This week we are beginning to look at how political culture is socially and historically constructed. In order to gain the most value from this course we also must examine ourselves in terms of how we conceptualize major cultural concepts and how these ideas and values have been constructed in each of our individual lives. That is your challenging task this week. As you read the assigned readings for this week think about your personal ideas regarding big questions like: what does it mean to be "American" and what an American political identity might be (or think generally about your political views and priorities). Most important reflect on why you have these beliefs. Those ideas have been constructed throughout your life. Think critically about how you have personally constructed your political culture lens by answering some or all of the following questions:
- How do you identify yourself politically (or what group(s) do you personally identify with)?
- How has this affected your conception of the role of government or your relationship with the government?
- Who or what has affected your personal views about politics specifically or social or moral issues in general (people, institutions, media, personal experiences, etc...)?
- Why do you do feel the way you do about various political groups (both similar and different from you)?
- How does the time and place in which you live impact your political ideology?
Gaining a more critical understanding of what you feel and how you have developed these views will help us as we look at the social and historical construction of American political culture in general.
Remember: Your responses should be approximately one long or two short paragraphs and no more (around 150 words). No research is necessary but think carefully about what you want to write and respond to the ideas presented on the blog, not the people. The goal is to use these prompts to start a dialogue that can evolve through the week. You should post your comment(s) by 8pm on Wednesday. Everyone should skim the discussion before class on Thursday.
Remember: Your responses should be approximately one long or two short paragraphs and no more (around 150 words). No research is necessary but think carefully about what you want to write and respond to the ideas presented on the blog, not the people. The goal is to use these prompts to start a dialogue that can evolve through the week. You should post your comment(s) by 8pm on Wednesday. Everyone should skim the discussion before class on Thursday.
To simply call myself a liberal seems to be an injustice, for my political views, along with everyone else’s, cannot be formulated into a simple equation that separates society, for the most part, into liberals and conservatives. Our beliefs are formulated through a wide variety of different primers (i.e. family, media) and these beliefs, as a collective, vary from person to person. Accordingly, our beliefs usually blur the boundaries between liberal and conservative ideologies. Personally, my beliefs, as a whole, are liberal, but on numerous occasions I find myself agreeing with a slightly more conservative viewpoint depending on the situation. This does not make me any less liberal, but rather demonstrates a willingness to look at a social issue without political party blinders (where it sometimes seems that various agendas trying to be implemented by liberals and conservatives is viewed as a game in which we are rooting for our team). I think Michael Walzer’s analogy of an American eagle holding a “sheaf of arrows” on the Great Seal represents our varying political beliefs within ourselves perfectly since these beliefs are not fused together (as in purely liberal or conservative), but rather held together despite being distinct.
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ReplyDeleteMy parents and my education have heavily shaped my political views. Growing up my parents taught me to align myself with political leaders who felt the same as I do in regards to political, social, and moral issues and not focus so much on being affiliated with a party. As I began to learn more through my education my opinions have become more clearly defined. The time and place has greatly affected my political ideology. As I mentioned in class, I went to Missouri State prior to DePaul. My political ideology at the time was shaped strongly by the culture in Missouri, my friends, and my professors. The way of life and the influences that I experienced there shaped predominately conservative social views, which was not something I had experienced before. The main reason I returned to Chicago was in search of a more diverse culture. Since living in Chicago I have been presented with different views and opinions that has allowed me to chose for myself what my views would be. Now that I am more educated about political and social issues I feel like I no longer judge those with different beliefs as myself. Because I have a much better understanding of politics it is easier to respect others opinions. I now realize that they have had different personal experiences and were raised in different cultures that has led them to their own beliefs just like my experiences have led me to mine.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I identify as an independent. I support different parts of both the Republicans and the Democrats political agendas. Socially, I am much more aligned with the Democrats. I fully believe in the right to choose, same sex marriage, and the need for immigration reform. However, fiscally I agree with many Republicans, on issues such as reducing the deficit and trying to reform social programs whose costs are spiraling out of control. Not fully supporting either of the major parties has put me in the position of having to do a lot of research on the candidates in races. Many people just vote for their party’s candidate, and do not listen to all of their speeches, or read their entire policy agenda. I have to carefully find the candidate whose ideals and beliefs most closely align with my own. I currently have little faith in either political party. I think that both have become too extreme (but especially the far right conservatives). I think that this is due to the fact that they have both shown on multiple occasions that they are unwilling to compromise and gridlock has become the norm in D.C. Also, the government shutdown last year does not help restore my faith in the ability of either party to effectively lead the country in the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteI believe Americans are too often forced to choose whether they affiliate with a Conservative or Liberal political ideology. Many people don’t realize that they may hold middle-of-the-road beliefs where their overall philosophy is much more centrist rather on either far edge of the spectrum. It wasn’t until my first year of political science studies that I realized I was indeed a political moderate. I’ve always been open minded about ideas from the opposing parties but tend to hold more Conservative stances on fiscal issues while I lean towards Liberal stances on social issues. Growing up I lived in a small farm town and was raised by extremely Conservative parents and grandparents that consistently voted Republican. Because that was what was familiar to me, I wrongly assumed that their beliefs had to be mine. Now that I have been fortunate to receive an education on this specific topic in a more urban area, I have been able to better formulate and construct my own political opinions.
