Instructor Notes - Equality & Civil Rights

Instructor Notes for Week 12 - Chapter 16 - Equality & Civil Rights It is amazing to many that the hard won civil rights we are studying this chapter this week are now being questioned by some in our society. Beginning with the issue of race, there is an excellent book entitled The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, the former director of the Racial Justice Project of the ACLU in Northern California. She also served as a law clerk to Justice Harry Blackmun on the U.S. Supreme Court. In it she says, “Recent data shows, though, that much of black progress is a myth. In many respects, African-Americans are doing no better than they were when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and uprisings swept inner cities across America. Nearly a quarter of African-Americans live below the poverty line today, approximately the same percentage as in 1968. The black child poverty rate is actually higher now than it was then. Unemployment rates in black communities rival those in Third World countries. And that's with affirmative action! When we pull back the curtain and take a look at what our "colorblind" society creates without affirmative action, we see a familiar social, political, and economic structure--the structure of racial caste. The entrance into this new caste system can be found at the prison gate.” An excellent synopsis of the book can be read athttp://www.econ.brown.edu/fac/glenn_loury/louryhomepage/teaching/Ec%20137/The%20New%20Jim%20Crow-from%20The%20Nation.pdf (Links to an external site.)  If you have not read it, I suggest you put it at the top of your list. If you don’t have time to read the book, watch this video - THE NEW JIM CROW Online Documentary   (Links to an external site.) During the 2012 election cycle, we heard and read about irregularities with our various state voting systems and the number of voter suppression laws that have been passed in numerous states. It was not really that many years ago that women finally got the right to vote in this country and now many are being disenfranchised by these new laws. Once again, the issue of affirmative action is before the Supreme Court of the United States. After integrating our schools with the famous Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case in 1954 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we now see many of our schools walking back their integration policies used for years, i.e. here in the city of Wichita. The 2012 election cycle has also highlighted class wars between the top 1% and the 99% and the “War on Women” concerning equal pay for equal work and personal health choices for American women.   All of the above issues are still relevant today so pay close attention to this chapter this week and you will be better able to discuss these issues and make decisions about who you want to represent you and your family at the local, state and national levels. Finally, with the most recent issues being raised about local policing and our civil rights, I'd like to share this video with students so that you will be protected if you are stopped by the police. Most of our officers follow the rules and will not use undue force with the public. But, it is good to know how to behave in these circumstances and hopefully have the best possible outcome.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDptsf81lVc&list=UUV3Nm3T-XAgVhKH9jT0ViRg (Links to an external site.)

Instructor Notes - Order and Civil Liberties

Instructor Notes for Week 11 – Chapter 15 - Order and Civil Liberties Again, we are studying a very important chapter about a topic that can directly affect your lives. The textbook does a thorough job in describing the separation of church and state, freedom of the press, the 2nd amendment and others. It also discusses your Miranda rights but I think it is important for students to fully understand those rights. Everyone has heard Miranda recited on television numerous times and often seen the person detained talking verbosely to the police.  This is not a good idea as many find when they later go to court and do find that their own words are held against them. Privately owned prisons are now a big industry in this country and they often contract for quotas that local law enforcement must meet. Yes, that is correct – the police need to send a minimum number of people to prison.  Therefore, I strongly suggest that each of you take time to watch the video linked below and never forget what it says. Share it with you friends and relatives. You are an American citizen and you have rights. Don't Talk to Police  (Links to an external site.)   Dana's Note:::I really do recommend the video in this post. Good information!!!

