POLI 330N Week 1 Discussion Question 1 & 2.
POLI 330 Week 1 DQ 1 & DQ 2
POLI 330 Week 1 Discussion 1: Politics in Our Daily Lives
As we read & discuss the definition of politics, let's also consider the consequences of
political decisions on our everyday lives. Can you think of examples from your everyday
life when you encounter politics? What makes these experiences "political?"
As you discuss this with one another, let's not forget to comment on other people's
experiences. Have you experienced similar situations? Can you think of creative ways in
which politics plays itself out in your daily life?
This section lists options that can be used to view
responses. Collapse All Print View Show
Options
Responses
Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author & the date & time the response
is posted.
Sort by Read/Unread Sort by Response Sorted Ascending, click to sort descending Sort by
Author Sort by Date/Time*
(an instructor response)
Collapse Mark as Read Everyday Liife Politics Professor Branch Email this
Author 7/1/2016 11:30:40 AM
Hi Everyone,
The above implies that politics doesn't just happen in the traditional political circles. While we may
not be political operatives as it where in the sense that we may not be elected or appointment
political officials, we undoubtedly still encounter politics on a daily basis. So, what is the definition
of politics & what are some examples of political encounters from your everyday lives?
Dr. Branch
,POLI 330N Week 1 Discussion Question 1 & 2.
Collapse Mark as Read RE: Everyday Liife Politics Thomas Grodhaus Email this Author
7/5/2016 5:19:44 PM
Politics is the influence over policies & actions of a governing body, or power over "who gets what."
Local politics affect my everyday home life by controlling many things, from how much I pay in
property taxes & how well my kids' schools are maintained, to whether my road gets resurfaced or
how quickly it is plowed in the wintertime (I live in rural Ohio).
Roskin, M.G., Cord, R.L., Medeiros, J.A., & Jones, W.S. (2014). Political science: an introduction (13th
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.
Webster's All-In-One Dictionary & Thesaurus. (2008). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Collapse Mark as Unread Political Encounters Caitlynn Radlinger Email this Author
7/3/2016 3:08:04 PM
Professor Branch & class,
While I always knew politics impacted the passing laws & regulations that shape the way of life in
America, I have only just recently put a lot of thought into how political decisions affect my personal
life. Perhaps the first time I felt directly affected by politics was when my fiancé joined the Marines.
At the time I was a sophomore in high school, so even though I would try to educate myself about
the happenings in Afghanistan there was much I simply did not comprehend. This week in particular
there has been a political controversy that has had a huge impact on my life & sparked my interest
greatly. There has been a proposal to raise New Jersey’s gas tax—currently the second lowest in the
country—by 23 cents per gallon to help replenish the diminishing budget used for road work &
repair (Fitzsimmons, 2016). When I first heard of this I was immediately upset because just over the
past couple of months gas prices have been creeping up, already putting a dent in my wallet. Also,
my fiancé’s commute to work is an hour & a half & mine, while not as severe, is still forty minutes.
On my Facebook, fellow New Jersey residents were also outraged & many shared posts suggesting
to call State Senator Steve Sweeney & encourage him to block the proposal. As if a huge increase in
gas prices is not enough to make New Jersey residents worry financially, governor Chris Christie
announced he wants to shut down all road work that is funded by the dwindling state budget unless
continuation is required to keep drivers safe (Fitzsimmons, 2016). If this request goes through, there
will be many road workers suddenly out of work. I feel as though this is a classic example of political
,POLI 330N Week 1 Discussion Question 1 & 2.
power as Christie is using this halt on roadwork to basically force people to accept the gas tax as
horrid roads & the loss of jobs could outweigh the damage of the tax itself. Unfortunately, road
workers will experience the consequences of this political decision far more than anyone else in New
Jersey.
