Politics and Individual Rights

Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties

If due process or the constitution is followed, constitutional rights grant human beings protection from government interference. Individuals are entitled to follow their desires, savings, and other practices that favor them and help to create their lives. There are several activities concerning civil liberty, such as the development and signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1998. President Ronald Reagan signed the deal guaranteeing rights for all residents, including minorities in the United States (Johnsen, 2003). In America, everybody supports civil rights that have encouraged some communities, such as non-whites, to partake in different events, including voting. There are other protections, which are now enjoyed after the signing of the act, include freedom of worship, self-expression, and freedom of speech. Citizens can also assemble as a group and raise their views as long as they do not cause chaos or interfere with the freedom of other people. Before the signing Black-Americans suffered due to discrimination but the signing of the Civil Rights Act allowed them to participate in building the nation and contributed to quality leadership.

Recognition of Religious Affiliations

The second event is the recognition of various religious affiliations by President Barrack Obama after winning the presidency of America. Religious groups such as Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and others are free to exercise their religious rites as long as they do not interfere with other peoples’ liberties (Wing & Nadimi, 2011). Barriers that existed before Obama’s presidency were reduced and all citizens have equal rights and opportunities in America. Initially people of Islamic religion were associated with terrorism but currently suspects are tried as individuals and not as members of particular religious groups.

The Impact of Events on America

The events changed America a lot by uniting minorities and majorities ensuring that they live in harmony. The state, agencies, and political leaders appreciate diversity of America and allow people to take part in building the nation in various capacities. African-Americans feel confident to vie for political posts, participate in leadership, attain quality education, and voice their issues for peaceful existence. Many minorities have registered as voters and exercise their democratic rights of selecting their leaders who can develop their economy. Other benefits include improvement in living conditions of the minorities, increased representation in various leadership positions, and participation in nation-building activities.

Media Influence on Public Opinion

The media has a big role of informing citizens about the happenings in their country and the political climate in the nation. The media has been blamed for airing biased news that may favor one side of political leadership. Politicians use the media such as newspapers, television, radios, and social sites to reach their voters and convince them to vote in their favor. One media event that changed peoples’ opinion is the news reporting by Walter Cronkite on the Vietnam War after commenting that it was impossible to win the war. This influenced President Johnson to hold negotiations with the North Vietnamese which ended his political career (Mandelbaum, 1982). Cronkite portrayed some political bias as people believed his version of the story.

Another incidence occurred in 1974 when Woodward Bob and Carl Bernstein working for the Washington Post pursued and disclosed the illegal activities of President Nixon leading to his investigation and later resignation (Woodward, 2005). Their story influenced many to venture into investigative journalism to expose corrupt leaders in America. Politicians are also cautious since they fear exposure to the public and lose popularity once their mistakes are known.

Republican Party versus Democratic Party

Republican and democratic Parties have different ideologies on social issues and the factors that affect the economy of the United States. The Republicans are more conservative when it comes to matters affecting the society. For instance, they do not approve gay marriages and only value marriage between couples of opposite sex (Abramowitz, 2004). They also do not support abortion and owning of guns by civilians for self-defense. On the other hand, the Democrats are more liberal and support abortion, gay marriages, and lesbianism. They support gun ownership and oppose the strict laws that are aimed at reducing the number of firearms from citizens.

The other deference between the two is that the Republicans focus on ideas of governing the nation and a small state is more manageable than a large one. For the democrats a government can have several departments each with responsibilities of serving the nation and ensuring developments (Grossmann & Hopkins, 2015). The Republican Party advocates for fewer government employees instead of having several leaders working in several departments. The possible ethical concerns include interference of peoples’ liberties to select their marriage partners because of the different ideologies expressed by the two parties. Also, security of citizens is an issue since gun ownership remains a controversial topic of discussion in the US.

References

Abramowitz, A. (2004). Terrorism, Gay Marriage, and Incumbency: Explaining the Republican Victory in the 2004 Presidential Election. In the Forum (Vol. 2, No. 4, p. 3). Bepress.

Grossmann, M., & Hopkins, D. A. (2015). Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats: The Asymmetry of American Party Politics. Perspectives on Politics, 13(01), 119-139.

Johnsen, D. E. (2003). Ronald Reagan and the Rehnquist Court on Congressional Power: Presidential Influences on Constitutional Change. Indiana Law Journal, 78, 363.

Mandelbaum, M. (1982). Vietnam: The television war. Daedalus, 157-169.

Wing, A. K., & Nadimi, P. P. (2011). Women’s Rights in the Muslim World and the Age of Obama. Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, 20, 431.

Woodward, B. (2005). The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate’s Deep Throat. Simon and Schuster.