The media is not infallible. They’re often accused of harboring their own agenda. Here are a couple of clips on YouTube that discuss alleged bias:
Here are allegations of Fox News bias:
And here’s Fox using ABC political news director Mark Halleprin to claim other network bias:
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Public Opinion and Presidential Politics
George W. Bush has been a very consequential president in recent years, thanks largely to the War on Terror. Here’s Gallup Opinion Poll’s Frank Newport on public opinion in the Bush years:
Public opinion on candidates can be shaped permanently by how these candidates come across in TV appearances. If they look silly or unprepared even once, these images can haunt their entire careers.
Here are a couple of examples of how this happened in Vice Presidential politics:
Looking silly has been a bipartisan affair in Presidential politics. In 1988 Michael Dukakis, the Governor of Massachusetts and the Democratic nominee for President, faced attack ads by George Bush that highlights his appearance in tank:
Dukakis was also hit hard for his policies on crime. In this ad, that many considered racist, Dukakis is criticized by an outside political group with links to George Bush. The criticism highlights Dukakis’s furlough policy:
Public opinion on candidates can be shaped permanently by how these candidates come across in TV appearances. If they look silly or unprepared even once, these images can haunt their entire careers.
Here are a couple of examples of how this happened in Vice Presidential politics:
Looking silly has been a bipartisan affair in Presidential politics. In 1988 Michael Dukakis, the Governor of Massachusetts and the Democratic nominee for President, faced attack ads by George Bush that highlights his appearance in tank:
Dukakis was also hit hard for his policies on crime. In this ad, that many considered racist, Dukakis is criticized by an outside political group with links to George Bush. The criticism highlights Dukakis’s furlough policy:
Test 1
Gov 141 @ West Liberty
Exam 1
Instructions: Questions 1-11 are short answer or multiple choice. The short answers can be as long as a couple of paragraphs. Each question is worth 5 points. All eleven are worth 55% of this exam. Following the short answer question there’s an essay question. I would like to see at least ¾ of a page used to answer this question. The entire exam is worth 10% of your final grade. Please answer all questions completely. Please type your answers and turn in at the beginning of class Monday Feb. 16th.
1. America’s form of government can best be described as a blend between what two types of political systems?
a. Constitutional monarchy and benign dictatorship
b. Democracy and Constitutional Republic
c. Democracy and Oligarchy
d. Pure Democracy and Representative Democracy
2. What does this mean?
3. Political power is divided in America horizontally and vertically. First, there’s separation of power then there’s federalism. Describe the two and how they keep power divided.
4. Major political change in America is almost always arrived at following a:
a. Referendum
b. Change in Public Opinion
c. New President
d. A struggle
5. What is the fourth branch of government and what is the source of its power?
6. Following the victory of the 13 rebel American colonies, America faced huge challenges that led to a constitutional convention. Describe some of these and how the constitution was going to change this.
7. How is the Bill of Rights, that is the first ten amendments to the constitution, different from the constitution itself?
8. What did the supremacy clause of the U.S. constitution set forth?
9. What was the initial purpose of the commerce clause and what are some of the things that it’s been interpreted as allowing the federal government to do?
10. The Full Faith and Credit clause says that “full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records and judicial proceedings” of the other states. What is the intent and purpose of such a clause?
11. How does the international system affect American domestic policy?
The following essay question is worth 45% of your exam:
A friend contacts you after he learns you’re a student in MSU’s Gov 141 course at West Liberty. He’s concerned about another 9/11 style terrorist attack and is interested in sending a letter to his Congressmen advocating his support of a particular measure. The bill would ban the entrance of all practicing Muslims into America at all airports, border crossings and ports of entry. Using the policy pyramid, tell your friend why such a measure would be unlikely to gain traction. For review, the elements are society and culture, (you can link these if you like or separate them if you want), the international system, our American constitution, and the economy.
Exam 1
Instructions: Questions 1-11 are short answer or multiple choice. The short answers can be as long as a couple of paragraphs. Each question is worth 5 points. All eleven are worth 55% of this exam. Following the short answer question there’s an essay question. I would like to see at least ¾ of a page used to answer this question. The entire exam is worth 10% of your final grade. Please answer all questions completely. Please type your answers and turn in at the beginning of class Monday Feb. 16th.
1. America’s form of government can best be described as a blend between what two types of political systems?
a. Constitutional monarchy and benign dictatorship
b. Democracy and Constitutional Republic
c. Democracy and Oligarchy
d. Pure Democracy and Representative Democracy
2. What does this mean?
3. Political power is divided in America horizontally and vertically. First, there’s separation of power then there’s federalism. Describe the two and how they keep power divided.
4. Major political change in America is almost always arrived at following a:
a. Referendum
b. Change in Public Opinion
c. New President
d. A struggle
5. What is the fourth branch of government and what is the source of its power?
6. Following the victory of the 13 rebel American colonies, America faced huge challenges that led to a constitutional convention. Describe some of these and how the constitution was going to change this.
7. How is the Bill of Rights, that is the first ten amendments to the constitution, different from the constitution itself?
8. What did the supremacy clause of the U.S. constitution set forth?
9. What was the initial purpose of the commerce clause and what are some of the things that it’s been interpreted as allowing the federal government to do?
10. The Full Faith and Credit clause says that “full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records and judicial proceedings” of the other states. What is the intent and purpose of such a clause?
11. How does the international system affect American domestic policy?
The following essay question is worth 45% of your exam:
A friend contacts you after he learns you’re a student in MSU’s Gov 141 course at West Liberty. He’s concerned about another 9/11 style terrorist attack and is interested in sending a letter to his Congressmen advocating his support of a particular measure. The bill would ban the entrance of all practicing Muslims into America at all airports, border crossings and ports of entry. Using the policy pyramid, tell your friend why such a measure would be unlikely to gain traction. For review, the elements are society and culture, (you can link these if you like or separate them if you want), the international system, our American constitution, and the economy.
Monday, February 2, 2009
American within the International System
Here are a few videos from YouTube that illustrate the strong relationship between domestic policy and foreign policy. We'll watch a couple of these in class today.
In 1785 John Adams was appointed American Minister to the Court of St. James, that is, the Ambassador to the United Kingdom, or Great Britain. This clip shows Adams receiving an audience with King George III.
A far right political professor asserts that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was aimed in large measure at British popular opinion:
Woodrow Wilson and World War 1, by eminent historian HW Brands:
HW Brands says American foreign policy is mostly about American domestic politics:
In 1785 John Adams was appointed American Minister to the Court of St. James, that is, the Ambassador to the United Kingdom, or Great Britain. This clip shows Adams receiving an audience with King George III.
A far right political professor asserts that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was aimed in large measure at British popular opinion:
Woodrow Wilson and World War 1, by eminent historian HW Brands:
HW Brands says American foreign policy is mostly about American domestic politics:
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