We have addressed American political culture from many perspectives this quarter. We have discussed the evolution of American political culture and several of the important elements that continue to shape it including, immigration, race, ethnicity, religion, education, elections and representation, etc. Although we often find it challenging to view things outside of the modern day perspective, much has changed over time. Consider the following:
2 months ago: you started this class
1 year ago: 2018 midterms elect the most diverse Congress ever
2 years ago: #MeToo movement begins
2.5 years ago: Trump signs first of three immigration and refugee bills aimed to curb immigration and refugees from several majority-Muslim nations (all have been stalled in court)
3 years ago: Trump elected president
3 years ago: marked increase in hate crimes in U.S., largely targeting immigrants, Muslims, Jews, and LGBTQ community
6 years ago: Unemployment 6.3% overall, 12.1% for African Americans, 9.1% for Hispanics, 4.8% for Asian Americans, DOW 16,700 (Today: Unemployment 3.6%, 5.4% for African Americans, 4.1% for Hispanics, 2.9% for Asian Americans, DOW at 27,691)
6.5 years ago: Black Lives Matter movement begins
7 years ago: Protestants no longer make up majority of American population
11 years ago: the first nonwhite president was elected
12 years ago: Unemployment 4.5%, DOW at 14,000
13 years ago: very few of us had ever heard of Barack Obama
14 years ago: The supreme court ruled that colleges still had legitimate reasons to use race and ethnicity as factors in college admissions
18 years ago: 9/11
28 years ago: the Rodney King Case and racially charged rioting
41 years ago: Regents of University of CA vs. Bakke
46 years ago: Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion nationwide
51 years ago: modern civil rights movement ends (according to most historians), Martin Luther King killed, major riots, peak of troops in Vietnam
52 years ago: third year in a row of major racially charged riots throughout American cities
54 years ago: Voting Rights Act of 1965, new immigration laws dramatically increase immigration (especially from Asia and Latin America), Black Power movement, Malcolm X killed
55 years ago: Civil Rights Act of 1964
56 years ago: March on Washington, Birmingham protests
64 years ago: Montgomery Bus Boycott
65 years ago: Brown vs. Board of Education
74 years ago: end of WWII
75 years ago: Interment of 110,000 Japanese Americans
99 years ago: Women gain the right to vote
112 years ago: peak of Immigration in early 20th century
123 years ago: Plessy vs. Ferguson - separate but equal is constitutional
125 years ago: widespread lynching and intimidation
137 years ago: Chinese Exclusion Act
142 years ago: end of reconstruction, early Jim Crow Era (which lasts nearly 100 years)
149 years ago: 15th amendment - black men given right to vote
151 years ago: 14th amendment
154 years ago: 13th amendment - end of slavery
154 years ago: end of Civil War, Start of reconstruction, black codes
158 years ago: start of Civil War
210 years ago: end of slave trade
232 years ago: Constitution written including 3/5 compromise and slavery
243 years ago: Declaration of Independence
399 years ago: First Pilgrims arrived searching for freedom to practice their religion
400 years ago: first slaves from Africa brought to colonies
412 years ago: first British Colony established
several thousand years earlier: Native Americans living here.
The point: much has changed, and often in a short period of time. Looking forward what do you predict will be the state of American political culture 2, 5, or 10 years from now? What can and should be done politically to help?
One request: Please take just a couple of minutes to complete your course evaluation if you have not already done so. I would really appreciate it. Just follow this link to go to campus connect.
I am hoping that within the next few years, things will start to look up for everyone. Our country's history is in many ways messy and problematic, but some particular things (like movements for social justice and civil rights) can give us hope for the future. I think that though his policies have been absolutely dangerous and detrimental, the election of Donald Trump might actually contribute to a great deal of progress if we play our cards right. If he has to be in office, we might as well try to get something out of it. I am of the opinion that his election and time in office have forced a lot of folks who were more moderate or preferred to stay out of politics to start to reckon with the realities of their world. Because of the frequent media coverage Trump's commentary, ideas, and policies have received, people are talking more about structural issues and biases, which is always a good step on the road towards progress. I am hopeful that with the election of a new President and the seemingly increasing number of young folks getting involved in politics that we can start to become a true Democracy. Some initial steps should be improving not only the accuracy of elections, but voter turnout as well. We also have to change education so that students are taught from a young age about the importance of civic participation and the power it has to change policy.
