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
2 year ago: Protestants no longer make up majority of American population
6 year ago: the first nonwhite president was elected
7 years ago: Unemployment 4.5%, DOW at 14,000 (Today Unemployment 6.3% overall, 12.1% for African Americans, 9.1% for Hispanics, 4.8% for Asian Americans, DOW 16,700 )
8 years ago: very few of us had ever heard of Barack Obama
11 years ago: The supreme court ruled that colleges still had legitimate reasons to use race and ethnicity as factors in college admissions
13 years ago: 9/11
23 years ago: the Rodney King Case and racially charged rioting
36 years ago: Regents of University of CA vs. Bakke
41 years ago: Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion nationwide
46 years ago: modern civil rights movement ends (according to most historians), Martin Luther King killed, major riots, peak of troops in Vietnam
47 years ago: third year in a row of major racially charged riots throughout American cities
49 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
50 years ago: Civil Rights Act of 1964
51 years ago: March on Washington, Birmingham protests
59 years ago: Montgomery Bus Boycott
60 years ago: Brown vs. Board of Education
69 years ago: end of WWII
70 years ago: Interment of 110,000 Japanese Americans
94 years ago: Women gain the right to vote
107 years ago: peak of immigration at turn of century
118 years ago: Plessy vs. Ferguson - separate but equal is constitutional
120 years ago: widespread lynching and intimidation
126 years ago: Chinese Exclusion Act
137 years ago: end of reconstruction, early Jim Crow Era (which lasts nearly 100 years)
144 years ago: 15th amendment - black men given right to vote
146 years ago: 14th amendment
148 years ago: 13th amendment - end of slavery
149 years ago: end of Civil War, Start of reconstruction, black codes
153 years ago: start of Civil War
205 years ago: end of slave trade
227 years ago: Constitution written including 3/5 compromise and slavery
238 years ago: Declaration of Independence
395 years ago: first slaves from Africa brought to colonies
407 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 10, 20, or even 50 years from now? What can and should be done politically to help?
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10 years from now, I think that America will be different but still look the same. Race will still be a major talking point, as will immigration and the growing deficit/government spending. Gay Americans will have equal rights, and the War on Terror will be over. 20 years in, we will have hopefully fixed our spending problem and reduced the deficit. Large technological breakthroughs by then will have helped us create more green technology, slowing climate change. Going 50 years in the future, I think we would find a very different America. I do not think that race will play such a large part in our lives. This generation is by far one of the most accepting ones in American history, and by then we will be grandparents. 50 years ago, the Civil Rights Act was passed. In another 50 years, hopefully we will think that it crazy that we ever needed a Civil Rights Act, like how today we cannot imagine the fact that slavery was ever allowed. America changes slowly on the issue of race, but by 2064, racial politics will be a thing of the past. In order to help speed this process up, I think that the media should continue to show minorities in many of its programs. Some Americans do not really interact with people of different races or backgrounds in their daily lives, so by showing through TV or print or Internet that all Americans are the same, regardless of color or ethnicity, it will speed up the process of total acceptance and end stereotypes and prejudices.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it, but I'm very anxious about what's coming in the next 10-20 years. I'm worried at least one of three things is going to happen: US natural disaster, economic depression, and/or another world war.
ReplyDeleteI think climate change is going to reach its tipping point and we are going to experience a horrible natural disaster in the US (I'm guessing earthquake). We've really dropped the ball on combatting global warming and I'm sad to say we are going to learn our lesson the hard way.
In addition, nothing has been done to repair our economy other than a few band aids that have bought some extra time. The middle-class is neck deep in debt, the student loan bubble keeps building, and Wall Street is as toxic as ever. I could write a whole essay on how the economy is screwed, but the point is that what we have now is almost a mirror image of the Great Depression (deregulation, wealth inequality). The biggest difference is that, with globalization, once one market goes down, the rest will follow and there will be no one to help (except maybe China).
Speaking of China, we are already in the middle of an economic war. Beijing is swooping in and snatching up markets from us across the world, namely Latin America and Africa. The reason everyone is flocking to China is because they do straight business, we either rule by the gun or attach ridiculous conditionalities to our deals.
