Power and Citizenship in American Politics

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS AND STUDENT EXERCISES

Chapter 1

Power and Citizenship in American Politics

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment #1

The “Citizenship in America” section in Chapter 1 discusses different views of citizenship that have existed throughout the political history of the United States. Countless views of citizenship exist, but the text mentions three very famous views of American citizenship by James Madison, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes. Madison had far less trust in human nature and in citizens’ ability to act in the public interest, rather than in their own interest, especially compared with other political philosophers who have held that Americans possess a particular republican virtue. Locke, on the other hand, believed that people had freedom and rights before governments even existed, and that when individuals decided that they needed some form of government, they would enter into a social contract. Locke also thought that people would voluntarily give up some of their rights in exchange for the protections of the government. Perhaps the most pessimistic view of citizenship in the chapter is that promoted by Hobbes, who believed that life without government is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes believed that citizens resorted to being governed only to protect their own safety and security. As the “American Citizenship Today” section suggests, these competing views of citizenship remain in American politics.

Write an essay explaining which view of American citizenship you think is most accurate. As you develop your argument, answer the following questions:

· What were the three political philosophers’ views of human nature? What economic and political systems did the three philosophers advocate?

· Why did these three individuals advocate the systems they advocated?

· How did the era in which they lived affect their views of citizens? Similarly, how did their gender, class, race, and/or nationality affect their views?

· If you think that there is not one correct view of citizenship, or that the correct view is a combination of those spelled out in the chapter, which view best fits the way you view American citizenship?

Assignment #2

Immigration is an important and controversial issue for Americans. As described in the “U.S. Immigration Policy” section of the text, who we are as Americans changes with immigration as it has throughout our history. Some people hold that America should restrict immigration, especially with regard to those immigrants who have entered the United States to work without obtaining the proper documentation. Such critics argue that a nation’s primary concern is controlling its borders and that the United States is not doing a good enough job. They also point out that serious problems and burdens have come with illegal immigration into the United States. Others argue that the strong reactions to illegal immigration are another example of cultural stereotyping, and that these immigrants often fill gaps in our labor force or perform low-paying jobs Americans are unwilling to fill.

Write an essay discussing whether or not you believe that the United States should have stricter immigration laws. As you develop your argument, answer the following questions:

· What’s at stake for Americans and non-Americans with the prospect of stricter immigration laws?

· What would America look like today if immigration laws had been as strict in the 1800s as they are now? What has motivated waves of strict immigration laws throughout American history?

· What has motivated the latest wave of reforms?

· Why do you think most non-Americans enter and remain in the United States illegally when they have the option of trying to obtain citizenship legally?

· What would be the benefits or drawbacks of more tightly patrolled U.S. borders? What could be the possible effects decades into America’s future?

· Is stricter immigration consistent or inconsistent with the history of the United States? With American ideals?

· How do recent political trends, such as the Tea Party movement, the 2010 Arizona immigration law, and the tough rhetoric on immigration from many of the 2012 Republican presidential primary candidates, affect your thinking?

Assignment #3

Nobody likes to pay taxes; however, most Americans realize that taxes are a necessary evil. Refer to the figure in your text that illustrates the U.S. tax burden compared to that of other countries. Conduct online research of some of the nations with the highest tax burdens, such as Sweden and Denmark, paying particular attention to what these countries get in return for their tax dollars. Find out if these nations provide paid maternity leave, guaranteed health care, college tuition assistance, and/or heat and fuel assistance.

Write an essay discussing whether or not you would be willing to pay more taxes in order to receive some of these benefits. As you develop your argument, answer the following questions:

· What collective goods do you think are important enough to deserve public funding?

· Should all citizens contribute equally to programs, even if they don’t use them (e.g., K-12 education)?

· How much are your views on taxes influenced by your self-interest?

· How do your views on public spending correlate with your overall political views?

STUDENT EXERCISES

Exercise #1

Go to the CIA’s World Factbook web site and select two countries you are interested in analyzing. After making your choices, find out from the “Government” link what form of government these countries have. Then go to the “Economy” link and find out how much power the private sector has versus how much the government is involved in the economy in each country. Review your chapter vocabulary terms and make sure you can correctly identify the political and economic systems of the country you are analyzing. Recall what the text said concerning government control over the economy and over individual lives. Thinking like a political scientist using the CLUES critical thinking method, lay out an argument with your assumption of whether the people of each country are citizens or subjects.

· Given the evidence from this web site about each country’s economy and government, where would you place them on Figure 1.3?

· Do you hypothesize that the people of each country are citizens or subjects?

· What criteria are you using to judge freedom?

According to Chapter 1, part of being a citizen rather than a subject is enjoying rights and freedoms. Go to the Freedom House web site and click “Reports” from the menu across the top of the page. Then select the Freedom in the World publication for the most recent year. Freedom House surveys the world with an intricate study of freedom and provides a report assessing the freedom of more than two hundred countries and territories. Check out the Aggregate and Subcategory Scores link to learn about the criteria the group used in deciding what “freedom” is.

· Does Freedom House’s methodology fit with your criteria for freedom?

· What are the similarities and differences?

Go to the Freedom in the World link and click on your selected countries on the map to test your hypotheses regarding each country’s respective level of freedom.

· How free are the people of this country?

· Are the people subjects or citizens?