ReplyDeleteAs social issues have evolved over time, I believe the individuals growing up in newer generations are more prone to take Liberal stances on topics such as gay marriage, marijuana legalization, abortion, etc. Along with the time in which you are born, I believe the region that you live in can effect political ideologies as well. In larger cities you are encouraged to be diverse while in small town areas its harder to diverge away from what is considered to be the norm. Overall, I believe it is crucial to be well informed before deciding on who to vote for, which party to side with, how to vote on issues, and what to advocate for and I still work hard every day at constructing my own political ideologies.
I’m about as liberal as they come and think Capitalism has ruined our democracy. To me, the U.S. should absolutely be a welfare state. What good is government if it doesn’t help its neediest citizens? I don’t trust our government because it isn’t really controlled by the people. All the deregulation and union bashing since Regan has stripped the power from the many and handed it over to a few. Laissez-faire economics has led to virtually no transparency and, in turn, led the people have no (informed) voice.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a gung ho patriot until joining the Air Force and being deployed. I saw a bit of the destruction and oppression that comes with our military adventures. That’s when I really opened my eyes to the self-interest that dictates our foreign policy. Since then I’ve read a lot of books – from Chomsky and Zinn to Guevara and Marx – and sometimes wish I could go back to blissful ignorance. All this blatantly evident inequality and inopportunity makes me feel like the only solution is a full on revolution.
Posted for Katie B:
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am not sure I can really identify where I am politically or what groups I identify with because I always seem to fall in the middle when it comes to choosing a side. I am somewhat conservative in my views on certain issues, such as the economy and affirmative action and yet can still be liberal on others, such as abortion and education. I believe that my political views are most affected by my upbringings and my surroundings. My parents tend to be very conservative, so all growing up so was I. Then I moved away from home into a big city, started thinking more for myself when I became voting age and found myself leaning towards a more liberal view on certain issues. I think growing up in a very religious household and small community also played a large role in my parents’ views and until I came to really experience the diversity that is the American population I did not have a very liberal view either. Not only has moving to a more diverse area and learning more on my own played a role in my liberal opinions on certain issues but I believe the time in which I am becoming an adult plays a significant role as well. I believe that as a nation we are becoming more and more liberal not only in politics but the way issues are discussed across multiple forms of media, which impacts everyone not just those people who live in diverse communities and observe different lifestyles. The more I see of this country the more I love the wide ranges of differences of the population and as a government founded on personal freedom I am beginning to believe more and more liberally as more and more different ways of life are exposed to me.
