Poli-Sci Final
Canadian Federalism
The term Canadian Federalism is the government system specific for Canada. Canada is unique in that it has a country-wide government, like the United States, but also include ten regionally based provincial governments for each state in Canada. This significant to know because Quebec, one of Canada's Providences, is heavily influenced by the French language and culture. This is an issue because the province government establishes laws like the Quebec Act and Bill 101, which and eliminated the religious oath and established French as a state language. As a result may Quebecois feel the need to be independent of Canada and become a sovereign nation. With the cultural and language differences causing a lot of tension between Canada and Quebec. Canada stands strong to running its country with a bit more freedom specific for each state aside from the central federal government. Canada is a true multicultural country with harmony and peace between different races and ethnicities.
"Stand Your Ground" Laws
" Stand Your Ground" laws were laws established by the state or federal government to insure that a person is allowed to use force in self defense. This topic has been particularly controversial because of the Trayvon Martin Case in Florida. The shooting of Trayvon Martin took place in Florida and was shot by George Zimmerman, a half white, half Peruvian US citizen. Martin was a 17 year old African American unarmed walking into the gated community where he was visiting his father and her fiance. George Zimmerman had shot Martin in an act that is claiming self-defense. With the Stand Your Ground Law in place in the state of Florida, Zimmerman is still awaiting trial, while Martin is a teenage boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This term is important because it caused arguments of race and discrimination, but the reality of this case is that a young defenseless boy was shot on claims of self defense. With this case, law can protect the culprit.
Brown VS. Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of Education was a monumental decision established by the United States Supreme Court declaring all state laws authorizing separate public education systems for white and black student unconstitutional. This term is important because many congressmen opposed this, but as a result of making integration permanent it overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision; the decision that allowed state-sponsored segregation. This term is significant because during the process of making the Southern states integrate, many political officials like Orval Faubus who ordered the National Guard to prevent the Little Rock Nine, nine black students, from attending Little Rock Central High School. As a result President Eisenhower took control of the National Guard and turned them on to the white riots. For one year the National Guard escorted the Little Rock Nine to school.
Freedom Riders
Freedom Riders are known as the civil rights activists who rode interstate bus routes travelling throughout the South. The purpose of the Freedom Riders were to enforce the racial desegregation laws on the public bus system. The Jim Crow laws were still alive and well when the Freedom Riders first started this movement, but with time the Freedom Riders rode many forms of public transportation in the Southern states to enforce equality within the public transportation system. With the Freedom Riders active throughout the South, riots and violence would take place apposing this civil rights movements. These acts transferred to other places with public service like sit in diners and clothing stores. This term is significant because it was noticed as one of the most credible movements for equality during the Civil Rights Movement, they called national attention to the disregard of violating federal and state laws.
Interposition
Interposition is the process of strategies that Southern states used to evade federal law. One event that represents the importance of this term is the military action Orval Faubus took to prevent nine black students from attending Little Rock Central High School. He commanded the National Guard to prevent the students from entering the school and they were ultimately not trained to protect the civil liberties of the students. By using the National Guard Orval was challenging the power of the federal government and of President Eisenhower. As a result the National Guard is now only controlled by the President. Eisenhower passed the desegregation order and the Little Rock nine were escorted to school for a year. (orval faubus and the little rock high school) didn't want to integrate schools.
Voting Restrictions
One important reason for the Civil Rights Movement began and made such important impact in American politics was because voting restrictions for blacks were fought for. There are three important voting laws/policies: the Poll Tax, the Grandfather Clause, and all white primaries. The Poll Tax was established to have voters pay money to vote and in the process this suppressed voting participation not just with blacks (because many blacks lived in poverty) but for others too. In Texas one had to pay poll taxes three months prior to actually voting and with this, it suppressed the poor from voting and that you couldn't be late on your payment. For the Grandfather Clause one had to prove that one's grandfather voted and by establishing this policy his ancestors had to eligible to vote and this prevented blacks from voting. This ultimately kept people from voting in the democratic primaries. For all white primaries, they banished anyone who was not white from voting. This term is significant because in the 1960's the Civil Rights Movement called for American society to break out of this psychological mind set and to demand equal rights for all despite one's race.
