DUE FRIDAY, 10/23: Response to "Why Americans Hate Politics and Politicians"

[Ms. Derstine]

1. Please read "Why Americans Hate Politics and
Politicians" (uploaded in the "Files" section of this Group Forum).

2. After reading, post a one to two paragraph response beginning with
"Dear Mr. Nelson..." In responding to the author, assess the validity
of his argument. Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Is his
argument thorough? Is he missing any reasons why Americans hate
politics and politicians? In your opinion, are there reasons why
Americans LIKE politics and politicians?

3. After posting your own response, please respond with a thoughtful,
academic, AP-level comment to one of your colleagues posts.

[Hennessy C.]

Dear Mr. Nelson,
I do agree with some of the things you are saying. Like i
agree that some people hate politics becuase of the deaths of great
leaders and the lies that the government told us about the Vietnam
war and many more. I wouldnt trust someone or a group of people
that lie to me. Or because of politics and racism or anything else
great leaders and people die just becuase of what they believe in or
the great changes they are producing. I also agree that media is a
great influence on people. The media can damage anyone's image
like they try to do to celebreties. The media can also damage
politicions publicly that no one would want to listen to what they
have to
say. TV and the radio is a great way to get intertained and that is
why many people watch or hear it, i agree that this is how politics
also gets ruined.
There are also other reasons why people dislike politics.
Many people may find politics boring so they dont listen to it. For
example,
for someone to get your attention they need to be interested in ways
that effects them. If people are not interested or "pulled in" by
politics
chances are they wouldnt listen to a word you are saying. Another
reason why people might not be interested into politics is maybe they
are
not being teached correctly. For example, in a class room the teacher
must make it so that all the students are interested in the subjest
becuase that is the best way to learn. If the teacher makes it boring
or the teacher isnt capable of correctly doing her job then the
student
will think that it is a useless subject. If i am in a class room where
i dont see the subject being important in my life i wouldnt want to do
the
work since it wouldnt help me.

[carla torres]

 

 

Dear Mr. Nelson,

 

I strongly agree with your argument. It is a very strong and an elaborate one I must say. Although it may be a little complex, you provided a strong argument with a lot of background information to support it. You explained that there are many reasons why people hate politics such as the lies the government told about the Vietnam War, the media which harshly critisizes politicians and politics making a mockery of both. Who would trust a government that lies? This would definitely cause distrust among the people and their government. These were people selected by the people to represent them. Therefore such acts cause an eruption of complaints and issues. Which the media intakes as fuel to inform the people of how lousy and ridiculous politicians are. How the politicians care more about what it looks like they’re doing rather then what they really are doing.

This causes the people to hate politics because these are the people who are in control of their lives. Also our political ideology referring to liberalism and conservatism specifically make it impossible for the public to come to an agreement consequently nothing is able to get done. But in my opinion there are many reasons why Americans like politics and politicians. One being the structure of our government and how we actively contribute to the way things are run.  That without the people there is no government, no politics, and politicians. We are what makes this nation run.

 

[Ayan]

Dear, Mr. Nelson

You make a great point in your article and I could understand how much
you love politics. Back then everyone couldn’t vote because of your
race. Now we as citizens of America can vote and speak our minds as
much as we want. The world has change and along with we did as well.
When we vote we voice our opinion and become part of our country. But
some of us gave up on our country and see there isn’t any point in
voting. The media shows us how dangerous our environment is. When we
see our political leaders we blame it on them because they can’t solve
the problem in all. For example when the market crashed and Obama
stepped into the office he promised change. After a little while
people got angry and started to ask where the change was. Things can’t
happen that fast and I think citizens need to know how important
politics are. Instead of complaining about our lives we should run our
lives. If we became more involved and educated then we wouldn’t hate
it. But all the negative things that are being thrown at us make us
repel. Things that make us feel small and politics powerful. Also
things like mocking politicians and also politicians taking advantage
of us. In conclusion, we both people and politics need to change if we
want our country to be superior.

[n.plaetzer]

I think you focus on the right point, when you say we should make it
on our own and that it is our own responsibility to change the
country. But on the other hand, you're not very consequent: You say,
we shouldn't rely too much on the government and in one of the
following sentences you say that we need to waite for the change.
Politics can never be better than the own decision making of free
citizens on the local level. A lot of politicians have not realized
yet that they are working with someone else's money they took away
from them forcibly. Yes, I agree: We should make the own step, not
"politics". But not because they are trying and we need to trust them
but because the system of centralization will never work better than a
system of free individual action. A certain suspiciousness on the
government is very useful for a society.

[Bryan D.]

Dear Mr. Nelson...

I totally Agree with you. I agree with you because of the fact that
there is a kind of thing in people that causes them to instead blame
other people for their faults. I believe that your argument is through
because it really brings up the basics and pretty much psychological
reasons why Americans would hate politics. The essay states that
because of the fact the Americans learn about politics from every part
of their daily life they can get a lot of things changed around and
mixed up just because they learn from school and home and outside in a
world where people already hate the political system there's really
nothing more for them to do and it causes the younger Americans to
also follow this point of view because it is a Majority and they just
want to be like normal people. I don't believe that you really missed
any reasons why Americans would not like politics. In my Opinion there
are reasons why people should like politics is by first realizing that
in this country the people of the states really have the power to
effect politics because we have a really big part in a democracy like
the one we have.