Posted for Ahmed:
ReplyDeletePersonally, I identify myself as socially liberal and sometimes as fiscally conservative. I say “sometimes” because I go back and fourth quite a bit when it comes to fiscal responsibility. While I do believe that spreading the wealth in the United States is imperative I also think that a person should be able to attain what money they have worked for without the government interfering and taking a majority of it away in taxes. With this political viewpoint it has an affected the way I view my ideology when I consider myself socially liberal. I consider myself strongly socially liberal and sometimes because of that outlook I have strayed away from my fiscally conservative outlook financially. My outlook socially is directly correlated to the way I grew up with my parents. Both of my parents are very socially liberal while at the same time being fiscally conservative. However one thing that has continued in my family is the negative connotation with the Republican Party. This is mainly in part to my parents because they’ve always so strongly disagreed with their social outlook. Finally time and place have directly impacted my ideology. For example coming to DePaul has strengthened my social liberalism because of the like-minded people that I’ve surrounded myself with.
I'd agree that people should be rewarded for their work, but I personally think the incentive structure is all wrong. The individualistic mindset of "make money at all costs" has pitted neighbor against neighbor in competition with no regard for externalities (like the environment, or basically all of Africa). I believe the incentive should be to work together towards goals that benefit mankind rather than the individual (a guy can dream right?) In addition, in my opinion, there should be no more billionaires. Awarding that much wealth and power to one individual (or family) is absurd. How can we justify one guy having a fleet of private jets while whole American communities can't even put food on the table?
ReplyDeleteYou may say that they worked hard, earned it, and can do whatever they want with their wealth, but do they really work harder than the single mom in the ghetto? Did they (think Koch Brothers) earn their wealth or was it just handed to them (compared to poor kids being strapped down by debt from birth)? If what they choose to do with all that wealth benefits only a few people, do they really deserve it? Sorry, kind of a rant, but this is the way I personally see things. I think a lot of people are afraid to admit that they benefitted from better opportunities and aren't necessarily stronger or smarter than those who the system has failed.
Growing up in a liberal family and environment (Seattle) has definitely had an influence on my political opinions. Politically and ideologically I identify myself as a Democrat and, I guess, specifically a progressive. Though, I am too ill informed about Republican ideologies to state that I identify solely as a Democrat. And truthfully, I do not even like to identify myself with current Republican and Democratic government officials/groups because I believe that most are looking out for their own self-interests and both groups have a fair share of corruption. Ultimately, I believe both parties are far from perfect.
ReplyDeleteThis belief has affected my relationship with government in a negative way. I do not necessarily want a more limited government, however, I do believe critical changes need to happen before I can think about the government in a more positive manner. For instance, changes dealing with lobbying and the revolving door and reform in campaign finances.
My political identity has been mainly shaped by what my parents believe and the educational institutions I have attended. That being said I consider myself slightly more liberal than anything, but I have been taught to always keep an open mind to differing opinions. DePaul being more of a liberal college has further supported my ideals. In recent years this has affected my view of the government because now that I am legally considered an adult, I do actually have a say in who is elected. Its 2014 and that has a crucial impact on how our world operates today. More and more states are passing laws for gay marriage and push for decriminalization or even the legalization of marijuana is on the rise. I believe our current era is more open minded to change and are not afraid to adapt which greatly impacts my ideology. Trusting the government on the other hand has drastically dropped in the past decades. The decline began in the 60's and with recent events such as the government shutdown or politicians such as Ted Cruz filibustering nonsense just to delay a vote, decreases the faith you have in our government.