Aside from China, we have formidable enemies in North Korea, Russia, and Iran (basically the whole Middle East aside from our Saudi pals). Free trade has essentially been neocolonialism and eventually one of these nations is going to take a stand and tell us to piss off. Like it or not, we are and always have been an imperial nation. If history has proven one thing, it's that conquering nations always fall.
That being said, I hope I'm wrong. Sorry for all the cynicism. Maybe I just read too many damn books.
I think it is inevitable that American political culture will be different in even a decade from now let alone 50 years from now. I am not sure exactly how things will be changed, but I do think there will be some major areas that the United States will see development in. I think there will be definitely some national movements in the gay marriage and gay rights sector of government. I also think that we are going to see a difference in the values that people want in their politicians. This I believe will be a reaction to the increase in Americans who are not religiously affiliated. A growing number of people who are religiously unaffiliated may change the way people view social issues in the U.S. and I also think it may cause a shift in what the current party positions are on social issues. Overall, I think that in the next 50 years the U.S. will be greatly different in its views towards social issues.
ReplyDeleteWhen reality set in that there would be no Stanley Cup Parade this year, I decided to turn on my t.v. and watch a PBS show airing that night called “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross,” hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. On this particular show, which focused on slavery between the late 18th Century through the early stages of the American Civil War, they talked about a woman named Elizabeth Freeman (“Mum Bett”). Mrs. Freeman was one of the first slaves in Massachusetts to win her freedom via the “freedom suit,” which were petitions filled by slaves to obtain their and/or their families’ freedom. By using the Constitution, she not only won her freedom, but also set a precedent that would eventually lead Mass. to outlawing slavery entirely within the state. Mrs. Freeman’s success may have occurred over 200 years previous, but it was her use of the judicial system that I see as playing a vital role in the next 50 years (just as it has done for the last 200+ years). Changing laws may not initially change mentalities of those that know the opposite end of the spectrum (when the law did not exist), but it will help set a precedent for future generations to be better integrated and more knowledgeable about other ethnicities, religions, etc.
ReplyDeleteA new, fearless leader will rise and instill a positive revolution within the masses. Rampant greed shall be no longer... basic human safety will come to be more valuable than the dollar, and Comcast will apologize for their atrocious customer service. The schooner representing the American economy will not only rise from the depths of a doomed purgatory, it will sail beautifully into the vibrant sunset. The issue of civil rights will have largely been solved - parties once at an impasse will generally agree on how to treat the various demographics that make up this great nation. North Korea was just playing around all along; there were no missiles, and the two separate Korean nations simply become Epstein Isle, named after a great political thinker. The U.S reduces oil consumption. There is plenty to go around, and electric cars are a thing of the past. We use flying mopeds now. Tyler Perry stopped making movies, and Nancy Grace has been sentenced to death. The lactose intolerant will be cured, and Goku will defeat Superman in an hour-long simulated battle that take the place of the State of the Union address in 2020. The national anthem will be R. Kelly's Ignition (Remix), and Olympic gold medal ceremonies for the United States will indisputably be "so tight". The Cubs will win the world series behind Hall of Fame shoo-in Pablo Sanchez, batting .477 with 173 HRs and 524 RBI in his rookie season. It is found that Morgan Freeman is immortal.
ReplyDeletePeople will communicate, motives will be clear and backed up with logic and morality, and all will be well in the world and this nation. Believe in a better tomorrow. Let us make things interesting, it will be fun
Going off of Grants comment, I really hope Tyler Perry will stop making movies in the near future. I feel like America will still basically be the same even up to 50 years in the future. Sure, our racial backgrounds and cultural values might change but in the end I think our American beliefs and traditions will stay constant. I think some of the major problems that will arise in 10 to 50 years are dealing with conserving energy and fuel, the availability of jobs, and the budget/financial debt. I also don’t think America will remain the principal political and economic superpower that it is today. We as Americans, have also made a lot of enemies in the past 50 years (Russia, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan), so it wouldn’t surprise me if another war would come into play in the next 20+ years.
