Sociology Paper

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Recently politics has come into focus because of the recent presidential election. This election had to do with who would come into power as the president. Power is the ability of a person or group to realize its own will in group action, even against resistance of others who disagree. At the meso-level, power operates in cities, countries and states/provinces. Governments make decisions about which corporations receive tax breaks to locate their plants within the region. They pass laws that regulate everything from how long one’s grass can grow begore a fine is imposed, to how public schools will be funded. Therefore, people have an interest in flouncing governments by contributing to political campaigns and helping elect people who support their views. In my personal experience I have seen the local government control how much property tax would be impose which is based on the house value. I have also seen the local government control how much funding would be allocated to the local schools. I have also seen the national government passed a health care bill to try to stop the cost of health care from rising at a fast rate and try to make healthcare more affordable for everyone in the United States. In contemporary democratic politics, politicians and political commentators often explicitly refer to the self-interests of voters. This reflects the rational choice perspective that humans tend to vote for their own benefit, regardless of whether the actions of government would be fair to all citizens. Both U.S Republican and Democratic parties try to convince the public that their policies will serve their self-interests. Democrats then to argue that their government policies benefit citizens directly, with government programs for the middle and working class. Republicans on the other hand often stress that less government and lower taxes create a greater stimulus to the economy than anything the government can do. According to the pluralist model of power it is primarily thorough interest groups that influence decision making. Groups such as unions or environmental organizations represent our interests and act to keep power from being concentrated in the hands of an elite few. An example of this would be the Tea Party in which citizens joined the movement because of common concerns over the size of the national debt, a desire for lower taxes, and a deep distrust of the federal government. One recent presidential candidate, Ted Cruz was of this ideology. Another model the power elite model asserts it is inevitable that a small group of elites will rule societies. It says that individuals have limited power through interest groups, but the real power is held by the elite. The elite model says suggests that the people who hold the power oversee the policy for our country, with little regard for those who are not in power. This group of people consults with their less powerful advisors but never with average citizens which result in the demise of democracy. These powerful elite consist mainly of wealthy white males, both in congress and as CEOs of large corporations. They can control the live of the population through their policy decisions.

Overall my whole life can be explained in terms of sociology and before this class I was not able to see that but now after the class I can apply sociology to my everyday life. This class has really allowed me to see how important sociology is in everyday life.

Works Cited

https://www.ft.com/content/8001d074-dcc9-11e6-86ac-f253db7791c6

https://thehistoricalnerds.com/2013/01/20/race-and-ethnicity-in-society/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/18/ferguson-black-arrest-rates/19043207/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/page/ct-affirmative-action-justice-harvard-page-perspec-0806-jm-20170804-story.html

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