Caitlynn Radlinger
Reference:
Fitzsimmons, E. G. (2016, July 1). With No Deal on New Jersey Gas Tax, Christie Orders Shutdown
of Road Projects. Retrieved July 7, 2016, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/02/nyregion/new- jersey-gas-tax-chris-christie-shutdown.html
Collapse Mark as Read RE: Political Encounters Hailey Paulson Email this Author
7/7/2016 12:31:08 PM
We encounter politics everyday. I was reading another students post about it & she had mentioned
that we encounter it through social media. I sat & thought about that & realized that she is
completely right. If you think about how companies use social media such as Facebook to sell their
products, it is a form of politics. They use everyone to share their posts & use everything they can
for advertisement. I used to deal with politics on a daily basis with the war on oil. I lived in California
& I was married to someone in the military & we were always put at a threat that he would deploy
due to the economy & where our country stood. It is crazy to sit & look at things like that & realize
how much control politics has over everything anymore.
, POLI 330N Week 1 Discussion Question 1 & 2.
Collapse Mark as Read RE: Political Encounters Jane Forth Email this Author 7/7/2016
8:37:09 PM
Hi Hailey, I agree with you politics affects everything anymore. If you look at any situation you are
involved in daily has some sort of politics involved. Someone is always deciding who gets what,
when
,where & how much.
Jane
Collapse Mark as Read RE:Political Encounters Carolina Amador Email this Author
7/8/2016 9:05:13 AM
Good Morning Caitlynn,
So I'm a fellow New Jerseyan & I completely underst& your pain! I can't believe Christie. It often
seems that the politics he practices are not to benefit the New Jersey residents but rather to boost
his own ego! The older I get the more interested I am in politics & the government. All decisions that
are made will eventually affect me directly so why not become more informed? I truly hope
Christie's twisted budget ideas don't become a reality.
Carolina
(an instructor response)
Collapse Mark as Read RE:Political Encounters Professor Branch Email this Author
7/8/2016 7:16:54 PM
In the event of a Trump win & if Christie is selected to be his Veep, how much do you think he will
influence politics? VPs generally tend to not be very "powerful."
POLI 330 Week 1 DQ 1 & DQ 2
POLI 330 Week 1 Discussion 1: Politics in Our Daily Lives
As we read & discuss the definition of politics, let's also consider the consequences of
political decisions on our everyday lives. Can you think of examples from your everyday
life when you encounter politics? What makes these experiences "political?"
As you discuss this with one another, let's not forget to comment on other people's
experiences. Have you experienced similar situations? Can you think of creative ways in
which politics plays itself out in your daily life?
This section lists options that can be used to view
responses. Collapse All Print View Show
Options
Responses
Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author & the date & time the response
is posted.
Sort by Read/Unread Sort by Response Sorted Ascending, click to sort descending Sort by
Author Sort by Date/Time*
(an instructor response)
Collapse Mark as Read Everyday Liife Politics Professor Branch Email this
Author 7/1/2016 11:30:40 AM
Hi Everyone,
The above implies that politics doesn't just happen in the traditional political circles. While we may
not be political operatives as it where in the sense that we may not be elected or appointment
political officials, we undoubtedly still encounter politics on a daily basis. So, what is the definition
of politics & what are some examples of political encounters from your everyday lives?
Dr. Branch
,POLI 330N Week 1 Discussion Question 1 & 2.
Collapse Mark as Read RE: Everyday Liife Politics Thomas Grodhaus Email this Author
7/5/2016 5:19:44 PM
Politics is the influence over policies & actions of a governing body, or power over "who gets what."
Local politics affect my everyday home life by controlling many things, from how much I pay in
property taxes & how well my kids' schools are maintained, to whether my road gets resurfaced or
how quickly it is plowed in the wintertime (I live in rural Ohio).
Roskin, M.G., Cord, R.L., Medeiros, J.A., & Jones, W.S. (2014). Political science: an introduction (13th
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.