Philip Randolph
Philip Randolph was known as one of the most influential Civil Rights Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for organizing and leading the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and for leading the March on Washington Movement. For the historical march to not take place Philip pressured President Roosevelt to follow through with a few demands: to have the President to use his executive power to end discrimination in war industry, establishing an order to abolish segregation, wanted fair and equal no racial discrimination in Congress Federal training positions, and the banishment of Jim Crow in job positions. If these demands weren't met he would organize a march of thousands of people to go to Washington and meet the President at his front door. The march was cancelled after President Roosevelt compromised and established the Executive Order 8802, which created the Fair Employment Opportunity Committee. The Executive Order 8802 outlaws segregation in production work areas and is an order that employers can't discriminate against someone's race, color, creed, or nationality when hiring. The significance of Philip Randolph is that he demanded equality and went to the descision maker and confronted him. The failure in this approach is that Philip was given what he demanded and as a result there wasn't a legitimate reason to create a political protest.
Saul D. Alinsky
Saul Alinsky is known as the spokesman for minorities, a strong community organizer, and believed to be a strong advocate for the non socialist left. He began as a community organizer in 1930 but came to believe that American politics had been usurped by a political elite. He founded the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) in the 1940's. He attended the University of Chicago and grew to influence the African American community in Chicago and later other minorities in other communities around the country. He taught others to advocate for their rights on their on behalves by empowering communities and natural leaders through organization. He is important because he helped to establish the IAF, which worked to reweave the social fabric because people had become so enraged by the lack of social and political participation in communities. He focused with working with local churches to offer legitimacy to the projects and also worked with them (although he was atheist) because of the opportunities, resources, and bureaucratic system.
Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement was during the 1960s and created a huge movement of fighting for the equality of minorities, especially black, and freedom of rights. It began with the Cold War, China and Russia were claiming that the US had no right to call on their politics and how their governments treated their citizens because the US weren't able to create equality between the people of the US. The Civil Rights Movement began with the integration of whites and blacks in the public education system. Governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus used the power of the National Guard to prevent blacks from attending the same high schools as whites, but President Eisenhower used his power to reestablish the control of the National Guard to the Federal level. With that being done, he was able to provide protection for nine black students, Little Rock Nine, by using the National Guard. The next important event was with Philip Randolph, an influential Civil Rights leader who posed many demands for President Roosevelt to fulfill. The demands included no discrimination against minorities in the war weapon factories, to abolish segregation, and have no racial discrimination when filling Congress Federal training positions. The President did follow these demands, but if he hadn't Randolph would have taken thousands of people to Washington, D.C. to protest. Another aspect of the Civil Rights Movement were the Freedom Riders, people who traveled from the North and throughout the South to spread the word of the Civil Rights Movement and spreading awareness of the importance of equality between blacks and whites.The significance of the Civil Rights Movement is that this marked the importance of one's civil rights and freedom.
IAF Network
The IAF network is an organizing network created by Saul Alinsky with the help of a Marshall Field Grant. The goal for the IAF Network is committed to build power for sustainable social and economic change. The IAF looked to build relationships with local churches because the resources, legitimacy, ways to mobilize, and had a bureaucratic system. His beliefs were color blind. The significance of this term is to develop a consistency of leaders that are complete citizens in that they participate in democratic decision making and advocates for a more just society through using their power of networking and building relationships.
Jim Crow Laws
The Jim Crow Laws were law established from 1876 through 1965 that mandated racial segregation in all public facilities in the Southern states. These laws were established to create this idea of "separate but equal" for Southern blacks in American society. This term is significant because the main affect of these laws forced the public education system and public transportation to promoted segregation between whites and blacks. The goal was to face desegregation laws in border towns of the US and begin moving into the south, which was determined by the case Brown vs. Board of Education. One event that represents the struggle of not accepting the Jim Crow Laws was the Little Rock 9 (8). In 1957 nine black student were allowed to attend Little Rock Central High School, but the governor Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to prevent these students from attending. This was when President Eisenhower made it clear that his authority wouldn't be challenged and ruled the National Guard to be under the command of the President and had them protect the student to and from school. Many southern politicians and governors shut down schools because they were against the desegregation laws put into effect. The main purpose of these laws were to promote segregation and inequality.
