What is the future of democracy? Is it a realistic option?

Democracy is definitely a realistic option, however it does require participation from the people in order to be successful.  To strive for perfection is not realistic because it is not possible to reach a perfect democracy.  In order for this to occur there would have to be a unanimous agreement on all issues and ideas by all of the people.  This is not achievable due to the fact that people are so different when it comes to governmental ideas and will not simply agree on everything.  Democracy is realistic as long as people do their part and participate.   The book makes some very valid points when they talk about how the "various dimensions of inequality affect the opportunities citizens have to participate effectively in making political decisions [and] having their interests adequately represented" (The Politics of Power, p384).  All in all I believe that democracy is very realistic if the appropriate steps are taken to ensure that their is active participation from the people. 

Obtained From: <http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/cartoon.jpg>

I like this cartoon because it delineates the disinterest that is present when it comes to voting.  People are just not interested in government and that is a detriment to the development of democracy because the whole idea of democracy is a rule for the people by the people. 

References:
Cartoon: <http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/cartoon.jpg>
The Politics of Power: Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, and Alan Draper

What is the process to develop an economic policy that provides services and sustainability?

The most important part to creating a self sustaining successful economy for a country would be the creation of jobs.  If people have jobs then they get an income, which they can spend and put back into the economy. The creation of more jobs will reduce unemployment and that will also cut some of the budget reserved for unemployment.  If the governement creates more jobs, then the economy will improve significantly because people will spend more money.  There will be more business created as a result, and the government can charge more taxes and make more money.  The government collects many taxes because they "are necessary to pay for government: from the services we recieve from it" (The Politics of Power).

Obtained From: http://economy.ocregister.com/files/2010/03/Job-market-cartoon.jpg

This is a good cartoon since it represents high unemployment and the fact that it is not improving much this year.  The monetary policy is also important toward developing a strong economy.  Manipulating interest rates seems to be an affective way to effect the economy, for example "low interest rates, ion the other hand, encourage borrowing and spending by making credit cheap and easy to obtain" (The Politics of Power, 303).  If the government were to reduce the interest rates that may revive the economy by encouraging consumers to purchase new goods and maybe start new businesses.  This will also create more job opportunities for people. 
References: 

"The Power of Politics" - Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper

How does a government facilitate comprehensive care for its constituents without sacrificing equity?

The governement creates many good programs to facilitate comprehensive care for its constituents.  There are many people however that take the opportunity to abuse the system and ease their financial burden by relying on government help.  Some of the largest programs provided by the governemnt includes Social Security, which provides the elderly with a monthly pension.  Another great program the government provides is unemployment benefits.  Some people require a little bit of  assistance until they can find a new job, especially since it is difficult to find a good job at the moment (The Politics of Power, p 319).  The Social Security seems to be well deserved due to the fact people work their whole lives and pay taxes, so when the time comes for them to retire it seems just for them to be able to recieve a monthly pension (The Politics of Power, p 320).  Equity becomes threatened however when programs become easy to abuse.  Sometimes it is difficult to find a job because people may get laid off from work or just be unable to find a good job, however it is also possible for people to be just lazy and depend on the government to support them instead of making the effort to find a job.  The seperation from the people who rightfully deserve help and the abusers is what makes it difficult to ensure equity.  The government has developed many good programs to help people who need it because of low income, the only challenge is to separate the people who really need it from the people who don't.


Obtained From: <http://state-of-the-nation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/us_president_barack_obama_spending_money_for_debt_policy_speech_strategy_comic
_political_cartoon_economist_funny_best_top_free_greatest1_obama_debt.jpg>

 I used this cartoon because it went well with an article I was reading for my Economics class the other day about the U.S. treasury reaching the debt ceiling and I though that it was interesting.  Here is the link for that:
http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/04/news/economy/debt_ceiling_deadline/index.htm

References:
The Politics of Power: Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, and Alan Draper

How should a nation-state develop its foreign policy in accordance to its values and in connection to the development of its domestic policy?

A nation-state should develop its foreign policy in accordance with their own ideals. It is important that their foreign policy represents the country's beliefs. At the same time though, they should make an effort to accommodate other country's ideals to some extent in order to provide for a better relationship with other countries. A country's foreign policy should also be a reflection of their domestic policy because they represent the same ideals and values. There are two parts to American foreign policy as the book delineates - military and economic (p. 350). The United States maintains a "highly privileged position" (Power of Politics, p. 350) and a main goal of American foreign policy is to maintain that position.  When it comes to foreign policy, a nation should be able to take responsibility and help their allies in need.  Foreign policy and domestic policy should be balanced so that both serve the values and interests of the country in question.  Foreign policy should also take into consideration other nation's values without sacrificing their own values in the process.