[Quesi James]

Dear Mr. Nelson
I totally disagree with your article that
Americans hate politicians I have seen the American people and they
are very proud and very passionate of their government I have lived in
a different country and have seen a similar type of government but
know what people thought about our politicians and what people think
about these politicians. A lot of American people like President Obama
a lot of people likes Former President Clinton but I realise that the
recent years American people have a bad taste in there mouth from the
recent President Bush who many disliked.

American Government and Politics is still one
of the most talked about issues and the fact that the economy has been
in a bad place a lot of people blame the government but more educated
people know that the state of the economy is not only to be blamed on
the economy. In the past year the government has made an extra effort
to jump start the economy but not everyone will agree with there
decisions

[n.plaetzer]

Dear Mr. Nelson,

Thank you for your article “Why Americans Hate Politics”. I totally
agree on your interpretation of the American political culture – it is
true that no other country understands its political system as a part
of the national identity as America does it. Moreover, your analysis
of the influence of the American political tradition on the view on
politics nowadays is also completely right. Americans have another
relationship to their government as Europeans do – they are more
committed on a “non-political”, local level (which could also include
church etc.) and they are also more critical of an increase in
governmental power in general. Or, as you put it: “We seem to be
antipolitical in our very bones.”

But on one point, you just tergiversate and do not follow your own
train of thoughts – how is the philosophical problem of “popular
sovereignty” “solved” by just proclaiming that “the voice is people is
the voice of God”? This problem can never be completely solved –
popular sovereignty means, first of all, government of free citizens
over free citizens by force: If the requirements of the majority are
not met by a person, the law will surely provide punishments.
Therefore, “the voice of people” is not to be play off against the
“higher law”, a philosophical underpinning of all governmental
actions. There is a certain level, where democracy shifts away from
the idea of “government by the people” to the government of many
people over the poor majority. The Constitution was able to keep this
balance – it is not acceptable that you consider this everlasting
question to be “solved” through the simple thesis that “the majority
is always right” – and that’s basically all what you are saying. This
is, maybe unintentionally, a punch in the face of the American idea of
individual liberty.

Definitely, one reason for “citizen apathy” is the missing willingness
to blame ourselves. Nevertheless, the main reason stays the situation
of the parties (not simply your idea of “it’s the nonvoters fault not
to be interested) – Republicans and Democrats are often debating in a
childish way, pretending they would represent completely different
life philosophies to create more bloated debates. The American
citizens will stand up for their rights when they are directly
attacked – but in order to regain political participation in the
parties, leaders who fascinate people for their ideas are needed.

[Barbosa]

Dear Mr. Nelson,
I 100% agree with your article because I do believe that one of the
reasons why people hate politics is that, people want the politicians
to fix their mistakes or to fix other peoples mistakes and when the
politicians can’t fix them, the people get mad. People have an image
that the government supposes to be perfect and cater to the citizens
every need but, they have to realize nothing is perfect and that there
are other people that need help, too. Also I agree that, being lied to
about issues in the government makes people not want to deal with
politics anymore. Honestly I think the main reason why people hate
politics is because of the lasting memory of having George W. Bush
being our president and how lots of things were going wrong in America
while he was the president. Your article is very thorough because it
gives almost all reasons why people hate politics. I think the reasons
why some people would like politics are, the government’s decisions
might have affected the person in a good way and they might think that
the politics will keep on making great decisions that will help them.

[Quesi James]

Erikson thats just perfect I agree people have to understand the
Government is for the people not for the individual person. These
politicians aren't perfect and if people believe they can do a better
job then you should go and do it.

[Jason Salinas]

Dear Mr. Nelson

 

  i agree with some of the things that you have said and pointed to in this article. People hate politics because the gov't really doesnt work perfect like they want it too. They make many errors and mistakes so it doesnt matter who comes next because the people think they will just have the same outcome. Although they make mistakes some politcal decisions are good outcomes to some people, but not to all. Also when you mentioned the tv and other media because people just make fun of it they dont take it so serious and people listen to that more then they would to the serious politics, they find it more boring. Although they dont like politics why dont they try to make a change somehow? or take matters into their own hands

[gregory lespinsse]

Dear Mr. Nelson

 

I surely agree with your words Mr. Nelson that many students do not enjoy the subject politic but the main point why are they not participating? We could find way to make have an interest in this subject by getting them involve in the political view. I could see that were trying to get them involve, but it not enough because at the end the subject gets to difficult for them to understand. Today kids, teen and young adult don’t really pays attention broadcast news no longer, because they consider themselves to busy to focus the government. Also reading argument I could see that you see that you stand strong of your word by describing how student react about the government.     

 

On your argument I could see that you have explained most the reason why most people hate politics and politicians but some are also interested in the government. In my opinion the reason they’re interested because they want some strong to leader and also protection. Our founding father did a great job by separating the power to the three branches. Which is keeping this country now in a check and balance position, that allows the government control and also keeping us safe. They’re also many other reason why they believe in politics and politicians.      

On 10/19/09, Ms. Derstine <sderst...@gmail.com> wrote:

Please post as a "Reply" to this message.  This will help keep our
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