Instructor Notes - The Courts

Instructor Notes for Week 10 – Chapter 14 - The Courts Again, as in the previous chapter, this may sound like a very boring chapter to students but this is an important and fascinating subject area about a sector of our government that actually affect all Americans with their decisions on a daily basis. Anyone who has ever served on a jury, or has had to go to court as a defendant or a petitionerknows the sense of finality of a court decision. We need to understand our judicial system in this country as one never knows when one might find themselves in court being profoundly affected by the court process and/or decision. So, pay attention to this important section as it might be very critical to your personal life at some point and as the two cases below illustrate, the courts are making a difference in our political lives most of the time. This is an especially critical time in our history with recent cases that have even affected the 2012 election campaigns. In June 2012, the Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s health care overhaul law, the Affordable Care Act, saying its requirement that most Americans obtain insurance or pay a penalty was authorized by Congress’s power to levy taxes. The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court’s four more liberal members.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/us/supreme-court-lets-health-law-largely-stand.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 (Links to an external site.)  Another important earlier case, Citizens United (2010), remains a quite controversial decision. In this case, the Court “held that private corporations, which are nowhere mentioned in the Constitution and are not political membership organizations, enjoy the same political free speech rights as people under the First Amendment and may draw on the wealth of their treasuries to spend unlimited sums promoting or disparaging candidates for public office. The billions of dollars thus turned loose for campaign purposes at the direction of corporate managers not only can be but—under the terms of corporate law—must be spent to increase profits. If businesses choose to exercise their newly minted political “money speech” rights, they must work to install officials who will act as  corporate tools.”  http://www.thenation.com/article/169915/citizens-united-and-corporate-court# (Links to an external site.) Cartoon: Wasserman, The Boston Globe

Discussion 7

Prompt: Should former members of Congress be free to become lobbyists once they leave office?

My response:

Yes, for two reasons. 

(1) To restrict this would be infringing the freedom of both the interest group and also the ex-Congressperson.

(2) The whole reason for hiring ex-members of Congress is that they are knowledgeable about how the government works. They are highly desired for their experience. It makes sense for interest groups to hire members of Congress. Interest groups are fine and are an important part of the pluralist model. We don't want unqualified people running interest groups in America. I think it's best if we have great minds working in the interest groups and then they can all duke it out together. :)

Instructor's Notes-Voting and Political Parties

Instructor Notes for Chapters 7 and 8 - Participation and Voting and Political Parties

Each of the chapters in the textbook contain just the basics about the topics covered when actually political scientists devote their entire careers to the study of each individual aspect of our political system.  This is a very interesting time in our country to be studying these two topics as we are in the midst of an important election campaign. During the study of the media in the last chapter, you should have noted the activity of the political parties and the changes that have been made in voting laws in a number of states. These laws will undoubtedly affect voter participation for the upcoming election. As you study these chapters and you learn of the history of the election process in the USA you will have a better understanding of current events affecting our voting process.

A very recent development highlights concerns expressed by a great number of American citizens and now the international community. " US election system criticised over finance rules and voting restrictions Commission led by Kofi Annan says the rise of Super Pacs and voter ID laws has 'shaken citizen confidence' in elections." Read this story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/14/us-election-campaign-finance-voting (Links to an external site.)

DC Douglas' "Why #OccupyWallStreet? 4 Reasons."   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wK1MOMKZ8BI#! (Links to an external site.)

Chapter 8 gives us a brief history of political parties and their evolution through the years. The parties are still in the process of evolving. It mentions the Tea Party that has become part of the Republican Party. Since the textbook was written another movement has been formed called the Occupy Movement. Occupy does not align itself with either political party. “Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #ows is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations. The movement is inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, and aims to fight back against the richest 1% of people that are writing the rules of an unfair global economy that is foreclosing on our future.” http://occupywallst.org/about/ (Links to an external site.) There is an Occupy Group that meets regularly here in Wichita.This week has a 50-point selftest with 50 questions to assist you in learning the basics of Participation and Voting and Political Parties

Protesters unveil a banner at the Lincoln Memorial in 2010 to protest the Citizens United ruling. The Annan report criticises the ruling for shaking Americans' confidence in the political process.
Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Instructor's Notes- Public Opinion & Political Socialization