Obtained From: <http://www.adamzyglis.com/images/cartoon736.jpg>

References:
"Power of Politics"- Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper

What role do judges and the judicial system play in supporting freedom?

Judges and the judicial system play a huge role in supporting freedom. The judicial branch is mainly in charge of interpreting the law and applying it in society, therefore they hold a large influence in government.  Without the law, the country would be very chaotic because everyone would be able to do as they please. They support freedom by establishing certain laws which define what is acceptable in a free society.  It is an excellent idea in any nation to have established what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in order to avoid complete chaos because every single person's perspective on what is wrong or right will differ.  It is impossible to have a country where all of the people will agree on the same thing.  Judicial Activism plays a very large role in supporting freedom because it allows the courts to "overrule laws made by a majority of elected officials" (The Power of Politics, p. 264).  This concept has been viewed as a way for "judges [to protect] the weak from oppressive majorities" (The Power of Politics, p. 264).  This conveys the power of the judicial branch and importance that it plays in keeping the other two branches honest. 

Obtained From: <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnhHCX6syZP9TgRzTcZUkIkbVnJ3Y4Zoc08pooR5ex5JqBg7ySNkk46gfNhV0YkjSMuhCRP9dXQGVqmeRtBTBK6KWkkkc-DJpoRmiR429epKqLlUkdz1HrqVmwWIo2oUDbMCzRvP794Q/s400/cartoon_fridge+04-02-04.jpg>

I really like this cartoon because it emphasizes the downside of law, which may occur if the law is taken too far.  Sometimes the law may contradict the freedom of choice.  For example legally people are required to wear seat belts when they drive for their own protection.  That makes me think though, shouldn't my safety be a choice that I make instead of having made for me.  Another topic that has been very controversial is the freedom of smoking.  It has always been a topic of whether or not smoking should be made illegal because of the negative health effects that it causes.  Personally I do not smoke because I hate the smell and the negative health effects, however it should be my own choice.  I thought that this cartoon went really nicely with this topic because it shows that if there are too many things which are not allowed, then there is nothing left. 

References:
The Politics of Power.  Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper.  2011
Cartoon: <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnhHCX6syZP9TgRzTcZUkIkbVnJ3Y4Zoc08pooR5ex5JqBg7ySNkk46gfNhV0YkjSMuhCRP9dXQGVqmeRtBTBK6KWkkkc-DJpoRmiR429epKqLlUkdz1HrqVmwWIo2oUDbMCzRvP794Q/s400/cartoon_fridge+04-02-04.jpg>

How does the U.S. Congress, as it exists in its current structure, support and/or limit authentic representation?

Congress is in large part responsible for financial decisions.  The political process and the bureaucracy that is common within Congress limits productivity. That is why there is a disconnect between what the general public desires and what Congress prioritizes. Those issues that are minor, such as, naming Acts/Bills, and advertisement noise laws, are passed by Congress much more expeditiously, that bills that would actually benefit society. In my opinion, Congress needs to focus on the real issues first and not waste time on unnecessary issues such as how a bill should be named.

Obtained From: <http://www.michellehenry.fr/lobby6.jpg>

 Even though the representatives are elected, they hardly represent the opinion of the people.  In politics it is not unusual for opinions and ideas to differ before and after the election is over with.  Congress is a very important part of government due to their "substantial responsibilities" (The Power of Politics, p. 210) including the capacity to declare war, to collect taxes, to regulate commerce, etc.  Congress also limits authentic representation due to lobbyists.  Elections are greatly influenced by special interest groups who offer to provide campaign funding.  As the book mentions, "those with the most political resources outside of Congress are in the best position to take advantage of Congress's accessibility to cultivate relationships" (The Power of Politics, p. 239) with the various members. As the cartoon illustrates lobbying influence increases rapidly year after year.  Lobbying increased by $1.9 billion, in the time period of 10 years (The Power of Politics, p. 239)

References:
Cartoon: <http://www.michellehenry.fr/lobby6.jpg>

"The Politics of Power"- Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper.

In what ways does the U.S. Presidency support and limit the formation of an ideal democracy?

In order to be ideal, a democracy needs to be perfectly structured without flaws in the system. That seems to be out of reach in real life because nothing is ever ideal. The U.S. presidency limits the formation of an ideal democracy because all some people have conflicting ideas and opinions. A democracy means for the people by the people, however there is no way that all of the people in the U.S. can agree on one thing and have the same opinions on issues.  One of the concerns that came up after the Revolutionary War in 1776 was that "it did not provide for a single official responsible for directing the executive branch who would be independent of Congress (The politics of power, p.175).  I like this cartoon because it represents all of the issues that block any country from reaching an ideal democracy.  The importance of the presidency was greatly established due to the fact that without a president the "government could otherwise drift and be stalemated in a system of checks and balances" (The politics of power, p. 178). 

