poli330 week 1 discussion dq1& dq 2
dq1
Politics in Our Daily Lives (graded)
As we read and 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?
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Responses
Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the
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(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 and what are some examples of political encounters from your everyday lives?
,Dr. Branch
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 and 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 and 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 and class,
While I always knew politics impacted the passing laws and 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 and 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 and
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 and a half and mine, while not as severe, is still forty
minutes. On my Facebook, fellow New Jersey residents were also outraged and many shared posts
suggesting to call State Senator Steve Sweeney and 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 power as Christie is using this halt on roadwork to basically force people to
accept the gas tax as horrid roads and 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 and she had
mentioned that we encounter it through social media. I sat and thought about that and 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 and 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 and I was married to someone in the military and we were always put at a threat that he
would deploy due to the economy and where our country stood. It is crazy to sit and look at things
like that and realize how much control politics has over everything anymore.
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 and 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 and I completely understand 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 and 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
dq1
Politics in Our Daily Lives (graded)
As we read and 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 and the date and 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 and what are some examples of political encounters from your everyday lives?
,Dr. Branch
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 and 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 and 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 and class,
While I always knew politics impacted the passing laws and 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 and 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 and
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 and a half and mine, while not as severe, is still forty
minutes. On my Facebook, fellow New Jersey residents were also outraged and many shared posts
suggesting to call State Senator Steve Sweeney and 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 power as Christie is using this halt on roadwork to basically force people to
accept the gas tax as horrid roads and 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 and she had
mentioned that we encounter it through social media. I sat and thought about that and 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 and 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 and I was married to someone in the military and we were always put at a threat that he
would deploy due to the economy and where our country stood. It is crazy to sit and look at things
like that and realize how much control politics has over everything anymore.
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 and 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 and I completely understand 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 and 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
