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American Politics

Student:

Institutional:

Course:

Professor:

Date:
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I knew very little about American politics when I started this course. I was most familiar

with the names of the president and the vice president, and I knew a few basics about how the

government worked. I was interested in learning more about the topic to understand the current

political climate in the United States. I used a variety of sources to help me understand American

politics. I started by reading the textbook and watching the lectures. I then looked at websites

like CNN, Fox News, and NBC News to get different perspectives on the same topics. I also read

articles from various sources, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Politico.

I found that using various sources helped me understand the topic better. I learned a lot about

American politics during this course. I learned about the different branches of government and

how they work together. I also learned about the different political parties and their ideologies. I

learned about the process of how laws are made, and I learned about the different elections that

take place in the United States. Overall, I gained a better understanding of the American political

system.

Part 1

American politics is the process by which the government of the United States of

America is conducted. It is responsible for the regulation and governance of the country.

American politics is a complex and ever-changing field. The course concepts that I found to be

most relevant for my topic were the different branches of government and the different political

parties. I found that these concepts were the most helpful in understanding the American political

system. As a result, a greater grasp of American politics can be gained by familiarizing oneself

with the three government departments and their respective responsibilities. The executive,

legislative, and judicial branches of government make up our system of government. The
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executive branch is tasked with enforcing the laws passed by Congress. The legislative branch

enacts legislation. The judiciary is tasked with giving meaning to the laws passed.

Different political parties are also a component of American politics. The Democratic

Party and the Republican Party are the two most important political organizations in the United

States. Various views and policies are held by these parties (Formation of political parties, 2008).

To win seats in the government, they compete against each other in elections. Political affairs in

the United States are a dynamic and ever-evolving field. Each branch of government has its

position and responsibilities inside the system. The executive, legislative, and judicial branches

of government make up our system of government. The executive branch is tasked with

enforcing the laws passed by Congress. The legislative branch enacts legislation. The judiciary is

tasked with giving meaning to the laws passed. There are numerous political parties in American

politics as well. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the two largest political

parties in the United States. The policies and philosophies of each of these groups are quite

diverse. To win seats in the government, they compete against each other in elections.

Part 2

The liberal standpoint of American politics is that the government should be involved in

the regulation and governance of the country. The government should be responsible for the

welfare of the people. The government should provide social services, such as healthcare and

education. The government should also be involved in protecting the rights of the people. The

liberal standpoint of American politics is that the government should be involved in the

regulation and governance of the country. The government should be responsible for the welfare

of the people (Hibbing, & Theiss-Morse, 2002). The government should provide social services,

such as healthcare and education. The government should also be involved in protecting the
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rights of the people. The evidence I found supporting this liberal standpoint was a quote from the

Democratic Party's 2016 platform.

The platform states, "We believe that government has a responsibility to promote the general

welfare of the people." (Platform, 2016). This quote shows that the Democratic Party believes

that the government should be involved in promoting the welfare of the people. The evidence

that I found to support this liberal standpoint was also an article from CNN. "Effective state

intervention of the sort liberals propose depends almost entirely on a state that is strong

economically and socially." (Bennett, 2012). The article states that liberalism is a political

philosophy that believes in the government's role in promoting the welfare of the people. The

article also states that liberalism supports the protection of individual rights.

The conservative standpoint of American politics is that the government should be small

and have less involvement in the lives of its citizens. The government should also be fiscally

responsible and not spend more money than it takes in. Conservatives believe in personal

responsibility and self-reliance. They believe people should be free to live as they see fit, as long

as they do not hurt others. They believe that the government should not be involved in the

economy and that businesses and individuals should be free to compete in the marketplace.

Conservatives also believe in a strong national defense and support using military force to

protect the country (Huntington, 1954). They believe that America should be a world leader and

promote democracy and freedom around the globe. "The conservative viewpoint is that the less

government is involved in citizens' lives, the better off everyone will be." (Fox News, 2018).

Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual

liberty, and a strong national defense.

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I believe that both standpoints have valid points. I think the conservative standpoint is

valid because the government should be small and have less involvement in the lives of its

citizens. I also think the liberal standpoint is valid because the government should be large and

have more involvement in the lives of its citizens. I think the media does a good job presenting

both sides of the issue. I think the media does a good job of reporting on the news and events in

American politics.

On the other hand, the media appears to be biased because each media outlet has a chosen

party for which it prefers to broadcast its news; for example, the bulk of CNN news is liberal. In

contrast to liberals and Democrats, conservatives have a significantly larger affinity for Fox

News than any other ideological group. Conservatives identify Fox News as their primary source

for news about politics and government, with 47% citing the network ("Section 1: Media

sources: Distinct favorites emerge on the left and right," 2020).

Part 3

At the beginning of this course, my viewpoint on American politics was that it was a

complex and ever-changing field. I found that the different branches of government and the

different political parties were the most helpful in understanding the American political system.

Throughout the course, my viewpoint on American politics has stayed the same. I still believe

that it is a complex and ever-changing field. I have found that the different branches of

government and the different political parties are the most helpful in understanding the American

political system.

I believe that the media coverage of American politics has positively impacted my

understanding. I have learned about the different branches of government and the different
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political parties. I have also learned about the different ideologies and policies of the two major

political parties. I learned that the media is biased and does not provide a clear understanding of

the American political system. I confirmed that the different branches of government and the

different political parties are the most helpful in understanding the American political system. I

did not change my opinion on American politics.

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References

Platform, D. P. (2016). Energy independence.

Huntington, S. P. (1954). Radicalism and Conservatism in National Defense Policy. Journal of

International Affairs, 206-222.

Hibbing, J. R., & Theiss-Morse, E. (2002). Stealth democracy: Americans' beliefs about how

government should work. Cambridge University Press.

Section 1: Media sources: Distinct favorites emerge on the left and right. (2020, August 28). Pew

Research Center's Journalism Project.

https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2014/10/21/section-1-media-sources-distinct-

favorites-emerge-on-the-left-and-right/

Formation of political parties - Creating the United States | Exhibitions - Library of Congress.

(2008, April 12). Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-

states/formation-of-political-parties.html

Bennett, W. (2012, November 28). Why liberalism will ultimately fail. CNN.

https://www.cnn.com/2012/11/28/opinion/bennett-liberalism/index.html

Fox News. (2018, April 23). What is conservatism? Retrieved from

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/what-is-conservatism
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