CMC Introductory American Government -- Honors

Star Wars and James Madison

2012-02-01T19:50:00.001-08:00

[A]dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.

The word "megalomaniac" comes to mind...

2012-01-26T17:06:00.001-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/newt-gingrich-promises-build-moon-colony-2020-u-211103078.html

Professor Pitney's Notable Quotations

2011-12-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some class quotations for those times when you feel nostalgic. It's literally been an honor being in class with you all. Thanks for an awesome semester!

-It's complicated.
-The short answer is, it's complicated.
-I welcome all perspectives, with one exception: No nazis allowed.
-If you don't like digressions, don't take this class...
-I used to say "read a good newspaper," but that's SO twentieth century.
-Drinking in class is okay... well, FLUIDS.
-I can say the 'Hail Mary' in Latin... and French.
-*To Miriam* Any relation to Ted Cruz? He's married to a CMC alum running for Senate in Texas... AGAINST ANOTHER CMC ALUM!
-*On the Declaration of Independence* Political Bonds... think of a rubber band.
-You're in the Honors class... oooooh.
-It was LITERALLY a revolutionary statement.
-There was a group of people who owed their allegiance to England - they lost. Their descendants are... Canadians.
-***Reenactment of the American Revolution***
*French Accent* We'll support these good people.
*British Accent* Awh, screw it...
AND THEN WE WON!
-Relativists really aren't... because they all think they're right.
-Anyone ever read Spinoza?
*Silence*
Well, Jefferson did!
-Divine Right of Kings, I STAB AT THEE!
-We're the Beta testers for the whole world!
-As Mr. Spock once said...
-You have the Pitzer definition of happiness...
-This was nerd heaven!
-When I try to speak French, it sounds like Yiddish.
-You should generally avoid passive tense. Jefferson didn't, but he was Jefferson, dammit!
-*On the Founding Fathers* So they all went to the city tavern and got hammered.
-Segway - I love using that word.
-"The first rule of Tea Party is that there is no Tea Party." - Brad Pitt
-You are all going to make errors.
-You guys aren't that original.
-The first draft of anything... is shit.
-If you see the indentations of my circle, you know I'm upset.
-I will follow you back to your dorms and rip your lungs out.
-English is not logical. Deal with it. If you want a logical language, speak Spanish.
-Governmenty political stuff.
-Excommunication. It's almost as bad as having your I.D. denied at a bar.
-This is a helluva lot easier than teaching a Kindergarten class.
-Alcohol consumption per capita circa 1820 was higher than even CMC.
-Think of CMC on Saturday at 11:39, that was America ALL THE TIME.
-I know what it's like to write a paper at three in the morning.
-You are beyond that. You are, after all, the Honors class.
-Let's keep this classroom oriented... *laughing*
-She looked at me and said, "God saw that," and I remember it. FIFTY YEARS LATER!
-"German Patriotism"... has some negative connotations.
-I hate the term prompts. They're question topics. NOT PROMPTS!!
-The next fifteen minutes will increase your learning potential by fifteen percent.
-You may make donations in my name.
-*On the Writing Center* Do exploit them... They familiar with me.
-You should just send me an e-mail of your draft. If you came to my office, I would read the paper faster just to avoid the awkwardness/discomfort.
-By the way, great drinking game. If you're watching C-Span and drinking [you're now CMCers, drinking and CMC actually go together!], taxes and job-killing will get you blotto!
-You do not apply, you are chosen. It's kind of like being Pope.
-At least he's a consistent loon.
-*On Hamilton* He had a really interesting life. And death. In a duel. How cool can you get?
-Springfield, Massachusetts. Not the Simpsons, D'oh.
-If you ever want a Congressman to take a picture with you, show up in a wheelchair.
-This is the talk. You'd rather get these comments in this warm, nurturing environment to aid you in your road to excellence.
-FAH!... I TOOK LATIN.
-People who take my class say, "I remember all those red marks you gave me." I NEVER USE RED INK!!
-And the Supreme Court said, "Nnnnooo."
-A lot of bells and whistles, which, as you know, I like.
-God said, "Cain, where's your brother?" And there's been investigations ever since.
-In New York, the Supreme Court is not the Supreme Court... It's New York you guys.
-When Oswald killed Kennedy, and yes, it WAS Oswald.
-Do a youtube search for Spongebob and China.
-The Tony Soprano school of politics.
-As the fire was bearing heading down to my house, all I could think was, "FEDERALISM!"
-World War I was one of those wars people look back on and think, "boy that was stupid."
-Divorce was a major source of income for NEvada.
-CMC contributes to the well being of this state in many different ways, and alcohol is one of them.
-When I was an undergraduate, I would've given an important body part for this.
-*On his new laser pointer* I got this not for class, but for my son. Notice you can't slice someone's arm off with this.
-I can actually channel Newt... "I was right and the world was wrong."
-Romney's the one you settle for... like vacationing in Branson, Missouri.
-We'll do a project - a Newt Gingrich drinking game.
-Walter Cronkite... he was basically... God.
-For everyone watching ESPN, my wife's 401K thanks you.
-It's awesome being a Newt Gingrich expert at a time like this. Then again, I love my country.
-He was one of the Pomona students that could have been a CMCer. That's the highest praise I can give.
-Alinsky was the ultimate CMCer.
-Think of the line, "What would Mitt Romney do."
-*On Newt Gingrich* The term megalomaniac comes to mind.
-A text without a context is a pretext.
-The little things are the big things.
-Kennedy could compartmentalize BIG time.
-Who knows, maybe next thing you'll see is Prime Minister Bieber.
-Predator - not starring one, but TWO future governors.
-The Gospel of Mark... it's the Strunk and White of the New Testament.
-You wouldn't want to giet into a fight with Bill Clinton because you're probably going to lose... it's like stepping into the ring with Mike Tyson... or Muhammad Ali.

Gingrich mentioned Alinksky and Rules for Radicals!

2011-12-18T02:40:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas so far!

I thought it was pretty neat that Gingrich mentioned Alinsky back in the Iowa debate this weekend (around the 18:00 mark here) Just goes to show that the class truly was a lasting experience!

Thank you everyone for the wonderful class!

The Final Moments of the Cain Train

2011-12-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

Our class closed with a quote from Sir Thomas More; the Cain Campaign closed with a quote from Pokemon... I'll let you all decide which of the two was more successful.

And there goes Perry's campaign

2011-12-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

His newest campaign ad...

Notice the like/ dislike ratio.

America and the World

2011-12-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.pewglobal.org/files/pdf/247.pdf

Patriotism

Individualism

Service and Civil Society

Religion

Obama's insistence on Gay Rights could be troubling

2011-12-07T05:16:00.000-08:00

Obama, Clinton to world: Stop gay discrimination

President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both stepped up international efforts to ensure rights for gays. Clinton likens the fight for gay rights to the fight for racial equality and women's rights in America, saying that it is a gay rights are equivalent to human rights. Obama has gone as far as saying that foreign assistance and diplomacy will be used to ensure gay rights worldwide.

This brings with it some troubling questions, as well as difficulties for the Obama administration. For instance, it cannot be said that even within America, gays have completely equal rights. Although the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell was lauded by LGBT groups nationwide, the Defense of Marriage Act is still law in the United States and many states d0 not allow gay marriage. Also, homophobia is still alive and well in the US. Much like the debate over whether the government should help subsidize abortions, which evangelical Christians were up in arms against, there is likely to be political backlash from evangelical groups if Obama uses foreign aid to try and coerce nations into protecting gay rights.

An important question that needs to be asked is how far President Obama is willing to go in order to ensure gay rights in other countries. For instance, when Clinton was giving her speech, her audience included representatives from many Arab and African nations in which it is outright illegal to be gay. In these countries, homosexuals are oppressed and in some cases, this oppression is augmented by state-sanctioned attacks on homosexuals. It is naive to expect these countries to have a sudden change of heart and acknowledge gay rights, especially when some of them don't even acknowledge that homosexuals exist.

While many humanitarian groups and a large chunk of Obama's base may be in support of gay rights and want exactly this kind of policy in place, the wisdom of the US's stance, especially considering that it doesn't have its own matters in order, seems questionable. Only time will tell just how devoted the Obama administration and future administrations will be to this policy and how America and the world will react.

Practice Final Examination

2011-12-06T18:24:00.000-08:00

The following will give you an idea of the format of the final exam. As you prepare, also take a look at the air midterm.

I. Briefly identify 12 of 14 items (4 points each). Explain each item's meaning and significance.

Tactics in politics
Referendum
Article II
The jury “as a political institution”
Majority faction
The "Iowa problem"
“Full faith and credit”
The 10th Amendment
Outsourcing
The Creationism Act
The "Big Three" networks
American Crossroads
Treason
PIE/PO/PIG

II. Explain the source, meaning, and significance of 2 of the following 3 passages (6 points each).

In a free government the security for civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights. It consists in the one case in the multiplicity of interests, and in the other in the multiplicity of sects. The degree of security in both cases will depend on the number of interests and sects; and this may be presumed to depend on the extent of country and number of people comprehended under the same government.
Religion, which never intervenes directly in the government of American society, should therefore be considered as the first of their political institutions, for although it did not give them the taste for liberty, it singularly facilitates their use thereof.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.

III. Answer two of three essay questions (20 points each). Each answer should take about 3 large bluebook pages or 4 small bluebook pages.

How would Tocqueville explain why a case such as Edwards v. Aguillard came to the Supreme Court?
Pick one of the proposed reforms of Congress that appear in the Ellis reader. Explain the arguments for and against the reform. Which side would you support, and why?
Read this recent article: http://www.detnews.com/article/20111129/MIVIEW/111290378/1467/opinion01/Obamacare-s-Constitutional-malpratice [On the actual final, I shall give you hardcopy of any article that a question mentions.] Do you agree or disagree? Explain, with reference to Publius, Amar, and other course materials.