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine are a group of nine African American students were attended Little Rock Central High School, an all white public school, in Little Rock. Initially the students were prevented to attended this school because the governor at the time, Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to stop these students from attending the school. After the intervention of President Eisenhower, the students were able to attend the public high school with the protection of the same National Guard that was ordered by Faubus to stop them. This marked on of the most important events of the Civil Rights Movement because this was one of the first acts and reactions of the beginning of desegregation between whites and blacks and as well as transferring of power of the National Guard from state to federal; that's why this term is important.
New Deal Coalition
The New Deal Coalition was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishing a new democratic party by creating interest groups and voting blocs that supported democratic presidential candidates. The interest groups included black laborers, labor unions, blue collar workers, immigrants, minorities, white Southerns, and farmers. This term is important because Franklin D. Roosevelt was pressured to meet the demands of Philip Randolph and in doing so he was able to shape the Civil Rights Movement into an organized and influential movement of oppressed people fighting for their rights and equality.
Paradox of Quebec Separatism
The Paradox of Quebec Separatism was the movement of the Quebec Secession, where the people in Quebec were strongly influenced by the French culture and felt the need to identify with their own identity without identifying themselves with Canada. The paradox begins with the history of Quebec, both the English and French claimed Canadian land and the Quebecois are mainly of French descent. The English and French had different visions of what Canada should be, but in the end the English took over what is now Canada. As time went on Quebec began the Quiet Revolution, a revolution that lead to industrializing and increased investments in Quebecois companies. No longer were the British dominating Quebec, it was now the regional province government that controlled Quebec. One accomplishment as a result of the Quiet Revolution was the control of the public school system because it was established under Bill 101 that school was taught in French, instead of English. The Quebecois feel strongly of their French culture and are opposed to the idea of multiculturalism because the idea was that the French language and the French culture weren't to be lost. The importance of this term is that identity of an individual is deeply rooted in one's language and culture and with the Canadian government having a federal system that grants Quebec more federal control over itself it is not enough. This marks a boundary of a nation trying to be free of another, and to be what they have always seen themselves as being which is Quebecois.
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act was established in 1776 which eliminated the religious oath in Quebec, because Quebec would often reject the Catholic faith, but people were able to freely practice the Catholic religion and still keep oath to the king with this law. Along with the oath came the recognition of French as a Canadian language as established by Bill 101. These terms are important because it guaranteed the free practice of religious beliefs and political freedoms (language).
Quebec Secession
The Quebec Secession is the based off of referendums raised in 1980 and 1995 and if Quebec should be an independent nation cut off from Canada. The population in Quebec is heavily French and although English is the main language of Canada, French is at times preferred over English. The French culture had a stronger influence in Quebec compared to the other parts of Canada. With the differences of language and cultures this secession would serve as a clear indication of how different Quebec is from the rest of Canada. Another point to emphasize is that the federal government in Canada isn't as influential and dominate as the local state government and as a result Quebec was able to make the public education system teach in only French. This term is important because it emphasizes the relationship of a nations living within nations and how independence and separation effects both nations; as well as others.
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution is known as the intense period of change in Quebec, Canada in around 1950. The provincial government took over the healthcare programs and education system in Quebec, both systems had been previously controlled by the Catholic Church. In 1969, the Official Language Act made French and English equal languages among Quebec government.Bill 101 established the French language as being the official language of the Quebec. With the expansion of public services and the unionization of the civil service, Quebec was becoming it's own vision and not Canada's. The Quebecois also began to take control of its province's economy and nationalized electricity production and distribution. During the Quiet Revolution is was a time of uncontrolled economic and social development in Quebec. The significance of this term is that the Quebecois felt the need to become their own identity, rather than just being Canadian. This relates closely with the issues between the United States government and political officials of Arizona.
