Federalism

							Happy Halloween1


• Almost finished grading Political
  experiences:}
• Tomorrow; meet in library/computer lab
• Letter to legislator due Friday!
Political Ideologies
Political Ideology




  What is ‘conservative’?
        What is ‘liberal’?
American Political Spectrum
  • Middle range of positions
Political Opinions & Attitudes Survey
   Common Platforms
Representative
   Party
                     Democrats                                   Republicans
                                                                 Ease regulation and keep government out
Business             Increase regulation and worker protection
                                                                     of business
Taxes                Increase taxes                              Cut taxes
Social Spending      Increase                                    Decrease or maintain
Defense Spending     Decrease or maintain                        Increase
Death Penalty        Ban                                         Maintain
School Vouchers      End the program                             Expand the program
                                                                 Let government set standards, according to
Social Issues        Let individuals make their own decision
                                                                     common American morality
Minimum Wage         Increase                                    Lower or eliminate altogether
Personal             Government needs to protect people from     People should be responsible and be held
    Responsibility      themselves                                  accountable for their own actions
                     Maintain separation of church and state;
                                                                 Introduce more religion in schools; allow
Religion                prevent faith-based government
                                                                     faith-based government initiatives
                        initiatives
Big 3 – Third Parties

• Constitution Party
• Green Party
• Libertarian

• Lots of other smaller 3rd parties

• Most people don’t fit neatly
  into ANY single political
  party
Answer the following, basing your answers on your
opinion only. Mark “A” if you agree with the
statement, “D” if you disagree.
1. We should spend less money promoting and
   increasing the military.
2. All American citizens should have a right to
   own a gun.
3. We should stop babying criminals and build
   more prisons.
4. Americans should support a woman’s right
  to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
5. Students should not be allowed to practice
   religion in school.
6. We can best solve crime by solving the social
  problems which cause crime.
7. We can best solve crime by punishing
   criminals more strongly.
8. Government should become more involved
   in regulating our economy.
9. Government should limit its involvement in
   our economy as much as possible.
10. Students should be allowed free choice of
    whether or not to pray in school.
11. We should condemn human rights violations
    in other nations & refuse normal economic
    & diplomatic relations with those nations.
12. We may have to tolerate human rights
    violations in some nations to protect the
    interests of American business in those
    nations.
13. The rich should be taxed more heavily than
    poor in America.
14. Every wage earner in America should be
    taxed at the same percentage rate.
15. The United Nations is a much-needed
    institution.
16. The United Nations is an institution which is
    not necessary in today’s world.
17. Overprotecting the rights of defendants
    often provides criminals with loopholes in
    the law, and allows too many guilty people
    to go free.
18. We must protect the rights of all criminals
    suspects, even though it may result in some
    guilty people going free.
19. Quotas should be set for hiring in certain
    industries & government agencies, in order
    to make sure that minorities and women
    have equal opportunities for jobs.
20. Quotas set for employment often keep the
    best-qualified person from being hired, and
    end in creating inefficiency in the
    workplace.
Where Do I Fit In?
Directions:
Choose a response to the following
 statements that best matches your
 beliefs.
Put the number of your response and
 the title of each category down on your
 paper. When we are finished, we will
 add up your numbers, and find out if
 you lean left, right, or towards the
 center politically.
    A. Same Sex marriage:

1. God made Adam and Eve; he didn’t
   make Adam & Steve.

2. Allow each state to decide the issue
   for or against.

3. Gays are people to. They should not
   be discriminated against in any form.
B. Legalization of Marijuana:

1. Never! We should have strict
   penalties for possession and use.

2. It should not be legal but we could
   lessen penalties for using it.

3. We have lost the war on drugs. We
   are wasting time busting people for
   marijuana.
    C. Capital Punishment:

1. Those who take another life deserve
   to lose theirs.

2. It should be allowed in special cases
   such as the execution of Timothy
   McVeigh.

3. If you believe in an eye for an eye,
   eventually we will go blind.
           D. War in Iraq:

1. The U.S. should take a tough stand to
   provide stability in the Middle East.
2. The original intent for getting involved
   might have been wrong, but the final
   outcome might prove to be beneficial
   for Iraq, the United States, and the
   world.
3. We should withdraw from Iraq as soon
   as possible and bring our troops home.
    E. No Child Left Behind:
1. Federal funding of education should be
   withheld from any state that does not
   comply.

2. The states and Feds should work out
   compromises concerning glitches with
   No Child Left Behind.

3. If the Feds and the states cannot fund
   the program, forget it, and don’t worry
   about it.
     F. Stem Cell Research:
1. Killing and embryo is wrong; stem cell
   research should not be allowed.

2. We should use this technology
   carefully, and there must be
   restrictions; however, it could be
   beneficial in the long run.

3. This technology must be expanded by
   removing all bans in the field.
             G. Abortion:
1. Life begins at conception. Abortion is
   murder.

2. Abortion has to be allowed in certain
   situations on a case-by-case basis.

3. It is the woman’s choice to decide
   whether or not to abort; after all, it is
   her body.
            H. Taxation:
1. We must continue to cut federal taxes
   so people have more money to spend.