Instructor Notes for Chapter 5 - Public Opinion and Political Socialization Politicians are always interested in public opinion and we constantly see polling results in all forms of media. This chapter gives a very brief overview of polling and survey methodology that is actually a very well developed science. I took an entire class on this subject alone and as a result, I am very careful about accepting poll results or statistics on face value. One needs to look carefully at what questions are asked and in what manner and order. Professionals can easily skew polling results and fish for the answers they want to achieve. I would even say that this may sometimes happen without intention. So, be aware of who is doing the poll and look carefully at the questions asked. It is always interesting to learn about political socialization and to ask ourselves where our own ideas and political leanings originated. We practice the fine art of civil discourse in our class and politely discuss the diverse views of students in our class. Some feel that this polite discussion is becoming a lost art even in the halls of Congress. Fareed Zakaria wrote this article Why political polarization has gone wild in America (and what to do about it)  (Links to an external site.)and I recommend that you read it if you have time. My parents always said to me that everyone in this country has a right to their own opinion and we must respect that right. I have always believed this. The last chart in this chapter is an interesting comparison of various countries and how the citizens feel about the USA. We Americans in the USA (Canadians and Mexicans also consider themselves to be Americans) have a very favorable view of our country. This poll was taken in 2009 so it is rather current. Even though we complain and worry, we still seem to feel we have a good country.

Instructor's Notes-Constitution/Federalism

CHAPTER 3 - The Constitution & CHAPTER 4 - Federalism

These chapters will be a great review for those who have had previous classes in the history of our country. Pay attention because so many people in our country have forgotten the basic foundation of our government and it is important that we understand this so we can all be responsible and knowledgeable voters.

I hope that you are beginning to feel comfortable with the format of the class now that we are into the second week. Please let me know if there is anything that is still unclear to you at this point.

Obviously, this is an online class and everything you need for it is contained here in our class site and your textbook. However, the textbook publishers do have a website that you may access if you are interested:

Here is the link http://college.cengage.com/polisci/janda/chall_dem/10e/student_home.html (Links to an external site.)

Internet Links Relating to Book Chapters (Links to an external site.)

This link takes you to the Student side of USpolitics.org, where they list over 300 Internet links organized by chapters. Excepting for links to television networks, newspapers, and 2012 presidential candidates, all links are annotated, showing source and content. The number of links range from 4 to 51, and average about 15 per chapters. They are organized within topic areas for chapters with numerous links. All links were working when they were created on September 9, 2011.

Unfortunately, our textbook does not adequately cover the Constitutional foundation of the separation of church and state. There is much division about religion in the USA since the rise of the religious-right. I post the meme below as a reminder that we all have a RIGHT to our own opinion about anything in this country . . . but that means we must respect the rights of others. In this class we all agree to disagree in a friendly and civil discussion where we listen as much as we speak. 

Freedom vs. Order Discussion

Original Prompt:
Considering what values are most important to you, is freedom more important than order? If there is an issue, such as airport security, how much freedom is the right amount an individual should have to surrender for his/her safety? 

My response:

"I think that freedom and order must be balanced. I don't think one is honestly any more important than the other, because order is needed to protect our freedoms. Without enforcement of order for myself, those around me may have their rights infringed by me.  In difficult situations, I think that there are a few considerations. The first consideration is the magnitude of the risk to others. The basic right is life. In the example given (airport security) the damage that can be done is great, so people should be willing to give some freedoms (a search of personal belongings, body scan with x-ray, etc).  The second consideration is that in that case, passengers are actually giving up some of their freedoms in exchange for the protection of their basic rights to life/property. Third consideration is that if they have nothing to hide, a minor inspection should not be too offending. So, I think that currently the giving up of some rights to privacy is a reasonable amount of freedom to require passengers to give up."

In Response to:

Article shared by Dr. B:http://truth-out.org/news/item/13890-the-second-amendment-was-ratified-to-preserve-slavery

Me: "I think that the 2nd Amendment article makes very good points, which very well may be why the Civil War was so violent, but may it also be that the Framers of the Constitution were also protecting our right as stated in the Declaration that "it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."? How would a people ever hope to wage a revolution without bearing arms? No government which wielded such power would give it up easily. I am not saying this needs to be done by any means, but that if we are to retain the right to choose a government for ourselves, the means by which that may be done in the face of tyranny and abuse must be retained."