The text suggests that California politics is "riddled with paradoxes." What is paradoxical about politics in California?
What will be an ideal response?
Varies. A few possibilities are offered; astute students will offer additional insights. (1) Hybrid democracy itself is a paradox; citizens empower representatives to make decisions, but also maintain control of a parallel lawmaking apparatus--one that is far less accommodating of political conflict, because it offers no means of securing compromises among conflicting parties--it merely imposes one solution in the form of a proposed initiative. Further, direct democracy imposes restrictions that render lawmaking difficult, inefficient, or (nearly) impossible (examples: ballot-box budgeting as with Prop 98; Prop 13 which makes raising taxes nearly impossible). (2) Californians generally distrust politicians and are averse to political conflict, so they continue to reach for ways to take politicians--and politics, for that matter--"out" of politics (examples: term limits, Top-Two primary; rise in No Party Preference voter registration). However, political systems are designed to expose (and deal with) conflicts, people need help to govern what is one of the largest countries in the world, and parties provide the structures needed to win elections. (3) Californians (often) expect their own personal needs and the public good will be simultaneously served, which is not possible with the delivery of many valued goods and services. Example: desiring lower taxes and also more government services.
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In McCulloch v. Maryland, what did the Supreme Court do?
A. It ruled that Congress exceeded its power when it created a national bank. B. It reaffirmed power of the people over the powers of national government. C. It ruled that Maryland was within its rights to tax the bank. D. It established major principles of states' rights. E. It established the doctrine of national supremacy.
The new movement toward having everyday people act as journalists and report the news directly on social media or blogs is known as citizen journalism.
a. true b. false
Lobbying is best defined as:
A. the attempts to shape public opinion through online campaigns. B. the indirect techniques used by government officials to gain the confidence of interest groups. C. the direct attempts by individuals or organizations to influence administrative decisions of government. D. the peaceful demonstrations that are designed to make a statement about a group's interests. E. the evaluation of performance of legislators based on how often they have voted with an interest group's position on particular issues.
How did the three nations examined—Brazil, Nigeria, and Iran
â€"rank in a comparison of their levels of democracy? a. Brazil ranked at the top, followed by Nigeria, and then Iran. b. Brazil ranked at the top, followed by Iran, and then Nigeria. c. Brazil, which was followed by Nigeria, while Iran was ultimately left out the study, given its lack of democracy. d. Brazil, followed by Nigeria and Iran, which tied in regard to their democracy ratings.