Since U.S. was established as a nation, its citizens have been reluctant to give the government too much power. Many a time, they have expressed massive suspicion of the politicians. However, the Americans have often turned to the government for help during times of need, over the course of American history. They have also strongly given the government unwavering support in times of war. The government’s power started expanding in 1933 in order to meet the crises that were created by crash of the stock exchange market in 1929. Congress passed legislation which brought American government into the businesses of farm mortgages, home mortgages, relief of personal distress and credit. The national government has become an enormous institution with policies and programs, reaching every corner of American life .
The political aspect that makes an impact on my cognition is the American Political Culture. Framing and underlying political life in U.S are agreements on the basic political values and disagreements over the goals or ends of the government. Several Americans share the values of democracy, equality and liberty. Values define the citizen’s sense of the things that are right or wrong, just or unjust, possible or impossible. Values also shape their views of the world. If the Americans never shared any values, they would have problems in communicating. They would agree less on a common system of politics and government. Conversely, political consensus is not guaranteed by sharing broad values. Americans agree on principles yet disagree over their application. There are critics who affirm that measures like affirmative action do not promote political inclusion, but rather condemn a segmented society and reverse discrimination. They argue that these policies are far from fulfilling the ideals of America and represent a movement directed away from the most fundamental values of America. Americans disagree on over the meaning of political ideals like equality and agree on these ideals’ importance. The shared beliefs, attitudes and values which form American political culture and hold U.S.A. and its people together can be dated back to the time the Union was founded. The American Founding’s essential documents for instance the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence enunciated political principles about the new republic’s purposes. These documents have not been just words on dusty documents. The Americans embraced the Founder’s principles actively and made them the central point of the national identity .
This political aspect will help my future university life in that as a Political Science student, it is imperative to take cognizance of political ideals. American Political Culture incorporates these ideals such as equality, liberty and democracy. The book ‘We the People’ puts forward that liberty is the most central ideal to American values. To Americans, liberty refers to both economic freedom and personal freedom. Both of them are closely linked to the notion of limited government. The first ten amendments of American Constitution known as Bill of Rights preserve individual personal rights and liberties. As a matter of fact, liberty means most of the freedoms that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights including; the right to assemble freely, freedom of speech and right to practice religious beliefs. Over the course of the history of America, the scope of liberty has expanded. Laws have become more liberal as various individuals have used the courts successfully to challenge the restrictions on their personal freedoms .
The declaration of Independence has declared that ‘all men are created equally’ as its first truth that is ‘self-evident’. This is central to the political creed of Americans. However, equality has not been defined well since people interpret it in different ways. Most Americans have shared the ideal of ‘equality of opportunity’. Americans make clear distinctions that exist between economic or social equality and political equality. Political equality indicates that all members of the American political community do have the right to take part in politics on terms that are equal. This is on the basis of the principle of ‘one person, one vote ’. Finally, democracy involves taking part of the people in choosing their leaders and the ability of the people to affect what these leaders do. Political power comes from the people, ultimately, under democracy. Placing power in the people’s hands refers to popular sovereignty. In U.S., political equality and popular sovereignty make the politicians to be accountable to the people .
The economic aspect that makes an impact on my cognition is the International Trade Agreements and the States. The American Constitution gives the federal government the power to enter into treaties and make foreign policy. The global economic expansion over the past decades has increased the significance of the international arena for local governments and states. The expansion of international trade creates new opportunities to enhance economic development. However, it also presents massive frustrations. International trade agreements can make the hands of the various states to be tied given that states have very little formal voice in these agreements’ provisions. U.S., Mexico and Canada signed North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) in 1992 to open the trade among the three counties. New rules were also formed and each government is obliged to follow them. American state governments never took part in creating these rules. These rules may restrict their own policies significantly. Other trade agreements for instance those negotiated via World Trade Organization (WTO) may also limit what American state governments can do. Trade agreements which have aroused concern recently in the states include the proposed rulings which would label several common procurement policies of the states as trade barriers and thus unenforceable. This economic aspect will help my future university life in that as a Political Science student, it is imperative to take cognizance of the International Trade Agreements and procurement policies. The procurement policies decide who can provide services and sell goods to the state. The potential for the trade agreements to put restrictions on the democratic powers of the American states to make decisions implies that in the future, they will have to reflect on the international consequences of their actions as usual part of lawmaking of the state .
The sociological aspect that makes an impact on my cognition involves immigration and race. Official efforts to promote the use of ethnic and racial criteria put restrictions on American population have been applied to draw boundaries around American community. During the first census, Native Americans were not counted. They were also not allowed to vote until 1924. Most people of African origin did not officially become American citizens till the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution was made. This sociological aspect will help my future university life in that as a Political Science student, it is imperative to take cognizance of the religious and cultural changes that have taken place in America over the past century. The changes provoked disputes a century ago and continue to spark passionate debates today. Various customs and languages which immigrants bring to U.S. generate fears that it is changing rapidly in ways which may undermine American values and change fundamental identities. These anxieties are made more acute by the large number of immigrants into the country. Apparently, American government has loosened the restrictions on immigration, thus allowing many people from Asia and Latin America to enter U.S .
In conclusion, the political aspect of America shows that many Americans share the values of democracy, equality and liberty. Values define the citizen’s sense of the things that are right or wrong, just or unjust, possible or impossible. The economic aspect of America shows that expansion of international trade has created new opportunities to enhance economic development. However, it has also presented massive frustrations. Finally, the sociological aspect of America shows that religious and cultural changes have taken place in America over the past century.
Work Cited
Ginsberg, Benjamin, Theodore J. Lowi and Margaret Weir. We The People. New York: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2011.