ReplyDeleteI would consider myself to be a liberal democrat which sounds weird. I am not set on all of the traditional ideas; I believe that a time like ours requires some new ideas mixed with the traditional ideas. This has helped me make decisions in whom I vote for, and how I look at policies. I am more open-minded when it comes to looking at new ideas and policies. i don’t believe that every policy that’s put into place by the democrats will benefit America, but I support what they democrats stand for. I think its important for democrats and republicans to work together. I believe both parties have some good ideas and some bad ideas. If they decided to put their differences aside they could get so much done. Not every idea the parties have is good but both of the teams have some ideas and policies that could help better America and the lives of many Americans. The older I am getting the more involved I am getting into politics. Ever since I started college, I have started to pay attention to education and student loan information. The older I get the more I realize that everything that happens in DC has a affect on me. I have a more positive outlook on the government. I
ReplyDeleteMy parents play a huge role on how I view the government. I guess this has to do with the fact that my parents were immigrants. They came to America to try to take a shot at their American dream. My parents are very proud to be citizens so that their journey has a huge impact on how I view the American government and America in general. Since they are citizens they make sure to exercise their rights because they worked so hard to get to where they are now. Ever since I was little my parents have a made a deal about voting and caring about the policies that the government created or will create. They would pay attention to what happens to the government because it mattered to how they live. Once we turned 18 my parents would bother us to go out and vote
I have done my best to attempt to avoid labeling myself as a conservative or liberal, democrat or republican. Though I have found, at least socially, that most of my views align with a more liberal way of thinking. I think that most kids our age would fall into the more liberal category when it comes to social issues. We have seen this recently through issues such as gay marriage. A lot of my political views originally came from my parents. Until the end of high school I did very little research on my own. I figured that my parents were smart and they knew best. As I began to do some of my own research a few of my opinions on issues changed, but in general there was not a lot of difference between my way of thinking and that of my parents. They had taught me morals and values and shaped my whole life so that makes a lot of sense. I try not to discount any political group without doing some real research. The TEA party may not align with my general way of thinking, but until I found out what they were really about I could not argue against them.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Americans realize that both political parties have become more centrist over the years. I grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Illinois (Schaumburg) surrounded by people who sided with the Democratic party, including my entire family. Although I grew up in a blue state and currently attend a college that is considered liberal, I try not to let my surroundings cloud my judgement. I do not consider myself Democrat or Republican because I agree with some ideologies from both parties. Over the years the political system has become a battleground for the Democrats and Republicans rather than focusing on the issues at hand. Rather than being judged on one`s ideologies, they are judged based on their choice of political party. As stated before, political parties have become more centrist. Bill Clinton, a Democratic candidate, was considered a Conservative Democrat (justifiable by the enactment of DOMA in the 90`s). Even regarding current political issues such as gay marriage, there is a political group of Republicans (the Log Cabin Republicans) who are constructed of gays and lesbians who back Republican ideologies.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, due to the fact that many Americans do not get the education (like DePaul Political Science majors) on the political system the country is going to remain distinguishing between Liberals and Conservatives rather than reviewing the candidate`s policies they wish to enact. There is a positive, however. Considering that students in my generation and younger are interested in the political system they have begun to interact with people who make the policies. This is primarily due to the fact that many of these political issues discussed recently are affecting this generation the most (student loans, economic turmoil, Obama care, etc).
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ReplyDeleteI personally would identify myself with being independent. My parents have never forced me to be apart of any political group. Although, my parents have encouraged me to follow political leaders that perhaps have the same values and morals as myself. I am a strong believer in freedom and equal rights pertaining to immigration reform, and same sex marriage as well as other issues. It’s unfortunate that Americans have often been forced to choose sides when it comes to political groups. Either because of their families or more so even by the people they surround themselves with. I believe that individuals are growing up in newer generations where Liberalism is more of a frequent stance. Overall, I think it is important to keep educating people about the many issues around the world that are pushed aside from different political groups. More so informing ourselves about the different candidates that run for office before actually voting for them. Finally, everyday I am still learning how to construct my own political views.
ReplyDeleteI strongly identify myself as a democrat. I think this identification is largely influenced by my father. My father is the shadow Senator of Washington DC. DC still does not have voting rights, but we have two shadow senators and a shadow representative. They are elected officials, but are considered volunteers and are not payed. This has played a huge role in my political identity. My dad being a strong liberal, and also very politically active has lead me to take up many of the same beliefs and ideals he partakes in. My dad is also very passionate about politics, and the constituents the government is meant to look after, ergo why he works for free. This has made me very passionate about my beliefs and views on politics.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I would also agree with many of you guys that education has also helped to shape my political identity. Since starting college I have come to find my own voice in politics, separate from my fathers and family's. I have begun to form opinions based more off of information and my own personal reactions to that information, then based off family members opinions. Although I can strongly identify within politics it seems more and more people my age are taking from many different political identities to form their own. I think this is unique to our generation, and something that may one day lead to a more unified government.