ReplyDeleteAlly, I completely agree with you that kids from a young age should be taught about civic participation from a young age. It is extremely concerning that in the last presidential election, 100 million eligible voters sat out and did not vote. Every single vote counts and, like you said, I believe that young people do not realize the importance of voting in order to change the political realities this country faces. I also agree with you that Trump's election made some/most people realize the realities in our system of government: women and minorities are underrepresented in our system of government as a cause of rich, white men overwhelmingly holding most political office and power at the expense of underrepresented groups. Moreover, today there are more women and minorities serving in Congress than ever before. While I do think that this is a step forward, the momentum needs to keep going in order to truly establish change and there still exist Americans who are determined to keep with the "status quo" of politics. This will be a challenge for years to come and only time will tell whether things can truly change.
DeleteAlly, I completely agree with you. I think the next several years will be focused on civic engagement and education, specifically addressing voter turnout and voter suppression. We've seen in the past couple of years how votes have made huge changes in representation for the government, with the most diverse Congress being elected in the last Midterms, and recent elections flipping states like Virginia. It's humbling to think that it has only been 100 years since the 19th amendment was passed. Voting is such as important civic duty that many people have shed blood for. I hope an increase in civic education will lead to higher voting turnouts, and voter reform in the next few years.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, I think phrasing it the way you have really allows for optimism when thinking about the future of American political culture. Given the demographics that we talked about in class, I think that the diversity of this Congress will only grow. You raise an important issue with increasing civic education in order to sustain these encouraging trends in voter turnout. I think that the above timeline indicates an exponential pattern of growth in civil liberties. Obviously, growth is not linear, nor will it automatically march toward guaranteed progress. I think that it will take a lot of hard work and activism to continue, as well as expand, a sense of political efficacy among average Americans. My perception of political efficacy is that regardless of party affiliation, or lack thereof, it is crucial to maintaining any sense of democracy.
DeleteFrom where we stand now, I think political culture will change significantly. The deep political divide in our country is becoming more apparent, and I believe the recognition of this divide will lead to change. The sooner we reconcile our divisions and identify the deeply problematic rhetoric in society, the sooner we can work to close these gaps and reform these rhetorics. What can be done politically to help is like Ally stated, civic engagement. Given our politically charged culture, we must express the importance and true meaning of our civic process. Through education, we can help close the gap between this deep political divide while also encouraging voter participation. Our civic engagement moving forward should not look divided or partisan; instead, we should focus on reconciling political differences.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Maureen! I think that going forward the US will have to come to terms with it's history and hopefully this will lead to real transformative change! I think your point on the impact of education on political divisions is relevant and extremely important given the influence ones schooling has on their political views but also how they conceptualize career and academic options for themselves. I hope that the culture surrounding voter participation changes and that within the next 10 years the Electoral College is reformed or changed since it has proven to be a distorting force in the most recent election. Like Niloo and Julissa noted below, I think polarization will continue to be a pressing issue within the next ten years, I have hope that as Congress becomes more diverse polarization will soften. However, it is very hard to be optimistic about many of the issues we covered in class, particularly in terms of income inequality... I think that in terms of political culture people will eventually come together to tackle income inequality considering everyone is negatively impacted except the 1%... I just don't know if that will happen within the next ten years.