ReplyDeleteIt’s scary to think about what the state of American political culture will be in the future. There’s has been so many changes that have just happened within the last ten years, it’s crazy to imagine what will happen in the future. I predict that many states will allow same-sex marriage. Right now only 16 states allow same sex marriage but I think in the future more states would allow this due to the changing opinions of the public. I also think we’ll have more racial different presidents, for the first time we have an African American president I highly doubt this will be the last time. There will be the first female president, and so many other racial ethnicities that will come into office. I also think the debt will get higher not only for America but also for Americans. College education will continue to rise and with that so will student debts. I really hope that America will focus more on internal problems instead of trying to fix different aspects of the world. We need to start focusing on fixing our country before we try to go in a war with another country or try to interfere with another country’s matter. No one knows what the future holds but it’ll be interesting to watch it unfold within the next years and see how it impacts the world around us.
ReplyDeleteI must say that I have to agree with many of the posts above. In the future, I believe that the main problems America will face include a still unstable economy, a challenging environment marked by pollution, as well as the debate over gun control follwing the aftermath of tragedies in Newton, Connecticut and, most recently, Santa Barbara. The sad reality is, I do not believe that there is one main way to define American political culture. In my view, political culture is determined by the ways in which people define their political beliefs and overall view of American government. More importantly, I do not believe that one person or one leader will be adequalty able to address all of the problems facing America today. American political culture apprears to be growing worse due to the many problems our country is facing, but the culture will only improve if people work together in a collaborative effort to solve the problems we face as a nation.
ReplyDeleteIn the future, the American political culture will change. There will be a more diverse mix of ethnicities. The changing of documents on the census and other documents that ask for demographic information will have to change. I also think that language will be a big factor. With the growing Hispanic population, more people will be speaking Spanish. I think that Spanish will be learned by people no matter what their ethnic/cultural background. Politically, I'm hoping that immigration reform and civil rights will be top issues to focus on. Ideally, politicians will be able to help the changing demographics of our nation by pushing for legislation that helps with discrimination. Economically I think that the US will still be a superpower, but the world will have multiple superpowers. This will hopefully change the notion that many Americans have about other nations hating the U.S. Attention may be focused on many other nations, rather than predominantly on what the US is going to do when there's tragedy in other nations.
ReplyDeleteTo start, Grant that was the greatest answer anyone could have posted, so you take that title. I think a lot can happen in even just ten years but so can very little, and ultimately its really hard to predict. I hope that wealth and income is more equally distributed throughout the country, this I think is one of the biggest issues we face right now and will continue to face. If this gap reduces maybe more Americans will begin to see hope in their country and government and make moves to be more politically and socially active. I also hope that our government consists of young new faces ready to make change happen for the right reasons. I hope that more Americans will come to see the importance in voting, and will not only do so but will also be informed voters. I also hope education will become more of a priority and less of a hobby for the government. Oh and DC will become a state (fingers crossed).
ReplyDeleteIt’s impossible to ignore how much American Political Culture has changed and how far it has come in terms of inequality, but it is also clear that inequality still exists in our society. I do believe, however, that the legal and constitutional framework for a society where all people are equal under the law exists today (and has existed for nearly 150 years, if not longer) and it has been the tool through which civil rights and equalities have been extended. The framers of the Constitution did not intend to give equal rights to African Americans or voting rights to women, but they created a system in which that was possible. The interpretation of the Constitution and its Amendments has changed throughout American history to extend rights to an increasing number of people. The marriage equality movement right now is a good example of this. Some of the best arguments for legalizing same-sex marriage are based on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Support for marriage equality is growing and 12 of the 19 states that have legalized same-sex marriage have done so in the past two years. Societal change has obviously lagged far behind legal change in all of these cases (civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, etc.), but it has occurred over time and I don’t see any reason to believe that it won’t continue. This isn’t to say that change is not exceptionally and maddeningly slow, but no kind of societal change happens quickly. I think that prejudice is a part of all societies whether it is based on race, gender, religion, or really anything. A government cannot force beliefs or values on people, but enforcing equal protection of the law for all people is what should be done politically to perpetuate the trend toward greater equality.
ReplyDeleteI think there are several social issues that we'll look back on think what were we thinking as a society. For example, gay marriage and not just because I'm gay. The country is quickly changing its position on same sex marriage and now there is a majority of citizens across the country that support same sex marriage. From a political perspective I think, and I hope, our society continues down the secular path. I also see women closing the wage gap with men and anti-choice becoming a thing of the past. I think all these changes are extremely positive and uniting changes. I think we'll see less differences with one another.