2. We must strike a balance between
   taxation and federal spending.

3. Taxes should be raised to pay off the
   federal deficit.
          I. Patriot Act:
1. The government must restrict some
   individual liberties to guarantee our
   safety.
2. Portions of the Patriot Act must be
   edited to strike a better balance
   between civil rights and security issues.
3. The act is unnecessary and should be
   abolished, as it strips the rights away
   from U.S. citizens.
        J. Sex Education:
1. Abstinence should be the primary focus
   of the sex-education curriculum.

2. Students should be taught both
   abstinence and protection.

3. Condoms should be distributed to any
   high-school student who requests
   them.
   Scoring your answers:

Now, add up your total number of
points by adding the numbers that
you wrote down for each category.

What is your total score_____?
 Scoring your answers:

Ultra-Conservative = 10

Conservative      = 15

Moderate          = 20

Liberal           = 25

Ultra-Liberal     = 30
Are You a Liberal or a Conservative?
Directions:
 Number this part of your paper
  1-18.
 Next to each number, put an
  “A” if you agree with the
  statement, and a “D” if you
  disagree with the statement.
1. The government should encourage
   rather than restrict prayer in the public
   schools.
2. The federal government has an
   obligation to regulate businesses in
   order to preserve the environment for
   future generations.
3. Affirmative action programs deny
   equality of opportunity to whites in
   hiring.
4. The federal government should provide
   funds to improve public schools and make
   college possible for more young adults.
5. The individual is basically responsible for
   his own well-being, so the government
   should make welfare recipients go to
   work.
6. The federal government should limit its
   spending so that individuals enjoy the
   maximum freedom of choice in spending
   their income.
7. Unregulated free enterprise benefits the
   rich at the expense of the poor.

8. The government should guarantee medical
   care for all citizens.

9. The Supreme Court should reverse its
   decision to legalize abortions in order to
   protect the right to life for a fetus .
10. The federal government should guarantee
    the rights of homosexuals.

11. Present federal laws effectively guarantee
    the rights of women and make passage of
    an Equal Rights Amendment unnecessary.

12. The federal government has an obligation
    to guarantee full employment.
13. The federal government should take any
    steps necessary to eliminate
    discrimination.

14. The government should uphold the
    morals of the past.

15. The government must provide a sort of
    insurance against catastrophic illness and
    unemployment.
16. The government should not try to
   manipulate the social values of the
   citizenry.

17.The government should be less concerned
   with rights of the accused & more
   concerned about maintaining law & order.

18. The government should stop being
   permissive with student protesters.
Yeah! TGIF day!

• Political Experience due today for an A!
• Updated grades have been posted
• Next week; election video and voting
Ideology Survey

• Number you paper 1-25
• Respond to each statement by placing
  an A for agree or D for disagree
1. The Federal Government places too many
   restrictions on modern corporations.

2. Unions reduce productivity by
   discouraging workers from performing
   tasks that are additional to their contact.

3. High government taxes discourage
   citizens from working hard.
4. Most people on welfare would prefer real
   jobs.

5. Immigration, in general, lowers wages and
   increases crime.

6. Government should create programs that
   will reduce the number of poor people in
   the United States.
7. The wealthy should be taxed at a higher
   percentage than the lower and middle
   classes.
8. The best way to help the poor is to set
   policies that help businesses earn a profit
   and create new jobs .

9. Government programs on behalf of the
   disadvantaged discourage people from
   helping themselves.
10. The government should not restrict
    abortion and other reproductive choices.
11. The government has a special
    responsibility to protect disadvantaged
    minorities .

12. America’s high crime rate is directly
    traceable to a cycle of poverty, poor
    health care, poor education, and
    discrimination.
13. America’s high crime rate is due to court’s
    being too lenient on criminals.
14. Government should censor or restrict
    films and publications that undermine the
    nation’s moral fiber .

15. The first amendment should protect
    pornography from government
    censorship. Adults must be free to think
    and speak as they wish.
16. The rules of the courts should favor the
    prosecution, not the accused.
17. Crime, unemployment, poverty, and
    other problems will be reduced if
    Americans return to the traditional values
    of hard work, self-discipline, and belief in
    God.
18. The most important way to ensure the
    success of a economic-political system is to
    produce the greatest number of goods and
    services for the greatest number of people.
19. The government should protect
    homosexuals against discrimination in the
    work place, higher education, etc.
20. Environmental policies should not be
    considered when they interfere with
    industrial success.

21. The Federal government should not get
    involved in setting academic standards for
    local public school districts.
22. Americans should have a right to
    affordable health care.
23. The death penalty is cruel and unusual
    punishment .
24. The government should not restrict the
    sale and possession of firearms, because
    it would violate the Second Amendment.
25. The Supreme Court should allow localities
    to reinstitute school-sponsored prayer in
    public schools.
 Scoring your answers:

Strong Liberal        = 21-25

Moderate Liberal      = 16-20

Moderate              = 10-15

Moderate Conservative = 5-9

Strong Conservative   = 0-4
What does this mean?

• On the back of your assignment,
  explain your interpretation of your
  overall survey results.