DeleteIf you would have asked me what I thought the state of American political culture would be in 10 years from now about 4 years ago, my answer would have been very different than it is today. Although a large part of me wants to be hopeful that the future of the political culture will place a greater value on compassion, equality, and justice, I believe that the political polarization is going to continue to divide the country. With this said, I am extremely interested to see how this presidential election will play about because I believe it will reflect the future of our political culture very accurately. If our current president wins again, I believe I will remain cynical about our future. But, if we elect a more progressive president that values all Americans, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status, I think it would be a very important step in advancing our current political climate to a positive state. In order to help our political climate, I believe it of the utmost importance that we allow for the mobilization of grass roots movements across the United States. I think that activists are going to be the political players that have the most influence on our future political climate.
ReplyDeleteNiloo, I agree with everything you said since I feel the same exact way. I think it has come to the point where many people started to lack trust within the government due to the political polarization and the repetitiveness of discrimination. By that I mean that it is harder for there to be a change within the system when the dominant person representing our government or in charge of it are white older men. Recently, I had lunch with a district representative who used to work at Capital Hill. She is a latina and she mentioned how hard it was to work there due her being underrepresented and not having the ability to voice her voice. Which is why she left. I find it hard to believe that there will be a change in the system from 5 or 10 years from now but there is the slightest of hope with the up coming presidential campaign.
Delete
ReplyDeleteIn an ideal world I’d like to think that America will become a less polarized nation in the years to come. But the fact of the matter is that that if we continue to stick to the status quo that created President Trump, then our political gridlock isn’t going to get any better. We need to re-think what the purposes of elections are and what that means in relation to how our society treats certain aspects of American political culture that we’ve discussed all quarter. This means mobilizing people of all creeds, classes, races, ages and ethnicities under a progressive platform that doesn’t divide us but unites us. As a society we don’t need to fight each other or make our struggles a competition of who’s the most hurt; that’s what the elite class wants. Instead, we need to recognize that we are genuinely all in this together. Change comes from the bottom up and that’s why we need to mobilize all common people to create a political revolution.
#Bernie2020. I believe that the way to shape our future is to begin a movement. A revolution. Like what MLK did or Cesar Chavez did or Susan B. Anthony did. To make sure the injustice facing this nation towards the 99% and many minorities become justices, there must be a mobilized movement and I hope that the next decade will see that with the rise of AOC, Bernie, Ilhan, Rashida, Warren (I guess) and many grassroots movements.
DeleteAs of right now, I find it very difficult to be optimistic about the state of American political culture because of all the problems that have been deeply engrained in this country. However, as the timeline has shown, it is possible for real changes to be made that could either benefit or further disadvantage citizens. I would like to think that in the upcoming presidential election, whoever is elected into office will realize that there is much to be done to improve the quality of life in terms of our core American values (liberty, democracy, and equality). Though the list of potential advancements is long, there are a couple specific ideas that I think could overall help the situation the U.S is in. One is for a new education policy that focuses more on genuinely helping children succeed instead of only placing emphasis on competition through standardized tests. Investing in children at a young age not only helps the individual but will eventually lead to a more productive society. NCLB has been replaced by ESSA, and while that did advance the educational system, I believe that there are still refinements that are worth making in order to help children excel. Another policy area that I think could be improved is immigration. I think that the process to becoming a citizen should be easier because most, if not all people who come to this country have a legitimate reason for leaving their home country and deserve to be allowed to live in the country they choose. While there are still countless problems visible today, America has progressed as time as gone on and I hope that will continue in the future.
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa,
DeleteI see your point that the issues America has previously faced have deeply impacted the country and it's society, therefore, I agree with you that it is hard to be optimistic. I also agree that who gets into the office in 2020 will hopefully focus on core solutions to improve the live's of the citizens. I think that education should be amongst their top priorities, as it will ultimately form the kind of people that will emerge in the next years. If they implement some changes in testing and also changing the quality of education starting from elementary, will defiantly be evident in how much smarter the future children will be.