In basic terms I identify myself as having a liberal ideology and being a part of the middle class. I definitely think most of my ideas have come from the beliefs of my parents of whom both are liberals. I think that my background of growing up in a middle class suburb just outside of Chicago has also molded my ideas. Both of my self-identifications as liberal and middle class were solidified for me in high school because I attended a private Catholic high school with students who reigned from wealthy and conservative upper class suburbs, which made me realize on my own that I as well as the other students were products of our parents. However, I think that being in an environment so different from my home due to the people and the institution made me realize that even though I agreed with my parents, I did in fact believe liberal ideas on my own as well.
ReplyDeleteMy idea of the role of government in society is shaped by my identity as a liberal particularly in the sectors of social and economic issues. Even though I lean to the left on a lot of these issues, I recognize that there is an immense amount of gray area when it comes to every issue. In other words, I have a great deal of conviction in my own beliefs, but I do recognize that there are many views and many solutions possible. When reflecting on this aspect of myself, I believe that my understanding comes from my three years of debate in high school where any argument could make sense if argued and followed through with appropriately.
I consider myself to be in the middle of the conservative and liberal spectrum. I think this is mainly because I am a catholic and sometimes my thoughts are too liberal. I believe that there should be a separation of church and state. Many times it is a hard decision for me and it’s hard to separate these two subjects. I think being catholic has affected me more than saying I am a liberal. My parents and my family are the people who have most affected my view about politics and moral issues. I come from a family of immigrants and I have seen the life of an immigrant and I know it’s a hard life. Living with fear that one of your loved ones can be taken away or die trying to have a better life has really impacted my view in foreign policy. My views and my identity are based on my experiences. Living in the United States and being neighbors to Mexico where my parents are from has impact me directly. In the news they are constantly talking about what is going on in Mexico and I also have met a lot of people who have been affected by the violence in Mexico. I also think that being in the United States has impacted me because I had the opportunity to go to school. Unlike my father who only attended school till second grade. I think that it’s because the United States has given me many opportunities that I am able to have a different view of government than my parents.
ReplyDeleteBeing raised as a second generation American, I was not surrounded by parents who had strong political views. My parents were more focused on establishing an economically stable home for their children rather than being politically active. What I learned from my parents were (conservative) Catholic ideals which dominated my way of thinking leading up to high school. It was in high school where I began to learn from my teachers and peers about the importance of being politically and socially active which led me to appeal more to liberal democratic ideals. Yet as I am entering the last quarter of my third year at DePaul and having taken multiple political science courses, I’m beginning to see my political identity shifting in another direction. I am coming to the consensus that the international structure that is in place does not have room for a balance of power between dominant states due to their constant fear of not knowing one another’s intentions. I’d like to believe that we can live in an interconnected world where helping one another leads to the advancement of states but the system in place is a zero-sum game. A state’s economically advancement can lead that state to become more capable of being militarily dominant. This is then viewed by that state’s neighbors or adversaries as a possible threat which establishes and supports the security dilemma even if that state expresses publically that they are building up arms for defensive purposes. It is this unpredictable international arena that has changed my political views and caused me to look at the world in a realist lens where the number one goal is to pursue American interests and dominance.
ReplyDeletePosted for Dalle (on time):
ReplyDelete"I identify politically as more or less center right. I identify with the right for primarily economic reasons and I disagree on a number of social issues. I believe in more limited government mostly because I highly value freedom and individual liberty and I think that giving individuals more responsibility, rather than the government, better protects those values. The family and the community that I grew up in influenced the values that shape my political beliefs, but my experiences at DePaul have affected my opinions as well. Being exposed to many different viewpoints and having my beliefs constantly challenged has taught me to think critically about what I believe. As a result, I have altered a few of my views and there are still issues that I have yet to form a definitive opinion on. Better understanding opposing positions has also made me better able to articulate and defend my own beliefs.
I think that most ideologies set goals and create policies that they believe will make society “better,” but they fundamentally disagree on what will be “better” and/or how to achieve that. Being a conservative leaning student in a liberal city university has been challenging, but I am grateful for the experience. It has helped me to better understand and appreciate other opinions as well as my own."