What are the four ways social movements can make U.S. politics more democratic? Explain them and use an example for each

What will be an ideal response?


An ideal response will:
1, Identify the four ways social movements can make politics more democratic: encouraging participation, overcoming political inequality, creating new majorities, and overcoming constitutional limitations on change.
2, Explain and provide an example of each. (1) Encouraging participation—social movements may increase the level of popular involvement and interest in politics (e.g., the pro-immigration movement may yet spur increased political participation by Hispanics). (2) Overcoming political inequality—social movements sometimes allow individuals and groups without substantial resources to enter the game of politics through mass mobilization (e.g., women were able to mobilize to win the vote in the early part of the twentieth century). (3) Creating new majorities—minorities should be able to get what they want if enough citizens think that what they want is reasonable (e.g., the Great Depression and the labor movement changed the opinion climate and created the basis for federal laws protecting the rights of working people to form labor unions). (4) Overcoming constitutional limitations on change—the American political system is designed in such a way that only determined and undoubted majorities can enact change (e.g., women's right to vote, equal citizenship rights for blacks, Social Security, collective bargaining, and environmental protection are the products of social movements started by determined and typically disruptive minorities).

Political Science

You might also like to view...

Which of the following is not a qualification to be a member of the House of Representatives? a. A member must be at least twenty-five years old

b. A member must be a resident of the state he or she represents. c. A member must have been a U.S. citizen for seven years. d. A member must be a registered voter.

Political Science

Divided government occurs when a president of one party appoints members of the other party to the Cabinet

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Political Science

Since the 1960s

a. political parties have become more pragmatic. b. the ideological divide between the parties has diminished. c. compromise between Democrats and Republicans has become easier to accomplish. d. liberal Republicans have become extinct. e. the most conservative Democrats are now to the right on the ideological spectrum of the most moderate Republicans.

Political Science

An agreement in which participants state that they are willing to be in a study and know what the research risks and procedures involved is called __________

Fill in the blanks with correct word

Political Science