Looking forward, I believe that American political culture will change in many ways, but not significantly in the near future. In recent decades, we have made such progress, diversifying our elected leaders and our social culture as a nation. And with the younger generation coming of age to vote and even to run for office, I have high hopes that this trend will continue. However, our political system has deep roots in classical liberalism and capitalism and much of the economic and social inequity that we see today most likely will not change unless the system itself changes. However, I do believe that in order to begin to combat some of the economic and political inequality that persists in America, government intervention will be needed. We must begin to implement programs that attack institutional economic inequality, which has never really been done before. I think that it is possible to make progress step by step, however, within the foundation of our democracy there lies barriers that will be extremely difficult to break.
ReplyDeleteHi Elise: I completely agree that American political culture in general will not change significantly in the near future. I think in the context of a university education, and being surrounded by young people, it's easy to think that there is some sort of teleological progress on the horizon. It's important to keep in mind that many, many Americans are not compelled to work toward this, and are generally accepting of the current situation. I could be all wrong, though :)
DeleteOvertime, American political culture has progressed in positive manners, while in others, it has worsened -- and that is definitely normal for any nation. America can and will never be perfect, but there is always room for improvement, and in its case, there is more than enough room. American political culture has fluctuated in the context of elements that have shaped its society. I want to talk about how important representation is and how I believe it may be getting better with time. We now have the most diverse Congress we have ever had and although the majority is still white males, there are still more women and people of color openly in politics than there ever has been. I believe, or at least hope, that there will someday be equal representation in American political culture sometime in the near future. It is not easy for one government to be fully democratic, but it seems that in American politics, solutions to change are so visible, there just are no actions being prioritized toward them. I hope that soon, there will be more care and effort for not just the people of America but for the world. I hope that there will soon be at least a small sense of altruism. These have just been my hopes, but genuinely I believe there will be better and more accurate representation of all types of people whether it is by race, gender, and others. If there is more equal representation, I believe that the nation could move toward more democratic ideals.
ReplyDeleteJane Pallos
DeleteI think about the possibilities regarding the future of American political culture almost every day. We’re in such an interesting place, our political culture could go in so many different ways. I think a major deciding factor is what happens with the 2020 election, and whether Trump gets reelected or not. If the Democrat wins, I also think there’s many paths depending on which person it is. The same goes if Trump wins. Frankly, he's so unpredictable, it’s difficult to make judgements on what will happen. We know his attitudes towards immigrants, people of color, women, etc, and that he will further perpetuate those ideas. Something I fear though is the dismantling of democratic institutions. Since he started his campaign, we’ve seen the early signs of fascism. He has destroyed any sort of confidence in the media and in our democratic institutions, and I think that will continue to happen if he wins. This is only going to create a more polarized society, and that is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteLet’s say a democrat wins, either Warren or Sanders (they have very similar platforms), I think we might see some major structural changes, and the effects of that will spread throughout society. I think society will leans a bit further to the liberal side. At the same time though, there’s going to be people on the opposite end, people who take to Warren and Sanders’s socialist ideas very negatively. So there could be a more intense polarization. If Biden wins, then I think we’re going to return to a similar state as when Obama was president and before that.
Overall though, I do believe that we are heading in a more liberal direction. We built this country on the oppression of other people, and we have made so much more progress as a society. I could go on about the list of problems this country still has, but at the end of the day, we do not enslave people, women are allowed to work, people can love whoever they want to love, most can participate in democracy. The point is, as a whole, we’ve made progress. The optimist in me truly believes we’re going to keep going.
Based on what I hear and see of Political Culture past and present, I think that throughout the upcoming years, our country will a major change from time to time regarding some topic issues. The history of this country always has been problematic and troubling to the people of this nation. And I think that these problems will never end or even get any better based on what we see from the past to present. However, I see that in several years, more and more young people will be involved in civic engagement and education and will it more serious. But the only problem is having a president like Donald Trump who currently doesn’t know how to run this country. I feel like if he gets elected one more term, I will hope for no problem within the United States or outside start happening. Based on my knowledge, I already know that the Immigration issue won’t get better. In order to help with these situations, I think that the people of this nation need to stick together and support each other and allow more young activists to run this political process that is creating all these conflicts. Maybe then will have less drama and more progress in improving the Political culture in the United State.