ReplyDeletePolitically there will always be a fringe element. I see both parties splintering and the US eventually achieving a true multi-party system(meaning more than two). I also think we need to focus more on education and wealth disparity. People should earn a living wage off one full-time job.
I hope I'm wrong but I see the US on the path of decline. Imperial overstretch has taken a toll on both our political and economic influence and disenchanted the citizenry. Something must be done to restore the peoples faith in the branches of government. I think a great start is campaign finance reform. If we can make electing representatives more about the quality of the candidate as opposed the "quantity" in the war chest it would go a long way in repairing faith in the system. Unfortunately, this is not currently the trend and in order to truly reform campaign finance someone is going to have to fall on the proverbial political sword.
Our government should be something we rely on and look to for guidance and wisdom and not through the lens of cynicism.
While I agree with a lot of the cynicism that many of you are expressing, there is one shred of hope for the future of our increasingly political culture. I see the public becoming more and more aware of social constructs embedded in our society that have gone unacknowledged for so long. I enjoy nothing more than hearing people recognize and try to correct these subtle hints of sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. I have seen people censor themselves and others in attempts to break these harmful habits that have been so normalized in our society--even from people I would never expect to see it from, about things that often times even slip my own mind. I believe that our culture will become more socially progressive, tolerant, and compassionate and that it will definitely translate into policies that support these attitudes.
ReplyDeleteOver the next 50 years life in America will undergo significant change. Change in demographics and generational values will not only motivate, but force political realignment in both parties. Social conservatism is become less popular among the American population today. If the Republican party wants to remain competitive it must realign on its social issues (e.g. immigration reform, same-sex marriage, abortion, etc). Conversely, fiscally liberal policies are becoming less popular among the new generation today (e.g. less government regulation, less spending, etc). Democrats must realign on its economic policies if they want to remain competitive.
ReplyDeleteWhat this creates is a more moderate platform that reflects the contemporary and evolving American society. This new platform would foster greater bipartisanship and reduce policy gridlock.
I predict a half-century down the road American politics will resemble a two-party system along these lines. I believe what is holding America back from the prosperity it has the potential to achieve today is our out-of-touch political system.
Over the next 10 years weed will be hopefully legalized and we will have some substantial immigration reform. Cyber-security and monitoring policy will alter and increase. I think the public will realize the importance of government involvement to protect from cyber-threats, though it depends on the transparency between the government and public.
ReplyDeleteIn 50 years hopefully will have our first women president.
Partisan politics today are frustrating as everyone stated above, however I think that time from the recession and 9/11 will wear and the U.S will gain more domestic stability. However, competition with China and Russia will increase problems for the U.S that will challenge our stability.
Hopefully our public education system is overhauled and more cost effective so that I can send my future kids to school and not go bankrupt.
Like some of my fellow classmates, I am optimistic about our future. I believe in the next 20 years, there is going to be a stronger push for unity within our political and social landscape primarily due to the fact that we will need to unite in order to compete with an international community that continues to grow stronger and more insecure. Although it’s inevitable that states will continue to feel insecure in an anarchic world where geopolitics still remains highly prevalent, I believe that through globalization and diplomacy, states will realize it’s in their best interest to work together in order to alleviate a global environment that has seen a rise in radical nonstate actors who seek to disrupt the international landscape.
ReplyDeleteWith the trends and movements of history provided on this blog, it shows progression. This is definitely going to be a continuing cycle that only is going to get better and improve our American culture; promoting more open-minded and left wing thinking. Like other classmates, I believe, race in time will not be seen as a large issue, at least to the citizens. I do, however, believe there will still be institutional discrimination and institutional racism still implemented among our society from the government, yet to a smaller degree than what it is currently at the moment. As years have passed, we have been seeing it has been America's citizens that are more liberal than the government, especially in recent decades. I agree a lot of with what Graham had said America will be different, but we won't see it right away because only a short period of time has passed. Gay rights, immigration reform, women’s rights and empowerment, will all be improved.
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