Standing
The legal term standing is defined: in order to establish a case there must a clear victim and offense. This term is related to the Cree tribe in Quebec and how the Cree were opposed to the independence of Quebec because they had no better claim on the land as compared to Canada. The tribal people believed land was scared and couldn't be owned. The Quebecois would be hypocrites naming themselves as the minority group when corporations in Quebec are benefiting the Quebecois. Another example is with the reparations for slavery for African Americans. Because slavery is a multi-generation crime, as claimed by Randall Robinson, African Americans are owed a doubt because the theft of labor and their property being denied.
Reparations for slavery
The Reparations for slavery is a proposal suggesting some sort of compensation for decedents of those who were enslaved in the US. Slavery is known as a multi-generation crime that claimed African Americans as property of labor. Which is defined by Randall Robinson as the crime as property denied (African Americans weren't given opportunities to sell their labor) and theft of property (labor was taken). The World War II crimes committed against the Japanese can be identified, but this is problematic for blacks because the US government acknowledged the act of injustice against the Japanese. At that point, there is a racial blame game going on between the US government and African Americans. Calculating the lost of labor and lack of injustice is difficult, but if the US had to pay they would have to pay 500,000 dollars to each black person living in the US. The questions of who would qualify as black is another issue and how the US, instead of money, would set up programs to help blacks climb the social and economic ladder in the US. Although the idea of repaying these people for what the US and Americans have done to them, this act of following through with reparations for blacks is highly unlikely. The odds of programs set into place need to be in the best interest of African Americans and the US doesn't have the money to pay 5-10 trillion dollars to the African American population.
John Kennedy VS. Richard Nixon
The differences between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy are very distinct. John F. Kennedy had a very huge decision when it came to embracing the Civil Rights Movement and what impact that would have on the democratic party. Once he decided to offer the power and support of the federal government to the Civil Rights Movement, the success of the Civil Rights Movement cause social movements to fall apart. But that didn't stop his success. Despite Kennedy having a mobster like image, he was able to portray an image for minorities and the first man to say minorities are important to America. His administration was the New Frontier, the administration that valued minority votes and needed them. On the other hand, Richard Nixon was a strong believer of literacy tests to at least vote. In many ways he valued tradition especially when it came to voting and the process of voting. This difference is important because the Civil Rights Movement was a nationwide event that required some political party to act on it and offer support, in this case Kennedy did just that.
Impact of Civil Rights Legislation
The impact of the Civil Rights Legislation was known as the events that took place after the Civil Rights Movement. The migration of conservative white voters switched political parties and became members of the Republican Party. Another important result from the Civil Rights Movement was that Franklin D. Roosevelt create the New Deal Coalition, which is the creation of different interest groups joining the Democratic Party and voting for democratic presidential candidates. The importance of this term is that organization proved to provide a strong voting group and with the Civil Rights Movement equality and rights for all was a main issue that FDR was able to addressed.
Southern Manifesto
The term Southern Manifesto is defined a document written in 1965 by legislators in the US congress. The officials who signed were opposed to racial integration in public education and public transportation. The head legislator of this movement was Strom Thurmond, he was considered a Dixiecrat and strongly opposed the Civil Rights Movement. The significance of this term is that although the Federal Government had introduced and forced integration within the Southern states, many congressmen opposed the integration of whites and blacks.
Theory of Exit, Voice and loyalty
The theory of exit, voice, and loyalty was emphasized in Wilson's book, "There Goes the Neighborhood." Although Albert Hirschman created this theory, Wilson applied it to the communities of Chicago; Archer Park, Groveland, Beltway, and Dover. In these communities the Latino population increased over a number of years, however every community reacted differently to this effect. For example, in Beltway white neighbors exited the community with resentment and struggled to hold the community together through organizations like BLC and GPA. A counter example would be Groveland because they were excepting of new comers by including them in the community with activities and organizations. As a result those who lived their previously were loyal to their community. The significance of this term is that every community handles changes in different ways and we should take into account which action is the best reaction.
