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