Exercise #2

Chapter 1 addressed Athenian democracy and the Enlightenment, specifically the notion of the social contract, and how each served as important origins of American democracy. Studying them in greater depth will provide more insight on their particular influence on American democracy.

Go to the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Democratic Experiment web site to see some key differences in how modern democracy and Athenian democracy operated.

· How many “citizens” existed in Athens?

· How does that compare to American democracy?

· What does the author mean when he says Athenian democracy was direct and “in your face”?

· How does this differ from American democracy?

Not all Athenians agreed that democracy was the best system. While many of us would view Athenian democracy as not being open enough to all people, others had concerns that it was too open.

· What were some major concerns, according to the author of the BBC’s Critics and Critiques of Ancient Athenian Democracy web site?

· What were the concerns of Socrates and Plato, according to the author?

Read through some of the links provided in this web site series. They help to explain what led to the rise and fall of Athenian democracy.

Exercise #3

As Chapter 1 explains, conflicting views of American citizenship exist today. One view is that individual participation in government should be limited because human nature drives citizens to pursue their personal interests over the general good. On the other hand, those who believe in “republican virtue” argue that citizens can put the interests of the community in front of their personal interests. Such debates over the proper roles for citizens are not new. According to the text, James Madison held a very skeptical view of human nature and the ability of citizens to put the common good in front of their own interests.

Go to The Founders’ Constitution web page on the Deficiencies of the Confederation. In James Madison’s paper on the “Vices of the Political System of the United States,” scroll down to #11 of his points as to why the Articles of Confederation were not working properly.

· What was his view of the American citizen?

· What motive drives representatives of the people: ambition, personal interest, or the public good?

· Did Madison feel that people should have more power?

But Madison’s view was not the only view regarding whether citizens could handle the demands of citizenship. He believed that government needed to be stronger to check citizens.

· How did Jefferson’s view differ from Madison’s in Jefferson’s January 30, 1787, letter to Madison from the Early America Review web site?

The alarm that Madison had over citizen rebellions was clearly not shared again in Jefferson’s December 20, 1787, letter to Madison from The Founders’ Constitution web page on Securing the Republic. Debate over whether citizens have republican virtue, or whether they need to be tightly penned in by institutions, is not new.

· Which of these important American founders was correct in his view of citizen virtue: Madison or Jefferson?

Exercise #4

Chapter 1 introduces the reader to basic economic and political vocabulary terms. While doing so, it explains that citizens in the United States enjoy some of the most expansive civil rights and liberties in the world. However, this does not mean that U.S. citizens should not be protective of their freedoms. Being well informed of your rights and current events is part of being a responsible, informed citizen. Go on Cornell University Law School’s web site to access the Bill of Rights. Read all ten amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights.

· What is one amendment that you think matters most to you personally and/or that you believe could be limited by the U.S. government in the future?

Go to the American Civil Liberties Union’s web site and look at their Key Issues page.

· Were your instincts correct? Do you have your finger on the pulse of current events that pertain to Americans’ civil rights and liberties?

Keep in mind that the ACLU is not considered a mainstream, centrist organization.

· What type of organization is the ACLU? Liberal? Conservative? Would some other adjective best describe this organization?

Exercise #5

What is it like to become an American citizen through immigration? Most Americans are born in the United States to at least one American parent, but many immigrants go through the naturalization process. The web site for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a Citizenship page that discusses the requirements for naturalization.

· Are the requirements made of those naturalizing, “having a “good moral character; attachment to the U.S. Constitution; and, favorable disposition toward the United States,” something that is required of natural-born American citizens?

Read some of the USCIS’s A Guide to Naturalization, and concentrate on page 3, where the responsibilities of citizenship are listed and discussed.

· Are these responsibilities also expected of natural-born American citizens?

· Does our country, through civics classes in school and the like, do enough to make natural-born citizens as aware of their responsibilities as naturalizing citizens are expected to be of their particular responsibilities?

· Are the responsibilities enforceable for either natural-born citizens or naturalized citizens?

One of the additional requirements of naturalization is a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government. The USCIS provides a Naturalization Self-Test for those interested in naturalizing to prepare for their test. Generate questions and answer them for this test, but understand that they are by no means easy and that your performance on this test in no way illustrates how well you will do in this course. Nevertheless, clearly the USCIS wants to ensure that new citizens understand their government and its history. Certainly public education in the United States tries to make sure natural-born citizens are also aware of the government, but one’s citizenship is not revoked for not learning about government.

· Is this a double standard? Or is this merely a way to make sure immigrants are up-to-speed on the American political system?

Exercise #6

Having a grasp of U.S. population dynamics is not just interesting, but it is also important for a full understanding of who we are in the definition of politics: who gets what, when, and how. As we’ll see in later chapters, considerable political power rests in areas with large numbers of citizens. Visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 Maps of Population Estimates web page to see where we live and how that is changing. Click on the “Population for States and Puerto Rico” map to enlarge it.

· Which states have particularly large populations?

· What is the population of your state?

Click on the “Population Density for States and Puerto Rico” map.

· What does it mean that some states have high population density and others do not?

· What is the difference between population size and population density? What does it mean, for example, that Texas has an enormous population and Maryland has a relatively moderate population, yet Maryland has an enormous population density compared to Texas?