Bonus Questions (one point each). Very briefly identify the following:

Mark Block
Ed Rollins
Maria Bartiromo
Corinne Pepper
Gary Johnson

Tactics

2011-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

Alinsky's 13 Rules of Power Tactics:

Rule 1: Power is not only what you have, but what an opponent thinks you have. If your organization is small, hide your numbers in the dark and raise a din that will make everyone think you have many more people than you do.

Rule 2: Never go outside the experience of your people. The result is confusion, fear, and retreat.

Rule 3: Whenever possible, go outside the experience of an opponent. Here you want to cause confusion, fear, and retreat.

Rule 4: Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. “You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.”

Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.

Rule 6: A good tactic is one your people enjoy. “If your people aren’t having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic.”

Rule 7: A tactic that drags on for too long becomes a drag. Commitment may become ritualistic as people turn to other issues.

Rule 8: Keep the pressure on. Use different tactics and actions and use all events of the period for your purpose. “The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this that will cause the opposition to react to your advantage.”

Rule 9: The threat is more terrifying than the thing itself. When Alinsky leaked word that large numbers of poor people were going to tie up the washrooms of O’Hare Airport, Chicago city authorities quickly agreed to act on a longstanding commitment to a ghetto organization. They imagined the mayhem as thousands of passengers poured off airplanes to discover every washroom occupied. Then they imagined the international embarrassment and the damage to the city’s reputation.

Rule 10: The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure on the opposition.

Rule 11: If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through to its counterside. According to Alinsky, the main job of the organizer is to bait an opponent into reacting. “The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength.”

Rule 12: The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Avoid being trapped by an opponent or an interviewer who says, “Okay, what would you do?”

Rule 13: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. Don’t try to attack abstract corporations or bureaucracies. Identify a responsible individual. Ignore attempts to shift or spread the blame.

Fox News and the 2012 race

2011-12-04T22:15:00.000-08:00

I would be interested in what people think about this?. Pretty much its saying that Roger Ailes is making Fox News tack to the center.

"If 2010 was the year that Fox fueled the Tea Party — culminating in record ratings and the Republican sweep of the House midterms — 2012 is shaping up to be the year that Ailes decided Fox will benefit if the political world recognizes that his network is willing to make GOP candidates sweat in front of their base...The GOP primary candidates may think Fox News studios are friendly territory. But while it will continue to function as home turf, especially in the prime time hours, they shouldn't be surprised to see more curveballs. The front-runner Ailes cares most about is Fox."

Do you feel that this is accurate? If it is how will it affect the primary/general election or FOXNEWS?

Also an interesting idea on Sarah Palin's endorsement . It would make her relevent though it could lose her much of her loyal base.

2011-11-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

First, some life lessons:

Aristotle spoke of ethos, pathos, and logos.

SUCCES is a mnemonic for success in communication

SIMPLICITY
UNEXPECTEDNESS
CONCRETENESS
CREDIBILITY
EMOTIONS
STORIES

#OccupyProfessorPitney'sBlog

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know that everybody is busy reading and making study guides but I wanted to hear what other people thought about the Occupy Wall Street protests. My personal opinion is this:

Occupy Wall Street was created by a Canadian magazine primarily protesting Corporate influence in the Government. I think that the protests have attracted a vast range of participants in terms of political beliefs and backgrounds who often detract from the legitimacy of the protests. While I generally disagree with those who want immense changes in America’s political and economic systems, I do agree that the materialism that exists in America today warrants reflection, as it has become the center of our lives. This was the intention of Adbusters (the Canadian rabble-rousers) when they created Occupy Black Friday. Although I struggled with the idea at first I think it carries on the spirit of OWS in calling attention to the matter. I also think that Occupy Black Friday illustrates the differences of those who are protesting for more jobs and those protesting corporations (it’s safe to say that boycotting consumer spending would have a negative impact on the job market.) To this date, Occupy Wall Street has proven to be a jumbled mess unable to truly define its own identity and its own message. Varying points of view have made it nearly impossible to legitimize any type of “movement” and in some cases have delegitimized the intent of the protests. I also feel that the protests have been a success in some ways. The discontent felt by many Americans, even those who have taken part in the protests, is palpable at this point. Public distrust in corporations runs throughout the country and recent events such as Citizens United v FEC point towards a growth in corporate influence. #OWS has at least brought a massive amount of attention to this issue and moving forward I hope they find a way to organize and take the next step in their movement. Finally, I think that although many people agree with the end but not their means, at some point aren’t these means better than none at all?

This may be the longest post of the year but I feel it has the potential to be a hugely important event in today’s culture (OWS not my post). It also involves a lot of what we have learned about over the past semester and is especially pertinent while we read Alinsky. Although many of you may not have opinions on the matter, I would love if those who do write a response to continue this discussion (after all isn’t that the point of this blog?). Good luck getting through these next couple of weeks everybody.

Alinsky: An Introduction

2011-11-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

In an interview, Alinsky discussed his early life.

Hillary Rodham Clinton thesis.

Unexpected disciples:

Media applications:

Movies, TV, and Politics

2011-11-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

Birth of a Nation (1915) -- the first movie to have a White House screening, sadly revealing Woodrow Wilson's writings and racial attitudes in the early 20th century.

Gabriel Over the White House (1933).

Mission to Moscow (1943) -- pro-Soviet propaganda (at 1:36:30).

Duck and Cover (1951) -- civil defense documentary on saving yourself from the Bomb.

Red Nightmare (1962) -- DOD film asks: what if the Reds took over?

Fail-Safe (1964) -- after the Cuban Missile Crisis, a scary look at an accidental nuclear attack -- the closing minutes.

Dr. Strangelove (1964) -- a satirical look at an accidental nuclear attack.

Capricorn One (1978) -- in the paranoid 1970s, a fake Mars landing (start at 20 min.)

The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) on money and politics

The Lion King (1994) -- "Be Prepared" compare to a Nuremberg rally

Food vs Fuel: Some rice for thought

2011-11-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

I raised the topic of ethanol subsidies in class last Wednesday and most of the class responded with very strong opinions about ethanol. In the news media today, ethanol is generally crucified because of the "food vs fuel" debate. However, the issue of food vs fuel is not so simple. Here's some food for thought about the role of ethanol in world food markets:

I invite you to examine the prices of various commodities grown as food crops around the globe: maize, barley, rice. While news rages with complaints about rising corn prices, you will notice that corn is not the only crop going up in cost. Indeed, everything is going up. So is the price of oil (notice the extremely close correlations in the price of food and oil overtime)-- which believe it or not, drives the price of virtually everything. Consider a $3.60 box of corn flakes. It is comprised of merely ten cents of corn. The rest of the cost is made up of producer mark up and the $1.20 of energy that goes into producing that corn flake from raw corn. The price of oil drives the price of food products-- not the cost of the raw good, which is virtually negligible. Even in the poorest countries in Africa, cassava root (one of the most important staple crops in the country) must be cooked before eaten, lest the consumer die from a cyanide produced in the stomach by eating raw cassava. To cook cassava, one needs energy-- in today's world, that means oil.

The next concern raised in the food vs fuel debate is the idea of direct land use change. First of all, I've yet to see a comprehensive, widely accepted study that confirms this theory at all. But aside from that, let's look at the theory behind it. When corn prices go up, farmers want to grow nothing but corn because they want to grow the crop that will make them the most money. This results in a shortage of other crops, making them more scarce, and driving the price of those crops up, as well. Just by this logic, one would assume that the market balances out at this point; those farmers that had turned to the more profitable corn industry could then turn back to their original crops and make just as much money producing a more scarce crop.

But, even if that logic doesn't satisfy you, here's a kicker: consider rice, which is grown in paddies that are not competitive with land for corn in any way. The price of rice is up from four years ago, just as the price of corn and barley and just about every other crop in the world is. Rice isn't competitive with corn: according to the indirect land use change model, rice farmers would switch to growing corn because it is more profitable, causing the rise in the price of rice. However, due to the nature of the actual crop, this argument is invalid. Rice is the world's largest food staple, and it is by nature unaffected by ethanol markets.

If you consider the correlation between the price of oil and the price of food that I mentioned earlier, ethanol theoretically decreases the price of food, rather than increasing it. Ethanol breaks dependence on oil by providing a more domestic, sustainable alternative. This, in turn, affects the correlation we previously mentioned, ultimately reducing the cost of processing and cooking food.

My final point: food vs. fuel comes from concerns about rising prices for corn. This is a western, rich man's issue. Indeed, 50% of the world consists of subsistence farmers-- the farmers who worry not about high food prices, but low food prices that leave them poorer than ever. Only if the price of corn or rice or barley or what have you drops do they have a concern. The issue of high corn prices, which is commonly raised on behalf of the parts of the world that can't afford food, is actually benefiting the world's poorest.

The world produces more calories per capita today than it did in 1960. Why is there more hunger than ever? I'd venture to say that it has little to do with ethanol. It has to do with a distribution problem for food around the globe.

For further reading, here are a few related articles, including one about the most recent study regarding food vs fuel:

Myths about ethanol
Food vs Fuel thoughts
Food vs Fuel study

The Mass Media

2011-11-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

What Americans know: evidence from Pew

Change in the media

But these numbers are not quite what they seem: much internet content comes from newspaper sites.

David Plouffe reflects on the rise of YouTube

Media consolidation

Data on partisanship and news audiences

News and entertainment

Parties and Interest Groups

2011-11-16T12:56:00.001-08:00

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

American Crossroads
Crossroads GPS

The Iowa Problem

2011-11-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

He's bold, powerful, gaining popular support; and according to Newt Gingrich, "I find it very formidable to think that I might win." Nothing can restrain Newt Gingrich... except for Iowa, because "Gingrich’s survival depends largely on Iowa."
Romney, on the other hand, might win the Iowa caucuses with minimal time and resources; but as of now he is going for New Hampshire.

