at least two ways in which political scientists measure, assess, and use public opinion to help us understand American Politics.

Public opinion is the collective opinion on a specific topic or voting intention relevant to society and it can be measured through survey polls, presidential approval, survey research and more. Sampling is a method which allows us to make assessments about large publics without literally asking everyone their opinion.

15. Which pollster is largely credited with establishing the institution of political polling in the United States? (Hint: they are still a very prominent polling group today named after their founder). What time period, and which set of issues, did they initially use their polls to measure?

George Gallup is widely credited with establishing modern scientific political polling in the U.S.. He rose to prominence in 1936 by correctly predicting FDR's reelection, using scientific sampling to measure public opinion on political candidates, voting behavior, and national policy issues

16. What is the “Two Presidencies Thesis?” What are the two presidencies, and how does the role of the president differ between these two different conceptions of how the U.S. presidency works in practice?

That there is one presidency for domestic policy and one for foreign policy. Domestic policy is all about our checks and balances, shared powers limited government etc. But in foreign policy the president has more freedom since congress and the supreme court act hands off This is because congress gets a lack of information compared to the president the supreme court does not want to over step and lose power.  and the public is less interested and less informed in public matters to even care

17. What role does the Constitution establish for Congress in regard to Foreign Policy? When it comes to foreign policy, why does Congress typically defer to the President? Give at least two examples of ways that Congress has deferred some of its foreign policy powers to the Executive branch.

The Constitution grants Congress explicit foreign policy powers, including the authority to declare war, regulate foreign commerce, raise and support armies, and ratify treaties via the Senate. Congress generally defers to the President due to the need for swift action since usually they have more foreign affair information available to them compared to congress and the need unitary leadership in crises Congress has deferred power through mechanisms like authorizing force and delegating trade negotiation authorities.

21. What is the “Unitary Executive Theory"? What are the origins of this interpretation of Presidential power? Which U.S. president was the first to try to use this theory to expand their power in a formal setting? And which U.S. presidents have used this theory in recent history and why?

 The theory was formalized during Nixon’s administration because of his illegal acts during Watergate and other scandals.The idea is that the President is the Executive Branch However, during the Nixon administration, this idea was stretched to more broadly that “if the President does it, it can’t be illegal” which violates the principle of equality under the law, and puts the President above the law. Today, its been invoked by Trump for example to fire and hire members of the Executive Bureaucracy (including the Department of Justice and Department of Defense).George W. Bush administration would employ this argument to prevent those in the administration and military from being held accountable for war violations during the War on Terror

22. What is the “imperial presidency”? What did the Framers/Founding Fathers/Federalist Papers have to say about the possibility for the Executive branch to obtain “imperial” power? What historical examples were they drawing on that cautioned them of the threat of an imperial presidency? What issues, pathways, or political events have allowed the U.S. president to increase their authority and consolidate power?

The "imperial presidency" refers to a U.S. presidency that has expanded its power beyond its constitutional limits, specifically in foreign policy, national security, and war powers, often operating with minimal congressional oversight or judicial restraint. Rather than another King, the founders worried about another Caesar or an American Napoleon most presidents manipulate public opinion through their power to make foreign policies to consolidate power  and nationalism through engaging in low-intensity conflicts, or the threat of major war

23. We have discussed many ways to evaluate Presidential power, performance popularity, and other ways to assess the U.S. President. Using any, some, or all these ways that political science has developed to assess their time as President, how do you think our current President, Donald Trump, might be assessed? Give some specific examples of policies, events, or traits that might influence our historical judgement of President Trump?

He is usually evaluated in his handling of the economy, foreign policy and his charisma given the fact that he staged an attempted coup off the government, he single handedly destroyed the soft power that the u.s had because of his tariffs, budget cuts in USAID etc and his disappreciation for education has impacted his scores since he usually targets the academics with budget cuts and denouncing scholars.

24. What Constitutional mechanisms do Congress, the President, or the American public have to check and/or balance the power of the U.S. Supreme Court? In what ways can or has the court avoided or neutralized these potential checks and balances on their power

Congress checks the Supreme Court by controlling its size and jurisdiction, confirming appointments, and initiating constitutional amendments. The President can add and remove justices, and the public influences selection through elections. The Court maintains independence through life tenure and judicial review, neutralizing checks by invalidating legislation, and setting its own docket.

19. Which U.S. President is widely considered to be the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) and why when it comes to political science measures? What were their major accomplishments and why might all scholars, or all Americans, agree on why this President deserves to be considered?

Abraham Lincoln is considered the greatest since he won the civil war, kept the union together, freed the slaves and his Martyrdom.

7. When it comes to “democratic norms” - respect for democracy, political violence, polarization, etc. - who is most responsible for either enforcing or eroding these norms?Elites or the public?

Democratic norms are usually enforced by the elites since they are responsible for advancing or respecting norms. If our elites tolerate or promote political violence then their followers will follow ex: MLK and his supporters set the tone to not use violence to push their message

20. What is the “necessary and proper” or “elastic” clause when it comes to the powers of Congress in the U.S. Constitution. In what ways has this allowed Congress to expand their powers or influence since the Founding? Give at least one example of a policy area where the elastic clause has allowed Congress to exert their authority.

it grants Congress the power to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its 17 enumerated powers and all other duties vested in the U.S. government. This clause expands Congressional power by allowing them to pass legislation on subjects not explicitly listed in the Constitution, providing flexibility to address modern issues. (not explicitly written down but does not mean it does not exist)