Obtained From: <http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Democracy2.jpg>

 References: The Politics of Power, Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper

Cartoon <http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Democracy2.jpg>

How do individuals and groups of people influence the political process?

Individuals and groups of people influence the political process very differently.   Individuals have influence when they vote. When an individual is making a decision on who to vote for, they mostly can rely on their own ideas and opinions to lead them in the right direction. When people are part of a group, they tend to lose their own opinion and sometimes go along with somebody else. It is important for people to retain their individuality when voting because that is the only way that they will be represented according to their own ideas and principles.  Groups of people tend to gather when it comes to having a common goal achieved, such as environmentalists.  Political candidates will try to appeal to these large groups of people by presenting ideas and goals that appeal to those groups.  As the book mentions, the "environmental movement [has become] more theoretically and politically diverse" (The Politics of Power, p.166).  When it comes to the environment more and more people become involved everyday because they realize the importance of the preservation of our environment.  The book also mentions that in the beginning of the twentieth century there were two groups of environmentalists: conservationists and preservationists.  Later on the two "joined together to oppose reckless abuse of the land and its resources" (The Politics of Power, p.164).  The environmentalist compose a very large group in today's day and they hold a lot of voting power.  This is why when elections are held, politicians try to appeal to the environmentalists by providing the public with their own ideas and goals in regards to the environment. 

Obtained from: <http://www.cagle.com/news/EnvironmentMadden/environmentCartoonGIFS/tree%20of%20life%20chainsaw.gif>

 When we examine the situation in Egypt, we can see the power of large groups of people.  Many people there were dissatisfied with the government that they had. This is why they decided to come together to have their voice be heard. When the majority is dissatisfied with the political process, they have the power to influence who takes part in political leadership and how the political process runs. In Egypt, the president stepped down as a result of the people's dissatisfaction with the political leadership. An article on CNN mentions that the social site facebook also played a part in the stepping down of the president, due to many political groups that organized via the Internet in order to make their protests heard (Egyptian president steps down amidst groundbreaking digital revolution).

Sources:
"The Politics of Power," - Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper
"Egyptian President Steps Down Amidst Groundbreaking Digital Revolution" -
<http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-11/tech/egyptian.president.digital.mashable_1_social-media-cnn-moment-english-language-network?_s=PM:TECH>
Cartoon -  <http://www.cagle.com/news/EnvironmentMadden/environmentCartoonGIFS/tree%20of%20life%20chainsaw.gif>

In what ways does public opinion influence the formation of a democratic society?

Public opinion has great influence on the formation of a democratic society.  A democratic society means that the government is for the people by the people.  This definition implies that the public participates a great deal in politics.  Unfortunately that is not always true because some people choose not to vote during elections and that means that their ideas and opinions may not be represented after the representatives are elected.  The public votes in order to choose a representatives who will provide a reflection of their own ideas and opinions, and that way they can make themselves heard when it comes to politics.  I thought this cartoon was kind of funny since it's tax season and we're all excited to get some money back even though we paid it in first place. 

Obtained From: <http://www.frugal-cafe.com/public_html/frugal-blog/frugal-cafe-blogzone/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/op-ed-comic-prez-tax-plan1.jpg>

How Does the Governement Intersect With the Private Sector

 The government and the private sector intersect in many ways.  The economy and the government pretty much go together.  The government has to regulate the private sector in order to avoid large corporations taking advantage of people.  If the government did not regulate companies at all it would result in many employees being treated poorly and making incredibly low wages and in return the corporations would profit quite a bit.  Another thing that has to be regulated by the government would be the working conditions within the large corporations.  This is both for the employees and the public's well being.  For example meat packing plants need to be regulated in order to avoid certain health risks.  Another result of lack of regulation would be exploitation of child labor.

As the book explains throughout time workers , farmers and environmentalists challenged "business successfully and required the government to adopt policies that regulate markets" (the politics of power, p.66).  This is due to the fact that corporations were exchanging the well being of the environment and workers for a larger amount of profit.  The book also demonstrates that the government has had a hand in economic expansion for a long time.  One example of this is railroads, which contributed a major boost to the economy at the time.  This would not have been done without the government as a contributing party to the development of the railroads (the politics of power, p.67). Unemployment is really affecting the economy at the moment reaching heights of "over nine percent unemployment" (Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the house).  With the help of the government unemployment rates can hopefully be reduced by creating jobs, and therefore improving the economy (Fox News).

References:

"The Politics of Power"- Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper.
On the Issues at CPAC: Jobs and the Economy <http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/02/11/issues-cpac-jobs-and-economy>