An Essay on Parties

2011-11-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

As a way of bringing together our discussions of parties and interest groups, you might want to read a recent (and brief) essay by Walter Russell Mead. Here is an excerpt:

The weakness of political parties is one thing that foreigners often don’t grasp about the United States. Elected officials are usually much more worried about their popularity among voters than about their popularity with party officials. Party organizations are only one among many sources of funding; most US politicians raise pots of money on their own, rather than relying solely on subsidies from party HQ.

This makes American politicians much more independent of party control than are politicians in many other democratic countries. Members of parliament and representatives in many countries know that their careers depend on their parties and leadership; they vote against their parties much less often than their American counterparts.

The results can be paradoxical. On the one hand, American politics is more populist than politics in many countries, with politicians scrambling to respond to strong feelings in the public. On the other, money plays a greater role as individual politicians are more easily influenced by the prospect of campaign contributions than large party organizations would be.

County Politics Can Be Heated, Too

2011-11-14T16:18:00.000-08:00

Our discussion today of county politics reminded me of a meeting I attended last year in my local Stark County. This video is meant mainly for amusement and no, it is not a joke.

Parties in America

2011-11-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Continuing our Discussion from Wed...

Party in Government and Party Organization

.........................Legislative............................Executive

Party in Gov.....House Dem Caucus................POTUS
........................House GOP Conference
........................Senate Dem Caucus
........................Senate GOP Conference

Party Org........DCCC, NRCC, DSCC, NRSC......DNC, RNC

Party in the Electorate

Congress Trading Stock on Inside Information

2011-11-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

This week on 60 Minutes Steve Kroft did a segment on Congress members trading stock on inside information. Kroft found many instances where members of congress legally traded stock based on non-public information from Capitol Hill. One instance was in 2008 as a piece of legislation that would hurt credit card companies was making its way through congress. Nancy Pelosi purchased 5,000 shares of Visa at $44, two days later it was trading at the price of $64 (Pelosi made an easy $10,000) and the legislation then never made it through the House. Brian Baird, a former congressman from Washington state, mentions that in the past few years a whole new totally unregulated, $100 million dollar industry has formed in Washington called political intelligence. It employs former congressmen and former staffers to scour the halls of the Capitol gathering valuable non-public information then selling it to hedge funds and traders on Wall Street who can trade on it.

Should members of Congress be allowed to trade stocks based on inside information? What regulations should be imposed? There have been failed attempts- because why would Congressmen want to pass a piece of legislation that limits their abilities in the stock market?

Occupy gets violent

2011-11-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were waiting for the Occupy Movement to get violent, the wait is over.

A protest identified as part of the Occupy Movement at UC Berkeley resulted in policemen beating students with batons-- in this video, you can watch the police battering the students scream in the background. I don't know if anyone has ever heard of the documentary "Two Days in October," but the movie features video and first-hand accounts from the 1967 student protests against Dow Chemicals at the University of Wisconsin. I was surprised at how much I was reminded of that movie watching the video of UC Berkeley.

The police captain at UC cited that the attack was justified because the students linked arms when asked to step down: "The individuals who linked arms and actively resisted, that in itself is an act of violence," UC police Capt. Margo Bennett said. "I understand that many students may not think that, but linking arms in a human chain when ordered to step aside is not a nonviolent protest."

Many concerns were raised about the seemingly excessive force used by the officers"Using a baton to go through a nonviolent crowd is as inappropriate today as it was in the South when they used it to enforce segregation in the 1960s," said Jim Chanin, a Berkeley attorney who specializes in police misconduct issues.

Regardless of your opinion of the Occupy movement or even the justification behind the violence, it's hard to watch that video and not cringe. Imagine that scene playing out on the quad at CMC.

So now the question: will this incident encourage or discourage the Occupy movement? Will authorities be more keen on crushing it?

Odds and Ends

2011-11-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

Campaigns and Elections

Law Clerks

Points of Style

Keystone Pipeline Debate

2011-11-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

The controversy over a transnational pipeline running from Alberta to Texas brings to light a potential sever in Democratic solidarity. Because of the economically trying times, the union-dominated portion of the party has made their ideol0gical platform in 2012 clear: to create jobs at all costs and with whatever provisions necessary.
Their endorsement of the $7 Billion, 1,700 mile pipeline, however, has collided head on with numerous environmentalist groups. This is problematic for a party in which environmentalism has become just as mainstream as the unionism. Not only does the "liberal fringe" take environmentalist approaches seriously, but the movement's financial and lobbying efforts in Washington have grown drastically as well.
So what will this mean for the Dems in 2012? Maybe nothing. Maybe a ton. The likelihood is that neither group will abandon the Obama camp. But then again we're looking at a party who lost a major wave election in 2010 and who has a guy in office who's been underwater in the polls for several years. Needless to say, the Dems need solidarity now more than ever, and this isn't helping

To read more about it, go here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/68089.html

Is Rick Perry His Own Worst Enemy?

2011-11-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

So if you all were watching the debate tonight, you would have seen this little piece of political gaffe. It seems that despite everything, Rick Perry seems to be the one who does the most damage to himself. Between flip-flopping on the question of appearing on debates, and appearing to be in an altered mental state at the New Hampshire event, Rick Perry seems to be digging his own political grave.

Perhaps the best thing that he could do right now is keep quiet and let the attention stay on Herman Cain and his issues. That being said, perhaps the best thing the other Republicans could do for their own chances is let Rick Perry keep committing these gaffes and knock himself out of the race.

Elections in America

2011-11-09T12:40:00.002-08:00

Voter Turnout and detailed demographics

Election Demographics

2008 General Election Messages V4

View more presentations from Kathy McShea

What I Expect from This Class

2011-11-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on the 2012 election

2011-11-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

For those of us who are writing on topic number 3, this article might be something to keep in mind. The article says Romney leads in electability, but comes up short in other areas. He remains at only 24% in the polls, still slightly below Cain (despite the recent scandals). Even though 1/5 th of voters believe he has the best chance to win against Obama, he is neck in neck with the other candidates on more specific voting issues. "On empathy, 21% say Cain is the one who best understands their problems, compared to Romney's 17%." Cain and Romney have similar numbers about the economy too. Will Cain's recent poll surges fizzle like Perry's did earlier, or will Cain continue to challenge Romney as a viable opponent?

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67742.html#ixzz1d3jDWYyH

Constitutional Change and the Electoral Process

2011-11-07T12:58:00.001-08:00

The 2010 Ballot for 850 Columbia Avenue

Sources on elections and campaigns

Amendment XVI

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration. Taxes are a major issue in campaigns.

Amendment XVII

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

Amendment XVIII (Prohibition) and Amendment XXI (Repeal) were big issues in their day.

Amendment XIX
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Ponder the gender gap .
Amendment XX
Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.
Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.
Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission.
This amendment greatly shortened the "lame duck" period after the presidential election, which was a huge problem in 1933.
Amendment XXII
Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress.
From Reuters:
Former president Bill Clinton said Monday that, without term limits, he would have stayed in the job "until I was carried away in a coffin, or defeated in an election."
Amendment XXIII
Section 1. The District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:
A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a state, but in no event more than the least populous state; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the states, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a state; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
A solid three electoral votes for the Democrats

Amendment XXIV
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Poll taxes had disenfranchised the poor and minorities.
Amendment XXV further raised the prominence of the vice presidency and thus, vice presidential candidates.
Amendment XXVI

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Look what happened to voter turnout when the amendment became effective.
Amendment XXVII
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
Congressional pay is a hardy perennial among election issues.

Huntsman's rather interesting approach to energy?

2011-11-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

In a speech in Nevada earlier this week, Jon Huntsman said, “I will systemically begin to eliminate every subsidy for energy companies, whether it be oil, natural gas, wind or solar. Under my presidency, the United States will get out of the subsidy business." Quite a bold statement.

It's been interesting to hear about each Republican's approach to energy, particularly the alternative energy and corn ethanol market that drives a large portion of Iowa's economy. Perry, while opposing subsidies, has suggested an extension of the current tax-credit program for wind projects (which would certainly benefit Iowa). Romney has left his opinion vague, but has not indicated that he supports any kind of extension of the current subsidy program.

Huntsman, however, seems to have given up on Iowa with his most recent announcement. If the presidential hopeful has any intention of staying in the race, he needs to make some magic happen in New Hampshire.

The Air Midterm

2011-11-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Relax. This “air midterm” does not count toward your grade; do not even turn it in. Instead, use it to appraise your own progress in the course. Try out this test, either in your head or on paper.If you flounder, then you should take more care with class sessions and assigned readings.

I. Identifications. Explain the meaning and significance of the following items. What is fair game for an identification?

Items that we have discussed in class or on the blog;
Items that appear in bold or italics in the readings;
Items that cover several pages in the readings.

“Energy in the executive”
Popular sovereignty
“Selective incorporation”
Proportional representation
Self-evident truths
Spaghetti chart
Moeurs
Ninth Amendment
Federal Register
The Three-Fifths Clause
Redistricting commissions
The Supremacy Clause

II. Quotations. For each of the following passages, note the source and explain its meaning within the context of the course.

“Now I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country who contemplate slavery as a moral, social, and political evil, having due regard for its existence among us and the difficulties of getting rid of it in any practical way, and to all the Constitutional obligations which have been thrown about it...”
“[A]nd to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action, as little connected with each other as their common functions and their common dependence on the society will admit.”
“The President of the United States possesses almost royal prerogatives which he has no occasion to use, and the rights of which he has been able to make use so far are very circumscribed; the laws allow him to be strong, but circumstances have made him weak.”

III. General Essays

According to Tocqueville, what are the main causes that maintain a democratic republic in the United States? Explain.
Is federalism beneficial? Explain.
Should we amend Article V to make it easier to amend the Constitution and call a constitutional convention?

