Politics and Government

Politics and Government

Big Questions

Conflicted, corrupted, above the law.

Is it time for the Supreme Court to adhere to a code of ethics?

Is the modern Republican Party (RP) trying to use the power of the government, Supreme Court, and radicalized (violent) extremist groups to force the beliefs of a far-right conservative minority on a majority of Americans?

  
The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic by Stephen Vladeck
The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court is Reshaping America by Ian Millhiser

Have the last ten years of life (2012 – 2022) made you and us “uniquely stupid“?

  
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt

How do we live in a 50-50 country?

God, Guns, Trump
Black Lives Matter

What is the difference (perception gap) between

  • what you think THEY think on the other side of the aisle, and
  • what THEY really think on the other side of the aisle?

If we don’t reform the filibuster, will we be permanently reconciled to a Privileged White Male Evangelical Christian Minority Rule in America (the Senate)?

Can we do better, or at least improve upon, our two-party system? Can we solve the spoiler problem in our elections?

  
Hateland: A Long, Hard Look at America’s Extremist Heart by Daryl Johnson
American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done by Will Hurd

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Texas, Don’t Fuck This Up!

If you knew you could save just one child by relinquishing your personal assault weapon as an example to others, why wouldn’t you do it?

Governor Abbot, looking back on this tragedy, wouldn’t you have to agree that selling two AR assault weapons and 375 rounds of 5.56 ammunition to Salvador Ramos right after he turned 18 when even just common sense but certainly a rigorous background check would conclude in no way should he have been able to buy these weapons, was a colossally horrible failure in Texas polices and systems to keep its children safe? If there was an age threshold to buy a gun, would these innocent and defenseless children be alive today? A ban on assault weapons? A background check? Does this buck stop with you?

Texas, your government and governor are leading you down a politically-expedient path for an elite few who survive on maximizing votes (not a path that supports the wishes of the Common Good),

by:

Warping and whitewashing the teaching of history by

Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people also

Heinrich Heine

  • closing public libraries
  • modifying curriculums to emphasize the privileged white racist/evangelist/supremacist’s view of past and current events, and
  • banning and/or burning books on a hit list.

People burn books and build walls out of ignorance and fear.


Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Demonizing and criminalizing LGBTQ children and parents and families and their friends.

Bible-based hate has evil consequences.

Stubbornly holding on to the notion of Make Texas’ Power Grid Great Again by

  • isolating Texas’ power grid from connection to any other regional grid (a decision made in the 1930s), which means
  • Texas cannot import more electricity during periods of high demand, which
  • puts the whole state at disastrous risk during periods of extreme cold and/or heat.

Poorly managing the control of COVID-19 for the Common Good by

  • blocking scientifically-proven public safety measures, and
  • blocking scientifically-proven vaccination mandates (without a valid exemption).

Denying a woman’s right to a legal abortion with medieval legislation that will

Denying legal Voting Rights for the Common Good by

  • blocking common sense regulations that facilitate easy access to all methods of voting for all voters in all communities, and
  • attacking local election officials innocent of any wrongdoing who were just doing their job.

Defacing a beautiful and wild southern border by

  • erecting a wastefully expensive wall that does not serve the best interests of the Common Good, and
  • demoralizing desperate refugees and immigrants that look to America for leadership and help.

Blocking common sense gun controls based on the belief that

Where were the good-guys-with-guns when we needed them most?


Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America by Mark Follman

Is this really what the majority of Texans want for the Common Good?

Or is it what you’ve got because of a loud, angry, wealthy, and powerful minority?

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also

Faith Is a Double-Edged Sword

We have to hope that during this period of political craziness and division that at the individual level, people will think and act rationally and won’t do anything to compromise their own income, long-term financial security, health, personal freedoms and family because really, we all want the same thing (a happy and healthy life), we just have different opinions how to get there which we must mutually respect so we can keep talking to each other.

sp

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Big Picture

Big Picture / Human Society / Politics & Government

Our campaign finance system gives wealthy donors, whether they be corporations or individuals, access and influence over the system far greater than any regular American can ever imagine.


The Conservative Soul: Fundamentalism, Freedom, and the Future of the Right by Andrew Sullivan

Political Theory

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One of the most powerful, heartfelt and truthful speeches defending American democracy we have ever heard.

But I also want to make clear that we will never compromise our principles. House Democrats will always put:
 
American values over autocracy.
Benevolence over bigotry. The
Constitution over the code.
Democracy over demagogues.
Economic opportunity over extremism.
Freedom over fascism.
Governing over gaslighting.
Hopefulness over hatred.
Inclusion over isolation.
Justice over judicial overreach.
Knowledge over kangaroo courts.
Liberty over limitation.
Maturity over Mar-a-Lago.
Normalcy over negativity.
Opportunity over obstruction.
People over politics.
Quality of life issues over Q-Anon.
Reason over racism.
Substance over slander.
Triumph over tyranny.
Understanding over ugliness. 
Voting rights over suppression.
Working families over the well-connected.
Xennial over xenophobia.
Yes we can over you cannot do it. And
Zealous representation over zero-some confrontation.

 We will always do the right thing by the American people. So let us not grow weary of doing good. For the American people will reap the benefit of the harvest if we do not give up.

 Hakeem Jeffries


And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham

Institutions

  • Political systems
    • Levels & structures of government
      • Supranational political systems
      • National political systems
      • Urban governments
      • Other subnational political systems
    • Types and models of political systems
    • Profession of Politics: The Culture of Politics (sp)
  • Branches of government
    • Executive Branch: Whitehouse
    • Legislative Branch
      • House of Representatives
      • Senate
    • Judicial Branch
  • Public administration


The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics by Breyer

Functioning of Government: The Political Process

International Relations

Further reading

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