American Political Institution

Discussion response 1 Over the course of the past month, readings in this module have been available to us students concerning a multitude of important topics concerning how the American political institutions function. Topics detailed include the discussion of how certain events and ideas can affect voter turnout. Each article helped me to formulate a better understanding of basic concepts in political science such as power sharing, and the conflict that occurs when it is or is not shared. “Two Faces of Power” gave greater detail on how power is perceived in the public, and how it is actually shared. It highlighted the difference between the sociological perspective on power and the political perspective. Personally, this difference was not evident to me until this reading was assigned. Additionally, other readings assigned such as “Families, Divorce and Voter Turnout in the US” detail the many different things that could have an effect on voter turnout. While it was common understanding that these things could have an effect on a person’s ability to vote, the readings provided specific examples and research done that showed hard proof of the effect taking place. Each reading concerning voter turnout solidified the idea that many things can effect voter turnout during an election, and that it can be scientifically proven that it occurs. For many political science students, this proof and research provided was not common knowledge, and it helped to gain a better understanding of why participation models in politics can look so drastically different. It shows that it is important to focus on the individual to see why certain things occur participation wise. Lastly, other readings such as “The Diffusion of Innovations among the American States” acted as foundation for understanding how American innovations have occurred both economically and politically. These readings act as a way for political science students to track how big changes in America have occurred, while even getting the opportunity to see how these innovations are spread out. Each reading present in this first module act as a means of understanding the basics for many political science students, including myself. They describe in detail why certain phenomena occur, helping us to understand just why American politics functions the way it does

Discussion response 2 Given these readings, describe how each article contributes to your understanding of political strategy, the study of politics, and the complicated nature of participation in politics.

I believe that when discussing political strategy, we are being informed about the advantages and disadvantages that are being to gain political gain and power. We especially learn this when learning about Bachrach and Baratz. In this reading we learn that the approach to power has to do with the basic premise that in every human institution there is an ordered system. Even though many pluralist believe that power is who can participate in the decision making process. Knowing about how politics is ran honestly was more confusing simply because there are so many more levels that is connected when discussing the strategy of politics. Huckfeldt Plutzer and Sprague reading discussed the conceptual risks of reducing social structure to a manifestation of individual choice. This then creates a model of individually manufactured patterns of social interaction. There are many effects when discussing the interaction of others but he the logic choice of operation operates probabilistically rather than deterministically. An example of the effect of this specifically shows how the parish (church community) should depend on the neighborhood and vice versa. Working with and for politics at times can either help or harm a situation that you are in especially concerning the participation in politics. While reading Plutzer 2002 we learn the complements and integrates of framework by researching the factors that increase/decrease the cost of voting. Many young people already have in their minds if they will or will not continue to vote and the factors could include education, race, class, and civic/church involvement, social networks, and home ownership. Many scholars have examined how the cognitive resources such as political knowledge and many other political resources can influence the starting and even shift the a voter and interrupt habits. “Voting habits is an acquired behavior and is habitual.”(Plutzer 2002) Ricker and Ordeshook reading showed that it costs more to vote and how fundamental political act is very irrational. Many funds go into voting and trying to many new ways to not only pull young voters in but maintain the older generation into keep voting. Many different ways have become popular to gain the attention of new crowds today, such a Ga voter Turnout. Lastly, political scientists have shown many characteristics for family that have important consequences for political behavior. Divorce is a key make or break moment when discussing political strategy. Divorce is two and a half times as common to marriage and leads to a loss of income and increased residential mobility. This becomes very stressful and the turnout can lead to lowered education attainment through the strongest predictor of voting. Divorce in the political world reduces the standard of living in some areas and parental divorce is associated with low socioeconomic attainment through children. This hardship associated with divorce can often lead children to abandon plans to attend college and soon creates a cycle of long term economic loss for children of divorced parents.