Blog #5: Voting & Elections
Hey guys! Today, in order to end our blogging journey on a good note, we will be going over something exciting for once: voting and elections!
Voting is a linkage institution in that it connects the people to the government by allowing them to support political candidates. Elections can influence an individual's political beliefs by shedding light on issues that one may not have known about. In addition, the campaign of a candidate can convince a person to identify with that candidate's political party, which will then serve to influence most or all of their political beliefs. As I'm sure you're aware, U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke challenged U.S. Senator Ted Cruz for his position as Texas Senator in the 2018 midterm elections. Am I mad that Beto lost? Maybe a little bit. Because I'm both in denial and interested in what went down, this week's blog post will be dedicated to taking a closer look at the O'Rourke vs. Cruz race.
Beto O'Rourke is a Democrat. He seems to value equality; the “issues” page of his campaign website starts with the words, “We should all have a chance to succeed.” According to this same page, O’Rourke believes in universal healthcare coverage, the acceptance of immigrants, and the preservation of the Second Amendment while also increasing gun control. O'Rourke includes the following video on his website:
In this video, O'Rourke argues that the act of kneeling during the national anthem is a form of non-violent protest, which should be regarded with praise. He states that he "can think of nothing more American" than to peacefully stand up for one's rights. O'Rourke's campaign, much like the views of the Democratic Party, focuses on achieving equality. In his eyes, police brutality is one obstacle that comes in the way of realizing this goal. This is why O'Rourke (like many other Democratic politicians) supports NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
On the other hand, Cruz’s website states that his “passion is to preserve liberty and the American Dream for future generations”. He supports fewer regulations restricting the Second Amendment and the repealing of “every word of” Obamacare. Cruz posted the following image on his Facebook page and campaign website:
Through this image, Cruz claims to support ICE agents and the building of a wall between the United States and Mexico. Cruz also seems to claim that O'Rourke is open to abolishing ICE and "favors removing existing fences and walls". This way of thinking mirrors the GOP's belief in America exceptionalism (the idea that America is superior to other nations), as Cruz prioritizes the prosperity of America over the well being of undocumented immigrants. Furthermore, this reflects Cruz's dedication to preserving the liberty of the American people, as his website claims that his support for border control stems from his belief that undocumented immigrants seek to unfairly obtain access to federal, state, and local public assistance benefits.
The values of both candidates more or less align with the those of their corresponding political parties, as can be seen in their beliefs regarding taxes. Cruz seems to place an emphasis on the work he has done to lower taxes, as opposed to O’Rourke’s support of raised taxes. Cruz sees higher taxes as an attack on the hard work of the American people, whereas O’Rourke believes that through higher taxes, the government can work to implement programs that encourage equality. This corresponds to the beliefs either candidate’s political parties; Democrats such as O’Rourke tend to believe that creating a larger government is the most effective way to spark positive change, while Republicans like Cruz believe that the federal government should be as small as possible in order to protect the liberty of the people. This also connects to the candidates' campaigns, as their reasoning for raising or lowering taxes echo the claims that they stated on their website. For example, Cruz believes in the lowering of taxes because he believes that they compromise the freedom of the people. On his campaign website, as mentioned earlier, Cruz also states that he is dedicated to preserving liberty.
Voting is a linkage institution in that it connects the people to the government by allowing them to support political candidates. Elections can influence an individual's political beliefs by shedding light on issues that one may not have known about. In addition, the campaign of a candidate can convince a person to identify with that candidate's political party, which will then serve to influence most or all of their political beliefs. As I'm sure you're aware, U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke challenged U.S. Senator Ted Cruz for his position as Texas Senator in the 2018 midterm elections. Am I mad that Beto lost? Maybe a little bit. Because I'm both in denial and interested in what went down, this week's blog post will be dedicated to taking a closer look at the O'Rourke vs. Cruz race.
Beto O'Rourke is a Democrat. He seems to value equality; the “issues” page of his campaign website starts with the words, “We should all have a chance to succeed.” According to this same page, O’Rourke believes in universal healthcare coverage, the acceptance of immigrants, and the preservation of the Second Amendment while also increasing gun control. O'Rourke includes the following video on his website:
In this video, O'Rourke argues that the act of kneeling during the national anthem is a form of non-violent protest, which should be regarded with praise. He states that he "can think of nothing more American" than to peacefully stand up for one's rights. O'Rourke's campaign, much like the views of the Democratic Party, focuses on achieving equality. In his eyes, police brutality is one obstacle that comes in the way of realizing this goal. This is why O'Rourke (like many other Democratic politicians) supports NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
On the other hand, Cruz’s website states that his “passion is to preserve liberty and the American Dream for future generations”. He supports fewer regulations restricting the Second Amendment and the repealing of “every word of” Obamacare. Cruz posted the following image on his Facebook page and campaign website:
Through this image, Cruz claims to support ICE agents and the building of a wall between the United States and Mexico. Cruz also seems to claim that O'Rourke is open to abolishing ICE and "favors removing existing fences and walls". This way of thinking mirrors the GOP's belief in America exceptionalism (the idea that America is superior to other nations), as Cruz prioritizes the prosperity of America over the well being of undocumented immigrants. Furthermore, this reflects Cruz's dedication to preserving the liberty of the American people, as his website claims that his support for border control stems from his belief that undocumented immigrants seek to unfairly obtain access to federal, state, and local public assistance benefits.
The values of both candidates more or less align with the those of their corresponding political parties, as can be seen in their beliefs regarding taxes. Cruz seems to place an emphasis on the work he has done to lower taxes, as opposed to O’Rourke’s support of raised taxes. Cruz sees higher taxes as an attack on the hard work of the American people, whereas O’Rourke believes that through higher taxes, the government can work to implement programs that encourage equality. This corresponds to the beliefs either candidate’s political parties; Democrats such as O’Rourke tend to believe that creating a larger government is the most effective way to spark positive change, while Republicans like Cruz believe that the federal government should be as small as possible in order to protect the liberty of the people. This also connects to the candidates' campaigns, as their reasoning for raising or lowering taxes echo the claims that they stated on their website. For example, Cruz believes in the lowering of taxes because he believes that they compromise the freedom of the people. On his campaign website, as mentioned earlier, Cruz also states that he is dedicated to preserving liberty.
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