IV. Bonus questions (one point each) Very briefly identify the following:

Mark Block
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Debbie Pepper Allen
Donna Brazile
David Plouffe

the horse race: indepedents and the base

2011-11-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

The New York Times recently put out a interactive chart which predicts the winner of the presidential election based on GDP, presidential approval, and GOP candidate ideology. Based on current predictions, it makes Obama much more likely to win than the conservatives but places him at a slight disadvantage to Romney and a large disadvantage to Huntsman. While the whole chart is interesting, I want to focus on the idea that Huntsman is the most likely to win the presidency and why that appears to be wrong.

Political Science articles like this one, point out that since Americans don't always vote, a motivated base is important and can make up for not winning independents. It seems that a Huntsman nomination in today's GOP would doom it to defeat. His fights with the GOP electorate over global warming and evolution, seem to ensure that many conservatives would not go out and vote for a former member of the Obama administration, and the fights are not over big enough substantive issues that would make many people vote for Huntsman and certainly not many more than would vote for Romney. In short, it does not appear that Huntsman would attract many more independents and Democrats than a man like Romney and would certainly lead to a major depression in GOP base turnout.

What do others think about this, or the poll in general?

The Federal Reserve doesn’t seem optimistic.

2011-11-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

The Federal Reserve predicted economic growth through 2013 and it wasn’t a good sign. Recently the Fed “predicted that the economy would expand 2.5 percent to 2.9 percent in 2012, well below its June projection of 3.3 percent to 3.7 percent.” Read here Though “the Fed’s economic forecasts do not have a particularly good track record” they “do offer a window into the state of their minds. In a word: glum.” As we have discussed in class the economic situation can have a direct impact on the presidential elections. The Federal Reserve doesn’t seem to think the economy will be picking up which could affect Obama’s run in 2012.

Can Public Men Have Private Lives?

2011-11-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

In 1791, Alexander Hamilton commenced a sexual affair with Maria Reynolds while serving as secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton paid Reynold’s husband more than $1,000 in blackmail to continue sleeping with his wife without his intervention. When a muckraker exposed the affair, Hamilton sought to use the media of the day, publishing a pamphlet to defend himself.

Alexander Hamilton, Herman Cain, Arnold Schwarzenegger…the list goes on. To the casual observer it seems politics are a breeding ground for the sexually promiscuous, but in light of media culture today it is obvious that our elected officials are simply under a great deal of scrutiny. In today’s world, Abraham Lincoln would never be elected. Politics relies much on personality traits and the ability to look good in front of a camera more so than political credentials.

How much privacy should politicians get? Is it fair not to vote for someone who is highly qualified for a position, but cannot seem to refrain from hanky-panky? From an individual perspective, I’m highly sympathetic. It’s hard enough to deal with the family issues of sex scandals, and when the media’s grilling you about each excruciating detail it is even more humiliating.

On the other hand, we have a right to know whom we are voting for. Character matters, and if a politician betrays their family and spouse, can we trust them with our tax dollars and votes?

What do you think: If a politician is engaging in any activity that does not directly affect his office and therefore is not public in nature, does the public really have the right to know?

Civil Liberties, Civil Rights

2011-11-02T13:03:00.001-07:00

The Bill of Rights

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

---------------------------------

Civil War Amendments

Amendment XIII

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment XIV

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Amendment XV

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

A documentary on disability rights

Expanding Civil Rights to Encompass Animals?

2011-11-02T12:18:00.001-07:00

Something I thought was related to our current discussion on civil rights and civil liberties, PETA has filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld last week for its treatment of 5 killer whales, under the conditions of the 13th Amendment's ban on slavery. Though it's largely viewed as a giant publicity stunt, there might be some contextual material worth thinking about, such as:

Can the text of the 13th Amendment against "slavery and involuntary servitude" be expanded to encompass animal species, or can only humans be under this umbrella? PETA spokesman Jeff Kerr says that the whales are "kidnapped from their homes, kept confined, denied everything that's natural to them and forced to perform tricks for SeaWorld's profit. The males have their sperm collected, the females are artificially inseminated and forced to bear young which are sometimes shipped away." Can this be paralleled to slavery and/or involuntary servitude? On the matter of evidence though, what really happens in the process of obtaining animals for such purposes?

How about the historical context? Some of the arguments against the case range from it being offensive within the context the amendment was established, or that the whales can't really be plaintiffs. African-American slaves back in the antebellum eras were largely seen as either animals or property, hardly as human. A justification in the Dred Scott case was that these African-American slaves were not eligible to be plaintiffs and file lawsuits because they were not U.S. citizens; therefore are animals residing in the U.S. not U.S. citizens? (Can this possible argument draw parallels to arguments about non-citizen voting?)

Skeptics will be surprised to note that the animal rights movement has made some significant headway in the legal sphere, in countries such as Switzerland, New Zealand, and Germany, and in the classrooms of law schools all around the country. :D

Civil Liberties and the Bill of Rights

2011-10-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

Finishing public policy:

Tradeoffs: cost, access, quality in health care
Tax distribution

Hamilton on bills of rights (Federalist 84):

I go further, and affirm that bills of rights, in the sense and to the extent in which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in the proposed Constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers not granted; and, on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do? Why, for instance, should it be said that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed? I will not contend that such a provision would confer a regulating power; but it is evident that it would furnish, to men disposed to usurp, a plausible pretense for claiming that power.

The evolution of the Bill of Rights:

Barron v. Baltimore held that the Bill of Rights did not apply to the states.
Things changed with "selective incorporation."
Definition of "strict scrutiny"

The Bill of Rights

Amendment I

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

Amendment V

Amendment VI

Amendment VII

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

---------------------------------

Civil War Amendments

Amendment XIII

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment XIV

Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Amendment XV

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Through Hell and High Water (albeit in frozen form)

2011-10-29T13:10:00.001-07:00

As heavy storms hit the Northeast, protesters in the occupy Wall Street movement face snow and freezing temperatures. Although the movement shows signs of slowing down, dedicated members continue to camp out despite severe weather conditions. Some have even turned the weather into a tool for protest, unifying and motivating the movement.

Do you think the movement will survive the winter? Would you be willing to pitch a tent in 10 inches of snow to try and make change?

Why School Board Elections Matter

2011-10-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Economic Forecasts and Elections

2011-10-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

See:

Current data at the Bureau of Economic Analysis

And an article about forecasting models

Make Room for Pizza

2011-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

At The New York Times FiveThirtyEight blog, Nate Silver writes that there is an unprecedented gap between Herman Cain's campaign fundamentals (money, organization, endorsements) and his standing in the polls:

Most of you, however, are interested in what will happen to Mr. Cain from here on out — can he actually win? What is an analyst to do when he encounters an outlier like this?

Well, I don’t know what he should do. This gets at something of the distinction that the economist Frank H. Knight once made between risk and uncertainty. To boil Mr. Knight’s complicated thesis down into a sentence: risk, essentially, is measurable whereas uncertainty is not measurable.

In Mr. Cain’s case, I think we are dealing with an instance where there is considerable uncertainty. Not only do I not know how I would go about estimating the likelihood that Mr. Cain will win the Republican nomination —I’m not sure that there is a good way to do so at all.

But I do know what an analyst should not do: he should not use terms like “never” and “no chance” when applied to Mr. Cain’s chances of winning the nomination, as many analysts have.

I think a Cain victory is highly unlikely, but not impossible, which is why I am promising pizza instead of gold bullion. I like Cain, so I would be in a good mood anyway. :-)

Imagine All the Pizza

2011-10-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

"If Herman Cain is elected president of the United States, I will personally buy each person in this room a pizza." - John J. Pitney (October 26, 2011)

Looks like we're getting pizza.

“Could a woman taking the morning after pill be charged with murder?”

2011-10-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

Regarding The New York Times’ “Push for ‘Personhood’ Amendments Represent New Tack In Abortion Fight”

In less than two weeks, the State of Mississippi will vote on Proposition 26. This measure seeks to alter the state constitution by extending the legal rights of a person to a fertilized egg.

If adopted, Proposition 26 would not only make all forms of abortion illegal, but it would also outlaw certain forms of birth control (including the morning after pill).

Personhood USA, an interest group that tried, but failed, to pass similar legislation in Colorado found Mississippi to be more receptive considering that the state only has one clinic that performs abortions.

Proposition 26 has spurred debate and is causing a rift between Pro-Life groups. Personhood USA has hopes that the adoption of Proposition 26 might eventually overturn Roe V. Wade. Other Pro-Life groups see the state amendment as potentially detrimental to federal anti-abortion legislation, because it could result in a more extreme pro-abortion policy.

Public Policy and Federalism

2011-10-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Constitution and Federalism

Third Assignment

2011-10-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Pick one of the following:

1. Pick any 5-4 decision in the Supreme Court. Explain the outcome. Could the losing side have done something to win? In your answer, consider the briefs and oral arguments, available at http://www.oyez.org/. You might also consult law review articles.

2. Pick one of the following debate chapters in Ellis: 3 (national initiative), 6 (electoral college), 7 (proportional representation), 16 (“emergency constitution”), 17 (noncitizen voting). Argue for one side or the other. In your essay, do not merely restate material from the book: introduce new arguments and information.

3. Assume that President Obama and Vice President Biden are the Democratic nominees in 2012. Make and explain plausible guesses about the GOP’s presidential and vice presidential nominees. Then make your best guess about the popular and electoral vote. Go to http://www.270towin.com and project how each state will vote. Print your map and attach it to the paper. (It will not count against the page limit.) In your essay, take account of voting history, current polls, and forecasting models.

Whichever essay you choose, do research to back up your analysis.