ReplyDeleteI think that American political culture will shift heavily in upcoming years to the issues of identity that we are learning about to finish the course. Predominantly, I see that religion, gender, and sexual preference have become increasingly relevant issues in modern elections. Moving forward, in the next 2-5 years, I believe that American will start to see ardent strides in electing more women and openly LGBTQ+ individuals to government positions. Based on our coursework thus far, these two particular identities seem to ones that people are becoming more accepting of and with increased acceptance there seems to be an increase in opportunity and visibility. Further down the road, perhaps 10 years from now or longer, I do think that the United States will eventually begin work on correcting the immensely disproportionate religious representation and understanding in the nation. Religion still seems to be a bit of a taboo topic, which I believe had incredibly hindered our ability to have thorough and progressive conversations about it. Additionally, the facetious vail of “separation of church and state” has preventing us from seriously scrutinizing the way that religion very seriously functions in our political culture and government. 10 years could make a major difference in how the diverse religious makeup of the nation is manifested in politics.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point that more women and LGBTQ+ individuals will be elected to public office, especially given the results of the 2018 midterm elections. Sadly, I also think that a result of this diversification of government will be a continued rise of hate crimes towards racial minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals. I think that as certain groups become more visible and accepted, more and more extremist conservatives will attempt to fight the change. I also agree with your point that the future will see changes to the relationship between religion and government in the U.S. As of seven years ago protestants no longer make up a majority of the population, so who knows what the religious make up of the country will be ten years from now. I believe the country will diversify a lot religiously in the next decade which will hopefully open conversations about the role of religion in our government.
DeleteLooking forward, 2 years from now, I predict the state of American political culture will change based off of the 2020 Presidential Election. Depending on who gets elected, things can go either way. For example, if Trump gets elected, Democrats and myself, will be upset. If a Democrat candidate wins, then the Trump supporters and Republicans will be upset. Either way, I think there will be an increase in racial, sexist, and religious tensions. I think politically closeted people will be more vocal in the next 2 years. The U.S. needs change. I think people will be taking a stand more; peaceful protesting. However, I think there will be some troubles. There's nothing I wish more for the U.S. than to have stricter gun control. Gun violence in America is so out of hand and ridiculous. But of course, I doubt it's going to happen. America loves money and America's gun business brings in a lot money. Another issue I see happening 2 years from now is a more sensitive society. Some things I agree should not be made a joke of, but I see news on Twitter such as people for real complaining about Starbucks' holiday cups. I mean come on. It is just the dumbest thing ever to me that people want to make a controversy out of anything. The best thing to be done to politically help is to be realistic or influence others to not be silly. I think people need a reality check in America. Bigger problems that pose a threat to the citizen's lives or living situations, wages, education, safety, etc. should be their top concerns rather than some cups.
ReplyDeleteIn future years I hope that this country will learn that immigration is a benefit to this country. I call on a movement similar like the Civil Rights movement for immigrants (documented or undocumented). A movement that will call on all Americans that immigrants ranging from DACA recipients to the undocumented parent working multiple jobs are just as American as they are. I hope that as today's culture embraces diversity, they must also learn to embrace the very people that bring that diversity to this country. The next decade will be defined by the 2020 election. I hope that in doing so, basic human rights domestic and abroad will not be seen as a "socialist movement" but as a human rights movement. I hope that the idea that taxing the rich as they have more income is not extreme but common sense. I hope that the idea that healthcare is a human right becomes a social norm rather than an "extreme socialist idea". I hope that women will have the right to choose in abortion just like how many firmly believe their right to bare arms. I hope that schools will be a place of sanctuary once again and not a shooting range. I hope that in the future, a fundamental political agenda (healthcare for all, immigration amnesty, safe schools, pro-choice, etc.) becomes a social norm as this country must learn to protect all and not just the top 1%.