Webster's All-In-One Dictionary & Thesaurus. (2008). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Collapse Mark as Unread Political Encounters Caitlynn Radlinger Email this Author
7/3/2016 3:08:04 PM
Professor Branch & class,
While I always knew politics impacted the passing laws & regulations that shape the way of life in
America, I have only just recently put a lot of thought into how political decisions affect my personal
life. Perhaps the first time I felt directly affected by politics was when my fiancé joined the Marines.
At the time I was a sophomore in high school, so even though I would try to educate myself about
the happenings in Afghanistan there was much I simply did not comprehend. This week in particular
there has been a political controversy that has had a huge impact on my life & sparked my interest
greatly. There has been a proposal to raise New Jersey’s gas tax—currently the second lowest in the
country—by 23 cents per gallon to help replenish the diminishing budget used for road work &
repair (Fitzsimmons, 2016). When I first heard of this I was immediately upset because just over the
past couple of months gas prices have been creeping up, already putting a dent in my wallet. Also,
my fiancé’s commute to work is an hour & a half & mine, while not as severe, is still forty minutes.
On my Facebook, fellow New Jersey residents were also outraged & many shared posts suggesting
to call State Senator Steve Sweeney & encourage him to block the proposal. As if a huge increase in
gas prices is not enough to make New Jersey residents worry financially, governor Chris Christie
announced he wants to shut down all road work that is funded by the dwindling state budget unless
continuation is required to keep drivers safe (Fitzsimmons, 2016). If this request goes through, there
will be many road workers suddenly out of work. I feel as though this is a classic example of political
,POLI 330N Week 1 Discussion Question 1 & 2.
power as Christie is using this halt on roadwork to basically force people to accept the gas tax as
horrid roads & the loss of jobs could outweigh the damage of the tax itself. Unfortunately, road
workers will experience the consequences of this political decision far more than anyone else in New
Jersey.
Caitlynn Radlinger
Reference:
Fitzsimmons, E. G. (2016, July 1). With No Deal on New Jersey Gas Tax, Christie Orders Shutdown
of Road Projects. Retrieved July 7, 2016, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/02/nyregion/new- jersey-gas-tax-chris-christie-shutdown.html
Collapse Mark as Read RE: Political Encounters Hailey Paulson Email this Author
7/7/2016 12:31:08 PM
We encounter politics everyday. I was reading another students post about it & she had mentioned
that we encounter it through social media. I sat & thought about that & realized that she is
completely right. If you think about how companies use social media such as Facebook to sell their
products, it is a form of politics. They use everyone to share their posts & use everything they can
for advertisement. I used to deal with politics on a daily basis with the war on oil. I lived in California
& I was married to someone in the military & we were always put at a threat that he would deploy
due to the economy & where our country stood. It is crazy to sit & look at things like that & realize
how much control politics has over everything anymore.
, POLI 330N Week 1 Discussion Question 1 & 2.
Collapse Mark as Read RE: Political Encounters Jane Forth Email this Author 7/7/2016
8:37:09 PM
Hi Hailey, I agree with you politics affects everything anymore. If you look at any situation you are
involved in daily has some sort of politics involved. Someone is always deciding who gets what,
when
,where & how much.
Jane
Collapse Mark as Read RE:Political Encounters Carolina Amador Email this Author
7/8/2016 9:05:13 AM
Good Morning Caitlynn,
So I'm a fellow New Jerseyan & I completely underst& your pain! I can't believe Christie. It often
seems that the politics he practices are not to benefit the New Jersey residents but rather to boost
his own ego! The older I get the more interested I am in politics & the government. All decisions that
are made will eventually affect me directly so why not become more informed? I truly hope
Christie's twisted budget ideas don't become a reality.
Carolina
(an instructor response)
Collapse Mark as Read RE:Political Encounters Professor Branch Email this Author
7/8/2016 7:16:54 PM
In the event of a Trump win & if Christie is selected to be his Veep, how much do you think he will
influence politics? VPs generally tend to not be very "powerful."