Essays should be typed, stapled, double-spaced, and no more than six pages long. I will not read past the sixth page.
Put your name on a cover sheet. Do not identify yourself on the text pages.
Cite your sources with endnotes, which should be in a standard style (e.g., Turabian or Chicago Manual of Style). Endnote pages and appendices (e.g., the chart of your “Midterm Madness” picks) do not count against the page limit.
Watch your spelling, grammar, diction, and punctuation. Errors will count against you.
Return essays to my office by noon on Friday, November 11. (Yes, you have two additional days.) Essays will drop one gradepoint for one day’s lateness, a letter grade after that. I will grant no extensions except for illness or emergency

Another Democratic Experiment

2011-10-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Though I know that this isn't really related to US Government, I thought that this paper was an interesting examination of another group of early democrats: Pirates! Not the Somali ones, straight up Capt. Jack Sparrow Pirates.

It turns out that pirates had a highly sophisticated, democratically elected constitutional dual-executive system. Each ship or fleet had "Articles of Agreement" which laid out the organizational structure of the ship. Each crew elected a captain and a quartermaster by popular vote. Captains were in charge of military decisions and in times of crisis, and their authority was absolute during battle or chase. However, quartermasters decided matters of discipline, resolved disputes and distributed loot and rations. Either officer could be replaced by popular vote at any time, and would step down to become a normal crew member. These officers did not enjoy any extra benefits from their duties, except extra shares of loot.

A ship's Articles of Agreement also provided punishments for crimes, including theft, keeping women on board the ship, gambling or desertion. These punishments ranged from lashes to mutilation to marooning or execution. Pirates also had a common fund for those who were wounded, giving a fixed sum of money or slaves to any pirate who lost a given limb or was crippled. Bonuses were also provided for pirates who showed exceptional skill, valor or helped the crew especially in some way. These bonuses, safety nets and potential for promotion provided incentives for pirates to work harder and prove their abilities.

Given the popular paradigm of pirates as lawless, immoral, ruthless scallywags, their system of governance was considerably more sophisticated than the other methods of keeping order on ships, or indeed many of the actual governments at the time. Some food for thought for a bunch of Gov nerds!

"The America Issue"

2011-10-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

What ails America? Arguments vary: cash and confidence, education, presidential term limits, etc. Though these authors all write about different problems, they do have a unifying theme. There is always a problem. Some go as far as to compare America with the Ottoman Empire in its decline. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, argues that America is not ailed but rather at a pivot point. If the right decisions are made right now, namely, deep and consistent involvement in Asia, then in ten years from now America will be at the heart of things.

Who's right? This is not the first time America has been attacked. After Vietnam, during the Great Depression, and in many other cases people were convinced that America was nearing the end of her dominant reign in world politics and as a world authority. Is this another false alarm or is America finally plummeting?

Federalism -- a First Cut

2011-10-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

The effectiveness of social media

2011-10-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Social media has recently taken hold of the political scene. In the campaign of 2008, Obama used social media to great advantage over the Republicans, wielding facebook, twitter, youtube, and more to garner attention and attract young voters. In Egypt, social media was used to organize a rebellion. It has been instrumental in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, and also a means to lobby legislators. Republicans have cottoned on to the idea and now have twitter and blogging experts on their staff who spend their time fact-checking and tweeting about political statements, making what happens in the White House and in Congress instantly accessible and debatable.

But is social media effective? Facebook groups reach out to young voters (an oxymoron of sorts) but barely reach the larger voting public. Despite Obama's heavy use of social media outlets, there was only a 2% increase in young voters between the 2004 and 2008 elections, and older voters stayed fairly consistent. (This could also be due to other factors.) Young voters (between ages 18 and 24) constitute barely a tenth of voters, yet account for almost a fifth of nonvoters. (Data from U.S. Census Bureau reports from 2004 and 2008)

Social media is good at organizing people, planning events, and getting out a message. But does it change anything on voting day?

Some serious and light news

2011-10-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

For the serious news, the Wall Street Journal notes that this year the US will have the second largest deficit in its history. The Journal asks, in a moment of levity, "Is it rude to mention this?" as the "CBO says that overall outlays rose 4.2% from 2010 (1.8% adjusted for timing shifts), when spending fell slightly from 2009. Defense spending rose only 1.2% on a calendar-adjusted basis, and Medicaid only 0.9%, but Medicare spending rose 3.9% and interest payments by 16.7%."

A chart from the Journal:

In less depressing (at least according to my dark humor) news from the Journal:

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!: "A rural area near Zanesville, Ohio, was turned into a killing zone Tuesday evening and Wednesday as authorities destroyed 48 exotic animals—including 12 lions, eight bears and 18 endangered Bengal tigers, after their owner released them and apparently took his own life." The last part isn't so funny, but overall, it is an interesting indicator of the world in which we live. To me it sounds almost as if it were from the Onion, not a real newspaper, but it is, in fact, true.

Would Savas Disagree with Placing a Cap on Contractor Salaries?

2011-10-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

After reading Chapter 14 from Ellis and Nelson, I found this article from The New York Times particularly relevant.

Members of both the House and Senate are proposing to put in place a restriction on the salaries of private government contractors, limiting the federal salaries of top executives to $200,000. The aim of this legislation would be to decrease federal spending by limiting bonuses given to private companies who already benefit from engaging in business with the U.S. government.

Savas’ holds the opinion that the “forces and initiatives” present in the private sector are what accounts for efficiency. Would limiting these salaries ruin the purpose of outsourcing?

Bureaucracy and American Politics

2011-10-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Tocqueville on "The Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to Fear"

It provides for their security, foresees and supplies their necessities, facilitates their pleasures, manages their principle concerns, directs their industry, makes rules for their testaments, and divides their inheritances. Why should it not entirely relieve them from the trouble of thinking and all the cares of living?…It covers the whole of social life with a network of petty, complicated rules that are both minute and uniform, through which even men of the greatest originality and the most vigorous temperament cannot force their heads above the crowd. It does not break men’s will, but softens, bends, and guides it; it seldom enjoins, but often inhibits, action; it does not destroy anything, but prevents much being born; it is not at all tyrannical, but it hinders, restrains, enervates, stifles, and stultifies so much that in the end each nation is no more than a flock of timid and hardworking animals with the government as its shepherd.

Bureaucracy, by Weber

DHS organization chart

Regulation

The Citizen's Perspective

Law and Judiciary II

2011-10-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Crime data

Public opinion and the death penalty

Edwards v. Aguillard

The Court

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, we've seen the rise of a new populist movement, in some ways the liberal answer to the Tea Party: Occupy Wall Street. On September 17, a group of activists began protesting in Liberty Plaza in NYC. They claimed to be taking a stand against corporate greed, social inequity and the power of money in politics. Some say that the group are aiming to take up the mantle of the Arab Spring and Green Revolution protests in the Middle East. The protests, perpetuated via Twitter and Facebook, have spread to over 70 U.S. cities.

The protests gained national focus during their second week, when protesters attempted to block traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. Allegations of police brutality have arisen in New York and Boston more recently, garnering further media attention. GOP Presidential Candidates and FOX News have been quick to dismiss the protests as unfocused, un-American, borderline criminal and representing a small minority of Americans -- which liberal pundits were quick to point out that such allegations could be equally applied to the Tea Party.

The main flaw in the movement seems to be a lack of a coherent platform, though many argue that this actually provides strength to the movement. Given that the movement is only a few weeks old, it remains to be seen if it will have a lasting populist impact like the Tea Party, or will putter out after a few weeks. Either way, keep an eye on #OccupyWallStreet these next few weeks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWoWZO3nqOY

Tocqueville and Judicial shenanigans relating to health care... and everything else.

2011-10-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

"Scarcely any question arises in the United States which does not become, sooner or later, a subject of judicial debate." -- Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835)
Health care. The question of "universality" is a hot issue in the political world and has generated a great deal of controversy across the ideological spectrum. However, just as Tocqueville stated in the 19th century, nearly all political questions eventually become judicial questions as well. The "individual mandate" provision of Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandates that most Americans purchase health insurance or face financial penalties, as a means of spreading health care costs. Is this provision unconstitutional? Will the Supreme court take on the issue? Will health care genuinely be reformed?

In the long run, according to Bill Mears, "The opportunity to rule on a landmark case like health care brings with it precedent-setting opportunities to either expand or deflate not only the power of Congress and the executive, but of the judiciary's own prestige and authority as well." What will be the impact on the three branches should the court take on the case?

Just some food for political thought.

Law and Judiciary I

2011-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Law school and other postgraduate options

News about law schools

Here is a concise guide to federal statutes.

After Congress passes law, the bureaucracy drafts rules:

Then the courts may act

Juries: Another Amar weighs in

"The Lecture" from Anatomy of a Murder (start at 20:00). They show this scene in law schools.

So Now What?

2011-10-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

The Obama White House faced a sad day yesterday. Sarah Palin finally announced that she will not seek the presidency in 2012. Although Palin is not without credentials, she is a loose cannon who would provide a guaranteed win for Obama. Great leaders do not focus on destroying institutions; they focus on building them. Republicans have a right to rejoice.

But what about the rest of the bunch? A contributor to this article (who some of you may know) said the following:

Romney will probably pick up much of the money that would have gone to Christie. As for conservative primary voters who might have backed Palin, much will depend on the debates. Now that Cain seems to be entering the top tier,he can look forward to harder questions and tougher scrutiny. Perry needs to show that he can recover from his stumbles and put in a strong performance all the way to the last minute.

Advice to Romney: Remember that you need votes, not just money. Advice to Cain: Hit the briefing books. Advice to Perry: Chug some Red Bull.

If I were Mitt Romney, I would join the mourning in the Obama White House. If Palin were to run she would likely further fragment the Tea Party and evangelical voters, which would be a plus for Mitt. Rick Perry probably has a smug smile on his face, knowing that Palin will no longer detract from his base. Cain likely has his hopes up, thinking he has a shot at grabbing the votes of Palin followers.

Some people believe that Sarah Palin’s decision has a minimal effect on the 2012 election. What do you think: how does this decision change the political calculation among Republican candidates?