ReplyDeleteI really like the point you made of how basic healthcare and human rights to everyone, aren't needed to be seen as socialist but as basic human rights. I do think once these rights are implemented in, it would in turn produce a greater, more stable country.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think American Political Culture is changing very quickly, people are becoming more aware of injustices in the country and what they can do to fix it. The last presidential election was huge for bringing out all the problems our country has and had been in denial of. The black lives matter movement, LGBTQ rights, immigration reform, islamophobia, me too movement, combating poverty, refugee crisis, the wall debate...etc. and so many others. Our political and social climate is pretty hostile at the moment, but I think the next presidential election will either heal the countries issues and give people hope, or things could go pretty south. I have optimism that the more people are informed with the realities of what is going on, with the help of technology; it will make things more transparent and impossible to be overlooked. I think we are at a time that activism is very important to the majority of the population. It is more important than ever for the mass majority to fight against injustices and I think that is a sign of hope for our country.
ReplyDeleteLike many people have said, I think our political culture is going to continue changing very rapidly. With the growing importance of social media platforms and the ability of the internet to kickstart social movements and spread awareness of issues has revolutionized the way our political culture functions. I think in the future, we will see more of this as technology continues to evolve. I think we’re also currently seeing the movement towards more social ideals as the younger generations become more politically involved and able to vote. This new voting bloc will change the way we look at political culture and will demonstrate the shifting of platforms. I think the environment will become a key political issue and will dictate a lot of our political culture, especially within the next 15 years. With things like climate change and sea level rise, the importance of preserving our planet and doing our best to prevent these vast negative changes will force our political culture to shift vastly. I think the diversifying of our politics will continue to expand, just looking at the diversifying of American society as a whole. I think this is a good thing and is a good step towards better representation on all levels. Overall, I think political culture will continue to change drastically and in ways that are unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteI am both hopeful and fearful for the future of american political culture. I hope that if we are able to vote Donald Trump out of office and once again have a Democrat as president, there might be a decrease in the violence against others based on their race, religion, and sexual orientation. Having someone as hateful as Trump in office has contributed to these hate crimes, and given others the courage to speak their minds against others. Like Hazel, I think that with the growing of social media and the internet, political culture will continue to spread to younger generations. I cannot stress enough the importance of increasing the dialogue of the political atmosphere in our country. We need to engage every citizen in politics, and as politics take to social media, I think it's a great start. I believe new key issues will take over and the parties will have to come together to help reverse some of the impacts we are seeing, such as a rise in global population, global warming, etc. More and more people are starving on the streets, and it is going to take a partnership between the Democrats and Republicans to stop this. I like to think that bipartisanship agreement is in the future, but considering how polarized things are right now, it is hard to say for sure what might happen in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our political culture will become more progressive this is due to this young grassroots movement that has emerged after the 2016 election. The 2018 midterms elected the most diverse Congress ever. This trend will carry on into the future and will be very impactful in the upcoming election. Congress has to resemble the diverse population in the U.S. Diversity in congress will be beneficial since it will result in social issues being discussed and resolved in our society. In 10 years, I predict that Congress will pass a gun control reform and the Green New Deal. Young leaders will be elected into Congress and will fight to pass progressive legislation. I hope that DACA will continue to exist even though the Supreme Court might rule in ending the program. Congress will realize the economic and social benefits that Dreams provide to this country and will attempt to pass a fair immigration reform. Although I’m optimistic about the future I am also concerned. This is due to our history in politics that has taught us that once we make a progressive change it has resulted in harmful policies being passed as well a couple of years later. To sustain a progressive agenda the young grassroots movement must continue to expand. We have to motivate people to vote national and most importantly local elections.