Presidential Powers

2011-10-05T12:46:00.001-07:00

Federalist 70

From the LBJ tapes.

The War Powers Resolution

The Iraq War Resolution

President Obama's Libya letter

President v Congress Article

2011-10-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

I found this article quite pertinent to our discussions about separation of powers between congress and the executive. The article is about President Obama's actions regarding the American Jobs Act, knowing that the bill will not pass in its entirety in the House.

A First Look at the Presidency

2011-10-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Article II

Kenyan Birth Certificate Generator. (The real birth certificate.)

LBJ takes the oath: look carefully, as it is a missal instead of a Bible.

The oath (sort of):

Lincoln's letter to Hodges on his oath.

LBJ orders some pants.

Politicians around the world and Andy Rooney

2011-10-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of items I think are worthy of being addressed:

-Back in class last Monday, we talked about how law is the preferred path for politicians in the US... however, I recalled that that isn't the case in every nation, as I read back in 2009 in this article from the Economist.

-Also, for any of you who watch 60 Minutes, tonight is Andy Rooney's last night, after 40+ years, and work in journalism going back at least to, if I recall correctly, the Stars and Stripes newspaper during World War II. Here is a page from CBS which has highlights from his numerous essays on 60 Minutes.

Filibustering

2011-09-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

I think someone asked about the longest filibuster in class, so here's the answer: the record for a filibuster is 24 hours and 18 minutes, set in 1957 by South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond. If anyone has a LOT of time to kill, you can read the transcript in the Congressional Record, Volume 105.

Professor Pitney, if one of us tops this, does he or she retroactively get an A in your class??

Political Surgery: What Pictures Can You See?

2011-09-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Chapter 10 of Ellis and Nelson discusses the controversial practice of gerrymandering. I found a few congressional districts to visualize this process.

A Salamander?: the original gerrymander

Earmuffs?: Illinois's 4th congressional district groups together two Hispanic areas (Note: this is an outdated shot from 2003, but looks similar today)

Spaghetti?: the packing style of California's 23rd district provides for a safe Democratic seat

A soup ladle?: New York's 22nd district is careful to include urban centers of Democratic support in their largely rural grouping

A rabbit on a skateboard?: Illinois carefully skirts Republican neighborhoods as a bipartisan deal to create a safe Democratic district

source

David Brooks, "Obama Rejects Obamaism"

2011-09-28T13:01:00.001-07:00

With the 2012 Presidential race heating up and candidates from the Republican party sizing each other up in debates, the natural instinct is to compare them with Obama. Can, and will, Obama be elected to a second term? His recent speeches and proposals have gotten mixed receptions, and many are wondering where the man they elected has gone. Many people thought Obama would do something similar to Clinton's "New Democrat" ideal and spend more time compromising and reaching across the aisle, but his policies have not supported this hope. Can he return to this style of government and campaigning? Is this what the nation wants? Is Obama a victim of circumstance? Is the incumbent advantage enough to give him the edge over whoever the Republicans choose to throw against him?

David Brooks is one of the most interesting, intelligent, and accurate op-ed columnists in the reporting world today (in my humble opinion). Here is an article about Obama's promises and how he believes Obama's governing style has changed over this past term in office.

More on Congress

2011-09-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

Pro Forma Sessions

Congress on C-SPAN

Gov 20 Riddles

2011-09-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

On the following pages, you each have three questions. Answer two. (Give a different answer to each question: do not write one essay covering both.) Each answer must have at least four different sources, two of which must be hardcopy books or government publications. You must go to the library.

Your sources may include specialized references such as The Almanac of American Politics, but do not cite general-purpose encyclopedias such as Encyclopaedia Britannica and Encyclopedia Americana. And especially do not cite Wikipedia. In your answer, you should not merely identify persons or concepts. You should also explain the subject matter’s political significance.

• Assignments should be typed, stapled, and double-spaced, and no more than four pages long. (Each answer should take about two pages.) Use 12-point type and one-inch margins.

• Put your name on a cover sheet. Do not identify yourself on the text pages.

• You may use endnotes or parenthetical references. Either way, put your documentation in proper format such as Turabian.

• Watch your spelling, grammar, diction and punctuation. Errors will count against you.

• Return assignments by the start of class, 12 October. Essays will drop one gradepoint for one day's lateness and a full grade for two or more days’ lateness. I will grant no extensions except for illness or emergency.

Ahne, Richard

• From 1st elected mayor to supe to solon, he became a prison reformer. Explain. Hint: parks and street bear his name.
• On 12/23/71, POTUS gave a pen to Benno and spoke of “conquest.” Tell what happened as a result of the act.
• How did the Reds kill the MD who belonged to JBS and became an MC?

Chipalkatti, Aseem

• Reed, PL 99-410, CG, and 133 votes: explain the connection.
• Tell how Maggie, during wartime, won approval of eponymous measure reversing an old exclusion.
• PICS prevailed over the use of an educational “tiebreaker.” Explain.

Cruz, Miriam

• FBI listed her. The Banana Slugs gave her a chair. How did she fare on the Red ticket?
• Tell how ECT revelation KO’d TFE (running with the SD guy).
• His great-nephew was a great painter. Why was he a profile in courage?

Farooqi, Nadeem

• After the big-arm guy took a grilling from Davis’s panel, Clay said his name should come off a highway. Explain.
• Why did the Allott-aide-turned-pundit compare the Centennial State solon to a character that Redford had played?
• Why did the “Little Flower” padre back the solon who put out American Progress?

Gaarder, Chris

• He later won a prize for Hud. How did his wife lose to the guy from the 12th District?
• Why did the former Ms. Rosenbaum face attack from the writer who had once been “Crosley”?
• Cornhusker wanted mediocrity to have a place on the bench. Explain.

Gilles, Rita

• How did the former HEW head outrage Hizzoner at the Windy City convention?
• Future general/leg-loser whacked the son of a songwriter. How did the future War secretary get him off?
• The fuzz busted the PPLC head. The case ended the law that the circus guy had written. Explain. (Hint: “emanations.”)

Haft, Stephanie

• RAT (fat guy’s son) took heat for opposing the trials of the jerries. Why did he do so?
• Onetime Greenback guy twice led protests in boots. His army wanted jobs! Explain.
• The ordained minister edged out the blue general, but a year later could not make it past a disappointed office seeker. Explain.

Hansell, Elise

• What happened when Marina’s hubby ran into the guy walking beat # 78?
• Why did solon, former “Captive Warrior,” complain about material on Enola Gay?
• In 1971 and 1972, she fought Floyd before the bench. Next year, she prevailed, knocking down the law. Explain.

Houghteling, Jack

• He went to college in what became the model for Ilium. After port job, he became No. 2. Tell how he did as No. 1.
• The author withheld his name when he fictionalized the couple from “Mammoth Falls.” What did he think of them in real life? (Hint: high school.)
• Tell how the last bearded chief shot down the Blue Eagle.

Hubbeling, Tess

• Former Light Crust Flour spokesperson thwarted future prez in `41. Explain.
• When the new department started, why did the president pick a Hobby?
• Nixon twice went to the high court to fight his state’s primary discrimination. Explain.

Hylton, Joe

• Why did the ex of Maggie the Cat film portrayer oppose Annapolis grad’s bid to be a colleague?
• Marion the preacher boasted of his record, but did a powerful daddy pull strings to keep him safe south of the 38th parallel?
• Loving’s mixing eventually changed the law. Tell what happened.

Kajima, Sho

• As grad student, Union grad knew Stanley and spouse. Years later, he beat a former POW in the first. Years later, he won top job and vouched for Stanley’s kid. Explain.
• The (real) moonwalker went to the Hill, but only once. Why did he lose his 2d bid?
• Why did the AG (former Alameda DA) back “evacuation”?

Kenney, Lauren

• Why did TNR refer to Gertrude’s son as the veep’s brain?
• Why did Sheen’s former spouse – a “Renaissance” figure – support RAT in 1952?
• Formerly RN’s favorite mayor, the chair that proclaimed returns were not clean and helped lady in yellow take her rightful place.

Lane, Isabel

• House shrink colluded with tappers? The man with the tan said so and prevailed. Explain
• There was naughty stuff in the trunk. Overturning Wolf, six said that that fuzz should not have taken it. Explain.
• How did Rocky’s baby let Baron’s son win a CA squeaker?

Mackie, Julian

• Real-life counterpart to Piven character has a sib (not the one with the cut finger) who got in hot water over the end of life. Explain.
• Real-life counterpart to Holbrook character met in garage with journalist and disclosed his secret identity many years later. Explain.
• Wright’s top guy had to quit because of 15-year-old attack on Small. Explain.

Masciel, Brianna

• How did the Starfighters guy lose to the lady who dreams in color?
• Men in sheets got voters to curb choice. Sisters sued the governor to preserve it, and won. Explain.
• Did conflict with papists help cause Merriam’s successor to lose to Warren?

Neumeister, Christian

• By stealth, Lyndon’s nutty followers got onto statewide ticket, forcing gov nominee off and he was no longer the rising son. Explain.
• North Side Pole had a gavel, but ended up in the jug. Who replaced his replacement? Explain.
• Cops quizzed Danny. Discussing form and substance, former Labor Secretary (and future UN guy) said that they screwed up. Explain.

Saipe, Michelle

• Pundit, former Allott aide, helped the Gipper prep against JEC. Why the controversy?
• In a brand-new state, legislators chose three electors who tipped the outcome. Explain.
• The United States faced off against 37 photographs. What did "Whizzer" say?

The American Electoral Process: the influence of the Real "green" party.