ReplyDeleteThe current state of political culture honestly does not fill me with tons of optimism about what the future holds for this nation. The current political climate that is leading to extreme polarization is not one that is conducive to a healthy a democracy. To quote Abraham Lincoln “A house divided against itself, cannot stand”. The optimist in me hopes that our current problems could potentially bring about positive changes through a national self-actualization that we are stronger together than constantly working in spite of each other. The 2020 elections and the days following will be really telling about the next 2, 5, and 10 years. Perhaps all the strife affecting this nation currently could lead to a ground swell of political involvement in our democracy and political interest. This isn’t too far-fetched as we have already seen many more ground level/ grass roots political movements beginning to be active in the country. It’d be nice if all this political emotion in our culture is actualized into votes and not just bluster. My hope is in ten years we can look back at this time of our political culture as just a hiccup on a long road to a more effective republic.
ReplyDeleteThe most important feature in moving towards a positive historical frontier symbolizing America calls for not turning back (as has happened in the last several years regarding racial injustices toward groups of color and immigrants) On the bright side, unemployment has gone down, but I would ask what percent of those workers actually earn a basic salary that can sufficiently provide an income to afford enough commodities to survive? Overall, the future of politics, going off current polarized trends within both parties, exemplifies the insurmountable divide within the American population and their representatives. Going forward, I would advocate both parties to approach policy proposals and decision making within a centrist dogma. Undoubtedly, most citizens that fervently align with a political ideology will argue that a moderate approach will not accomplish the goals of their group. However, as a nation, we have to keep in mind the multiplicity of interests that reside from various parts of the political spectrum. In my opinion, it is better to receive some portion of a proposal passed through Congress rather than none. As a society living within a two-party system, it is our choice how divided we want to make the choices which our elected officials bring to surface on Capitol Hill. Therefore, I urge for a balancing of idealogical views from an extreme angle to a more central or simply left/right leaning stance. In effect, the net positives will provide both supporters from each party with some benefits rather than none because of contemporary polarized trends. Sometimes, we need to sacrifice the whole in order to receive a portion of it rather than nothing at all (in this case, policies enacted to better the lives of American citizens.) -Olivia Piotrowski
ReplyDeleteThere are so many issues at the forefront of American politics that it's hard for me to predict which ones will intensity, change, or be resolved. However, I like to think it optimistic terms, so, I'm hoping that American political culture will evolve in a net positive way in the coming years. Specifically, I'm hoping for the continuing diversity in public office. I'd love to continue to see elected officials to more accurately represent the demographics of the U.S. (i.e. more diversity in gender, religion, race, etc.) With this, I'm hoping that the increase in diversity will also promote greater acceptance of the different people in the United States. I really hope to see a reduction in hate crimes, aggression, and just an uptick in overall acceptance of everyone living here. I think that this could even possibly help solve some of the other issues that we're facing today. Right now, I maintain to have a lot of hope for the future of the United States and our political culture.
ReplyDeleteIdeally in the upcoming years, I see our country as significantly less polarized as it is now. I truly believe that polarization has created a substantial divide amongst Americans. It has clearly affected the media which has, in turn, affected public opinion. There’s far less discussion on political policy, solutions to progress, and just working together to establish a better system for the country and our countries’ foreign relations. Optimally, I hope we reach a point where both parties don’t see each other as the enemy. I also see a far more socially liberal state. Future generations are becoming much more accepting of people who might have different demographics than them. Personally, I think these attitudes do nothing but good. I believe the first step in progress is understanding that there will always be people with different experiences. Combining this with a state that’s not as focused on party identification, should produce a stable solution. I admit that that is quite idealistic of me, but I don’t think it’s that far stretched. Our country has been a swinging pendulum ( in terms of party identification ) for decades. There was a point not too long ago where people thought there weren’t enough differences among the parties. So I do see this period as a blip in our future climate.
ReplyDeleteI am truly optimistic about the upcoming years to follow, I understand that our past historical events have impacted our society for better or worst. For example, the #Metoo movement created conversations of sexual and physical abuse that women in the entertaining field encounter. However, this #Metoo movement also expand to other traditional occupations. Women working in offices and in other locations also encounter such abuses. By allowing these brave women to share and speak up. It allows our society and government to implement regulations. Though, past historical event have been problematic. I am more than confident that as a society we can learn from past mistakes. I know several people that are having respectful conversations that belong to different political ideologies. As a social conservative, I am more than happy to have conversations with people that do not identify as socially conservative. It is these conversations that open and widens our perspective and creates a peaceful environment for everyone. For the upcoming years, I believe that Sanders will hold the presidency in the upcoming election. I know that as a society we may have different views, but we need to create a common ground where everyone can contribute.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on my childhood, I feel as if the American political culture has regressed with certain aspects. Weather the polarization and racism has always been at ulimitate high as it is now. It is definitely more visible ever since the 2016 elections. There has been a larger push for white supremacy “superiority” over other races, the issue within class in America has become more visible the wealth inequality between the rich and the poor. I do not think these issues can be fixed overtime nor do i think the solution is an easy answer. Currently it is far more easier to have access to a smartphone, I feel like this has been a large contribution to the exposure of these issues within our system. We now have news at the palm of our hands. Accessing information has never been easier, this is the first step to the solution letting the problem be known. I also feel with the increase of diversity within office and more civic engagement within minorities is a great contribution to fix this political scramble in our nation. Ignorance is the main issue in this country and with more exposure to people who are considered “different” is a great way to change the minds of many Americans and show that minorities are not just a color, but humans who are working for the same rights as any other fellow American.
ReplyDeleteMaking a prediction about what the state of American political culture will be like in the future is a little daunting. I hope American political culture will be less divided over major issues and more able to see disagreements as an opportunity to compromise. I hope that politics will become less tribal so more things can “get done around here.” However, right now I think we need to emphasize informed civic engagement. I think that, as Americans we are granted a lot of freedom in exercising our rights, especially our right to be critical of our society, and voting is a great way to exercise that right. Additionally, I think that teaching children how to have respectful and critical discussion is becoming more important as information becomes more accessible and presents itself in many forms. Being critical is important but being understanding of others’ experiences is equally important in having a productive discussion. In order to nurture our diversity and turn it into inclusion, while expanding the rights of citizens, productive and non judgemental discussion needs to be embedded into our political culture.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAlthough this could be said about anytime in American politics, I think we are reaching a breaking point where depending on circumstances we could go one way or another. I think we either wake up to the circumstances facing us due to decades of neoliberalism, which is economic inequality, climate change, and societal crisis, or we continue down the current path to destruction. I don’t really see climate change being fundamentally solved without the dissolution of capitalism globally, or at least within Asia and the Americas, so I think that as the future progresses, we will see more arguments for different economic models or methods of sustaining human life. Both the Republican and Democratic parties, at their core, are cancers on American political culture because, while they are a major part of it, I feel like they prey upon the anxieties and ignorance of the public, and exploit the working class while enriching the richest Americans through government contracts (prisons, military, internment camps etc) or through tax cuts. And on top of that, both parties’ refuse to act on climate change in a meaningful way, which would be nationalizing oil and gas, divesting from it, and investing in clean energy among other things. In order to keep living on this planet, most of American society needs to be completely restructured because it is not sustainable. I am thinking about the suburbs, exurbs, and most rural America. Really big changes need to happen soon, and I think that as the effects of climate change and inequality worsen and become even more visible than they already are some, the shit will hit the fan and eventually the shit will hit everyone in the face.
Looking forward I only have high hopes for the future of our Country and culture. From reading this timeline I believe we have reached huge milestones that have made an effort to be more inclusive of people and ideas, granted with some drawbacks. Although, our Nation is becoming more diverse and the issues of inequality ingrained in our history are being acknowledged. This is evident in the fact that populations of minorities are growing and thriving. Unemployment has fallen by 2.7% compared to 6 years ago, especially beneficial to African American, Hispanic, and Asian Americans who are working and getting paid. There is no doubt we are moving to becoming a more diverse nation as the Census predicts The US will become ‘minority white’ in 2045. Hopefully, with the demographics of the U.S changing the culture will also progress. I predict our culture will become more inclusive and this will be aided by politics and laws like legalizing gay marriage for example.
ReplyDelete