2011-09-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

Money talks. And as most Americans know, it holds a lot of say in politics; especially in elections. It can make campaigns successful by maximizing advertising, but also prevent fulfillment of campaign promises by keeping politicians bound to the lobbyists that provide funding. Money's influence - often conflated with "corporations' influence" - is viewed as a potential threat to democracy, a fuel for corruption. Last year, the Supreme Court "ruled the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections". If this issue sounds interesting to all of you govaholics, there will be a presentation on Friday at Claremont Graduate University discussing it. Until then, what are your thoughts on (independent) corporate funding of campaigns supporting candidates? Should it be curbed? Does it result in an aristocratic structure?

The Sheer Brilliance of Direct Democracy

2011-09-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

While direct democracy is great - things like this petition are now about to be "evaluated" by the Office of the President. Doesn't this speak to the ridiculousness of the current system?

Congress Part One

2011-09-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

The separation of powers may trump party

House v. Senate v. President

Madisonian observations

An article on congressional problems.

Congressional demographics

How a bill becomes a law.

Another version of the process:

Government Shutdown

2011-09-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Once again, we are witnessing shutdown politics in Congress. Controversy this time mostly surrounds the $4 trillion disaster relief budget. More information on these proceedings can be found here: http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/7884636-418/government-on-brink-of-shutdown-again.html

An article appeared in the Washington Post in March after Republicans proposed the "Government Shutdown Prevention Act," which stated that congressmen would not receive pay while the government was shut down. The article can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/post/is-the-government-shutdown-prevention-act-constitutional/2011/03/31/AFdkyvBC_blog.html

In light of what we have been discussing with the Constitution, what are some thoughts on the idea of government shutdown? What would the Constitution's framers have thought about the government shutting down because of controversy surrounding budget?

Alexander Hamilton rap

2011-09-21T18:53:00.001-07:00

The Constitution and the Federalist

2011-09-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Background items:

Ron Chernow's biography undercuts the notion that Alexander Hamilton was a well-born defender of privilege. Here is a passage summing up what the born-out-of-wedlock Hamilton and his brother faced in their youth:

Let us pause briefly to tally the grim catalog of disasters that had befallen these two boys between 1765 and 1769: their father had vanished, their mother had died, their cousin and supposed protector had committed bloody suicide, and their aunt, uncle, and grandmother had all died. James, 16, and Alexander, 14, were now left alone, largely friendless and penniless. At every step in their rootless, topsy-turvy existence, they had been surrounded by failed, broken, embittered people. Their short lives had been shadowed by a stupefying sequence of bankruptcies, marital separations, deaths, scandals, and disinheritance. Such repeated shocks must have
stripped Alexander Hamilton of any sense that life was fair, that he existed in a benign universe, or that he could ever count on help from anyone. That this abominable childhood produced such a strong, productive, self-reliant human being -- that this fatherless adolescent could have ended up a founding father of a country he had not yet even seen -- seems little short of miraculous.

Concerns of war, peace, and security

Controlling power

Federalist v. Anti-Federalist

A First Look at the Constitution

2011-09-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Richard Dreyfuss on the Constitution

If you like Amar's book, you can watch him talk about it on video here.

The Great Compromise:

Read these provisions from an actual constitution. How would you appraise them?

ARTICLE 118. Citizens have the right to work, that is, are guaranteed the right to employment and payment for their work in accordance with its quantity and quality. ...

ARTICLE 119. Citizens have the right to rest and leisure. The right to rest and leisure is ensured by the reduction of the working day to seven hours for the overwhelming majority of the workers, the institution of annual vacations with full pay for workers and employees and the provision of a wide network of sanatoria, rest homes and clubs for the accommodation of the working people.

ARTICLE 120. Citizens have the right to maintenance in old age and also in case of sickness or loss of capacity to work. This right is ensured by the extensive development of social insurance of workers and employees at state expense, free medical service for the working people and the provision of a wide network of health resorts for the use of the working people.

ARTICLE 121. Citizens have the right to education. This right is ensured by universal, compulsory elementary education; by education, including higher education, being free of charge; by the system of state stipends for the overwhelming majority of students in the universities and colleges; by instruction in schools being conducted in the native language...

ARTICLE 122. Women are accorded equal rights with men in all spheres of economic, state, cultural, social and political life. The possibility of exercising these rights is ensured to women by granting them an equal right with men to work, payment for work, rest and leisure, social insurance and education, and by state protection of the interests of mother and child, prematernity and maternity leave with full pay, and the provision of a wide network of maternity homes, nurseries and kindergartens.

ARTICLE 123. Equality of rights of citizens irrespective of their nationality or race, in all spheres of economic, state, cultural, social and political life, is an indefeasible law. Any direct or indirect restriction of the rights of, or, conversely, any establishment of direct or indirect privileges for, citizens on account of their race or
nationality, as well as any advocacy of racial or national exclusiveness or hatred and contempt, is punishable by law.

ARTICLE 124. In order to ensure to citizens freedom of conscience, the church is separated from the state, and the school from the church. ...

ARTICLE 128. The inviolability of the homes of citizens and privacy of correspondence are protected by law.

Contrast the US Constitution with the Confederate Constitution.

Quote from today's Syllabus

2011-09-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

I was reading the Jessie Jackson quote found on our syllabus for this week and I was struck by what he described as constitutional rights. In international human rights law and theory, there is an idea (created by Czech official Karel Vasak in the 1970's) that human rights can be divided up into three generations. The first generation is concerned with civil and political rights (freedom of speech, religion, due process, etc.). The second generation is focused on equality and items such as right to employment, health care, a living wage, etc. Third generation rights are focused on group rights and such as rights to self determination, cultural heritage, natural resources, sustainability, a healthy environment. It seemed to me that Jackson was saying how the constitution protected those second generation rights. Which, reading over it, I do not agree with. It appears that the rights protected in the constitution solely are comprised of "first generation" rights.

It is also significant that Jackson refers to the declaration of independence instead of the constitution due to its more idealistic nature and its seperate influence on American politics (as we have talked about in class). I would be interested to see what other people think about this. Do you agree with Jackson that those rights are protected by the constitution and/or the Declaration. Is the idea of different generations of rights useful or correct?

The President's Problems in California

2011-09-17T19:30:00.001-07:00

Post Office No More?

2011-09-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

I just read this article about the proposed future of the post office. I was curious, what do you guys think about the post office? Is it still an important part of society or can email replace "snail mail" for good? Should the government continue to run a failing business or should we rely on companies like FedEx or UPS for all of the mail?

http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/280-washington/112925-congress-urged-to-put-its-stamp-on-the-postal-service-crisis

The future of the Tea Party and/or other political establishments.

2011-09-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

During the Q&A section after the panel discussion on the Tea Party yesterday, I asked what the panelists thought of the future of the Tea Party, whether it would turn out to be a fad, or if it would turn into a longer lasting political movement. To my surprise, the panelists seemed to agree that the Tea Party will be around for many years to come.

What do you think the Tea Party has in store? Considering the clout it has gained in the last couple of years, and that is has a general set of interests that will keep it animated for some time to come, as I believe several professors pointed out, what will it turn into? Will it become a standalone party? (which I doubt) Will it become a long-lived branch of politics like the 'neo-conservatives' of the right or the progressives of the left? The panelists noted that the tea party is by its very essence unorganized. Will they coalesce around a leader or leadership group if the Tea Party dynamic changes? Will they develop their own intellectual class like those in the standard Republican and Democrat parties? Do you see any other group sprouting up in a similar fashion in the next few years based on other views? What if we have a Republican in the White House two years from now? Will a leftist equivalent now form? Will the Tea Party be content if we have a President Perry? Please add any thoughts you have on these questions or the tea party subject on the whole, just keep it classy, as always.

The Internet and our Government

2011-09-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys:

Just noticed that the White House had uploaded the specifics of the Obama Jobs Plan onto their website. It's a pretty interesting read, and seems to have a lot of great specifics that are normally missing from the public debate.

What I did find more interesting and curious though, is how the internet is shaping our modern governance system. While press releases and fact sheets about proposed laws and policies are now common, slowly, governments are starting to embrace direct input from their people in terms of initiatives and proposed laws.

In the United Kingdom, voters can petition the government online using a system called DirectGov. The United States is going to add something similar called "We The People", which allows people to post petitions, with the most signed petitions floating to the top and getting interest from the White House.

Seems interesting, but is it feasible?

US News (about politics, not college rankings).

2011-09-13T01:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/09/13/gop-debate.analysts/
Who do you think came out on top? Is Perry really the frontrunner? Is Social Security really a ponzi scheme?

...And just in case anyone did not read about the recent college rankings...
http://cmcforum.com/news/09122011-cmc-ranks-in-top-10-best-liberal-arts-colleges-in-america

American Civic Culture

2011-09-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Who was Tocqueville?

He wrote: "The religious atmosphere of the country was the first thing that struck me on arrival in the United States." (p. 295 of Lawrence-Mayer ed.) See relevant data.

In June 2006, Barack Obama gave an important speech on religion in politics. See prepared text here.

First Essay Assignment, Fall 2011

2011-09-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

Pick one of the following:

1. Find a recent (since June 2011) article pointing to a problem that Publius anticipated. (You may search newspapers at news.google.com.) Explain how The Federalist sheds light on the story. In this instance, is the political system working as the Founders hoped?

2. From the assigned sections, identify a significant claim by Tocqueville that was either incorrect from the start or no longer applies to the United States.

3. Here are some current proposed amendments to the United States Constitution. Pick one, weigh the arguments for and against, and explain your position.

Whichever essay you choose, do research to document your claims. Do not write from the top of your head.

Essays should be typed, stapled, double-spaced, and no more than three pages long. I will not read past the third page.

Put your name on a cover sheet. Do not identify yourself on the text pages.

Cite your sources with endnotes, which should be in a standard style (e.g., Turabian or Chicago Manual of Style). Endnote pages do not count against the page limit.

Watch your spelling, grammar, diction, and punctuation. Errors will count against you.

Return essays by the start of class, Wednesday, September 21. Late essays will drop a letter grade. I will grant no extensions except for illness or emergency.

The hot button issue of the day.

2011-09-12T02:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gay-marriage-north-carolina-20110912,0,6393616.story

"Legislative instability is an ill inherent in democratic government... Almost all American constitutions have been amended within the lsat thirty years, and so there is no American state which has not modified the basis of its laws within that period." [Tocqueville, p249]

For a Frenchman, Tocqueville seems to have a pretty solid understanding of American politics.

President Obama Reads Psalm

2011-09-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

When you watch this video, reflect on what Tocqueville said of religion in American politics.

The power that the majority in America exercises over thought

2011-09-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I'm posting this article about 9/11 for two reasons. One, I liked it, and two, there's a part on the second page which I thought tied in well with the Tocqueville reading. Tocqueville discusses the power that the majority exercises over thought, pointing out that "The majority is vested with a force, at once material and moral, that acts on the will as much as on actions". (p.243) While reading, I disagreed (and still somewhat do) with Tocqueville's presentation of power of the majority in restraining free thought. However, the point about the majority (in this case the public) holding sway is illustrated in the article: "In the White House, President Obama has maintained tactics that were reviled when conducted by President Bush, including dramatically escalating the use of drones to zap terror suspects in Pakistan.

He has also bowed to public sentiment in ordering military tribunal trials at Guantanamo Bay for the chief engineers of 9/11".

What were all of your reactions to Tocqueville's claims about majority control of thought? Do you think it is as true today as it perhaps once was, and if so, are politicians bending to majority will?

Oh and here's the link to the full article:

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/09/11/2011-09-11_new_york_and_the_nation_observe_a_decade_of_mourning_and_a_decade_of_resolve_sin.html

The Republican Response

2011-09-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

They were silent. They were silent as those to the left of them roared with applause over unemployment issurance. They were silent over the president's proposal to immediately pass a job bill. They were silent during, and they were silent after. The Republicans were silent as a familiar scene unfolded: a Democratic president gave a speech to a divided Congress.

President Obama's speech on Thursday was his fifth to a joint session of Congress in the last 2 and 1/2 years. To many, it was his most aggressive. He began pushing members to "pass the bill" before he even explained the anatomy of his proposal of $447 billion in job creating measures. Actions such as infrastructure spending and a payroll tax cut are estimated to create 1.9 million jobs.

Economists have begun crunching the numbers on Obama's proposal, and so far no glaring errors have come to surface. The mouth of the Republicans, John Boehner, even said that these measures "merit consideration."

But that is almost as far as the talking went on the Republican side. The House Republicans, enduring a near government shutdown and national default, perhaps decided it was best to finally seek common ground. Presidential addresses are somewhat of a rarity, and they are certainly politically intimate. Citizens who make their living off of denouncing the other party behind their back for a few hours suddenly become vis-a-vis. Aside from Representative Joe Wilson's famous outburst, tradition demands respect to the president during the elaborate rituals of an address. And so the Republicans chose their only method of dissent. When the other side got up to applaud on issues of collective bargaining or business tax credits, the Republicans chose to sit - they chose to be silent.

A great article describing our generation and 9/11

2011-09-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

I've made it a habit every year for the last couple years to re-read this article from Peggy Noonan about our generation with respect to the impact of 9/11. I figure I should share it with the class.

The Children of 9/11 Grow Up

Thoughts on the controversy surrounding the September 11th memorial?

2011-09-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

I've been listening to a lot of strong opinions on the fact that first responders [NYPD and FDNY] are not invited to the upcoming September 11th memorial. The space constraints for the ceremony essentially forced the mayor to choose between inviting the families of the deceased and the first responders, of which he chose the former.

A shortened version of Mayor Bloomberg's defense of his decision can be found here:
http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/aug/19/bloomberg-911-ceremony/

NYPD and FDNY members have started a petition at change.org to repeal the mayor's decision. Information on this can be found at: http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/07/petition-seeks-911-ceremony-invites-for-nyc-first-responders/

So, what do you guys think? Should room have been made for the first responders, as in previous years?

Misquotations!

2011-09-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this is really pertinent to out current discussions or whatnot, but this Yahoo! Featured post reminded me of the false Tocqueville quote that Professor Pitney mentioned and I read through it and thought it was a bit funny!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/great-misquotations-the-famous-things-they-never-actually-said-2543520/#photoViewer=1

The Declaration, Continued

2011-09-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Declaration (hyperlink versions)

Deleted Paragraph:

He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidels powers, is the warfare of the Christian king of Great Britain. He has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce determining to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

Not a very happy forecast...

2011-09-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904537404576552871868770308.html

The Declaration

2011-09-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Declaration (hyperlink versions)

Text of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Lincoln-Douglas Galesburg debate (forward to 1:05) -- Can you tell where the re-enactor screwed up?

From the Cornerstone Speech by Alexander Stephens:

The prevailing ideas entertained by him [Thomas Jefferson] and most of the leading statesmen at the time of the formation of the old constitution, were that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle, socially, morally, and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with, but the general opinion of the men of that day was that, somehow or other in the order of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. This idea, though not incorporated in the constitution, was the prevailing idea at that time. The constitution, it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and hence no argument can be justly urged against the constitutional guarantees thus secured, because of the common sentiment of the day. Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the government built upon it fell when the "storm came and the wind blew."

Deleted Paragraph:

He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidels powers, is the warfare of the Christian king of Great Britain. He has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce determining to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

The Declaration shows up in current commentary.

King and American Politics

2011-08-31T12:32:00.002-07:00

Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream" - Click here for funny video clips

Alinsky

2011-03-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

In an interview, Alinsky discussed his early life.

Hillary Rodham Clinton thesis.

Unexpected disciples:

Alinsky's 13 Rules of Power Tactics:

Rule 1: Power is not only what you have, but what an opponent thinks you have. If your organization is small, hide your numbers in the dark and raise a din that will make everyone think you have many more people than you do.

Rule 2: Never go outside the experience of your people. The result is confusion, fear, and retreat.

Rule 3: Whenever possible, go outside the experience of an opponent. Here you want to cause confusion, fear, and retreat.

Rule 4: Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. “You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.”

Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.

Rule 6: A good tactic is one your people enjoy. “If your people aren’t having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic.”

Rule 7: A tactic that drags on for too long becomes a drag. Commitment may become ritualistic as people turn to other issues.

Rule 8: Keep the pressure on. Use different tactics and actions and use all events of the period for your purpose. “The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this that will cause the opposition to react to your advantage.”

Rule 9: The threat is more terrifying than the thing itself. When Alinsky leaked word that large numbers of poor people were going to tie up the washrooms of O’Hare Airport, Chicago city authorities quickly agreed to act on a longstanding commitment to a ghetto organization. They imagined the mayhem as thousands of passengers poured off airplanes to discover every washroom occupied. Then they imagined the international embarrassment and the damage to the city’s reputation.

Rule 10: The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure on the opposition.

Rule 11: If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through to its counterside. According to Alinsky, the main job of the organizer is to bait an opponent into reacting. “The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength.”

Rule 12: The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Avoid being trapped by an opponent or an interviewer who says, “Okay, what would you do?”

Rule 13: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. Don’t try to attack abstract corporations or bureaucracies. Identify a responsible individual. Ignore attempts to shift or spread the blame.

Media applications:

Ruckus Media Manual

American Citizenship

2010-02-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

Ways of becoming a citizen

Fourteenth Amendment

The Oath of Allegiance

I hereby declare, on oath,

that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all

allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince,

potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I

have heretofore been a subject or citizen;

that I will support and defend the Constitution and

laws of the United States of America against all

enemies, foreign and domestic;

that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;

that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States

when required by the law;

that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed

Forces of the United States when required by the

law;

that I will perform work of national importance under

civilian direction when required by the law;

and that I take this obligation freely without any

mental reservation or purpose of evasion;

so help me God.

Note requirements for naturalization.
New citizenship test.
Craig Ferguson is a citizen. No kidding:

Click here to see a graph showing the foreign-born population of the US 1850-2000.

Data on foreign-born population 2007

Quotes from Pitney

2009-12-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

Re: Memorable Class Moments

(quotes in order of occurrence)

- "that's why you go to law school"

- after watching a clip of Tom Delay on "Dancing with the Stars":

"you have just witnessed the beginning of the decline of the west"

- "I can define AAPR this way: the folks who want to screw you [young people]...I'm a member...we're evil"

- "Republicans endorsing Scozzafava is like endorsing whiskey at a Christian Science meeting"

- in reference to a speaker at Scripps who argued Obama was not born in the US:

"there's no rule that says every person who speaks at the Claremont Colleges has to be same"

- after the in-class computer crashed:

"this computer is illustrating the problems with touch-screen voting"

- "just about everything in the 1970s was bad. [pause] Except for the movies...the movies were great"

- "two things I believe for sure: 1) dual majors don't help your job prospects, 2) Oswald acted alone"

- "George Washington knew that if he kept the Revolutionary War going, King George would eventually say [said in an English accent] 'aw, screw it.' [pause] And that's how we won our independence."

- As a demonstration of how "unexpectedness" is a part of good speeches:

[Pitney ducks behind a podium, and then jumps up] "Boo!"...(followed by "see? that was the only part of today's class that you'll remember")

Who else has memorable moments/quotes to share?

How is Obama being viewed in Europe

2009-12-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

I came across this article on CNN which directly correlates with chapter 20 of Schuck and Wilson. While chapter 20 addresses how Europe views America as a whole, this article examines Europe's fascination with Obama. It also addresses such key points as Obama's Nobel Prize and the Afghanistan surge from a European perspective. It is an epilogue of sorts, as this information was not yet available at the time of printing.

The United States and the World

2009-12-09T09:34:00.001-08:00

http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?PageID=802

http://pewglobal.org/commentary/display.php?AnalysisID=1019

Patriotism

Individualism and Enterprise

Service and Civil Society

Religion