Consent
The way in which we choose to participate in our society provides a level of consent or approval for the institutions and groups we are affiliated with. In politics, this is very important. Many students come to institutions of higher education looking for an outcome. This outcome presents itself in many forms: social approval, a degree, a job, or a community of concern.
One major goal of many of my students has been to reduce economic strain. In other words, to make money. This goal is notable, for we in the United States are hard-wired to participate in the “race to the top.” Unfortunately for many people, even the means to provide food for themselves and their families are not guaranteed without a degree. Our economic system of capitalism forces people to continue to legitimize themselves in order to compete on the “job market.” This is a 20th century cultural phenomena that is changing drastically in this new century. The changes we are seeing are due to the increase in college educated people, the rise of the Internet as a new “place” for enterprise and work, and the internationalization of the job market.
Because of this reality, many people rush through their education because they have an economic imperative, or they don’t finish their education at all because they have to work. This economic injustice creates an imbalance between those who are able to complete higher education and those who cannot. These circumstances, coupled with the increase in public university tuition costs, has increased the financial strain on students. Much of this financial strain is put off onto student loans. In California alone, the UC tuition rates have increased over 80% since the 1970s. This increase is far above the necessity to escalate costs to align with inflation. Our ability to obtain a just education shouldn’t be attached to our access to monetary means. Capitalism forces us to participate in this system if we want to get a higher education. Most of us passively participate in the student loan opportunities without knowing the full risk. Consent to the student loan companies comes in the form of your signature. Every time you sign, you’re submitting yourself to the fine print and to the business practices of those loan companies. This level of consent happens in our personal lives as well as in politics.
Education is about justice. In this unit we will explore active and passive levels of consent within the context of American political history. The conscious recognition of the impact of your actions can actually alter your behavior into doing what is “right.” There are various forms of consent. We do it every day in our lives by giving consent to each other, the state, or any other entity.
An example of a passive level of consent would be the growing trend in California stores not to use disposable paper or plastic bags in stores. Charging for bags teaches consumers to recognize the price of their choices, even if it is only 10 cents. What does this say about the culture of California? Making a habit of using reusable bags is more an environmentally sacred act. It sets a precedent and creates a new behavioral standard for consumers. Consent given or received draws boundaries between citizens and the state.
We all participate in some form of active consent, providing affirmation to social, cultural, and economic traditions, sometimes regardless of their impact. The guise of free will and individualism keep us from seeing this as a collective problem in our democracy. The ways in which we spend our money have a major impact on the world, for each dollar allows corporations to operate without accountability, regardless of the human and environmental impact.
For example, corporations have, like people, the right to use their resources to impact the political landscape. This includes providing financial backing to political campaigns that their shareholders feel strongly about. When Urban Outfitters donated funds to the anti-gay marriage ballot initiative, Proposition 8, in California many people stopped shopping there. Many felt that by purchasing clothes and other accessories from that store, they were telling Urban Outfitters that their support for legalized discrimination against gay families was acceptable. By removing financial backing from a corporation or any other entity, a message is clearly sent: You can’t buy me and I won’t pay for you to exploit others.
One major goal of many of my students has been to reduce economic strain. In other words, to make money. This goal is notable, for we in the United States are hard-wired to participate in the “race to the top.” Unfortunately for many people, even the means to provide food for themselves and their families are not guaranteed without a degree. Our economic system of capitalism forces people to continue to legitimize themselves in order to compete on the “job market.” This is a 20th century cultural phenomena that is changing drastically in this new century. The changes we are seeing are due to the increase in college educated people, the rise of the Internet as a new “place” for enterprise and work, and the internationalization of the job market.
Because of this reality, many people rush through their education because they have an economic imperative, or they don’t finish their education at all because they have to work. This economic injustice creates an imbalance between those who are able to complete higher education and those who cannot. These circumstances, coupled with the increase in public university tuition costs, has increased the financial strain on students. Much of this financial strain is put off onto student loans. In California alone, the UC tuition rates have increased over 80% since the 1970s. This increase is far above the necessity to escalate costs to align with inflation. Our ability to obtain a just education shouldn’t be attached to our access to monetary means. Capitalism forces us to participate in this system if we want to get a higher education. Most of us passively participate in the student loan opportunities without knowing the full risk. Consent to the student loan companies comes in the form of your signature. Every time you sign, you’re submitting yourself to the fine print and to the business practices of those loan companies. This level of consent happens in our personal lives as well as in politics.
Education is about justice. In this unit we will explore active and passive levels of consent within the context of American political history. The conscious recognition of the impact of your actions can actually alter your behavior into doing what is “right.” There are various forms of consent. We do it every day in our lives by giving consent to each other, the state, or any other entity.
An example of a passive level of consent would be the growing trend in California stores not to use disposable paper or plastic bags in stores. Charging for bags teaches consumers to recognize the price of their choices, even if it is only 10 cents. What does this say about the culture of California? Making a habit of using reusable bags is more an environmentally sacred act. It sets a precedent and creates a new behavioral standard for consumers. Consent given or received draws boundaries between citizens and the state.
We all participate in some form of active consent, providing affirmation to social, cultural, and economic traditions, sometimes regardless of their impact. The guise of free will and individualism keep us from seeing this as a collective problem in our democracy. The ways in which we spend our money have a major impact on the world, for each dollar allows corporations to operate without accountability, regardless of the human and environmental impact.
For example, corporations have, like people, the right to use their resources to impact the political landscape. This includes providing financial backing to political campaigns that their shareholders feel strongly about. When Urban Outfitters donated funds to the anti-gay marriage ballot initiative, Proposition 8, in California many people stopped shopping there. Many felt that by purchasing clothes and other accessories from that store, they were telling Urban Outfitters that their support for legalized discrimination against gay families was acceptable. By removing financial backing from a corporation or any other entity, a message is clearly sent: You can’t buy me and I won’t pay for you to exploit others.
Dissent
At the heart of any true democracy is the ability for citizens to fully express dissent peacefully and without censorship. To fully express grievances at the state level is a crucial element of our ability to be human, but it is also enumerated as such in our Constitution. We have the right to address those public institutions which we feel need change in order to best serve the public. Public officials and their staff are paid with tax dollars. This is our money and our contribution to the creation and maintenance of the system. If our taxes are used, it is fair to reason that our voices, our ideas, and our priorities should be equally valued.
Dissent in the United States varies, as does the experience of people who identify themselves as Americans. The types of problems that citizens choose to address publicly vary. Often, these forms of dissent are organized around an election or an issue area where citizens need to make a choice. When citizens join together to voice dissent, especially in regard to human rights and justice issues, the fervor can be palpable as people are infused with hope, inspiration, and a sense of excitement that political change is possible.
What does it mean to disobey? It means to act, think, and promote ideas that challenge the status quo. The motivation behind dissent comes from a deep desire for justice and equality. Conscientious objection is the refusal to participate in the perceived wrong taking place. This could include disobeying a law that is felt to be unjust. While breaking the law is not the ideal goal of the objector, it is a powerful method that demonstrates the drastic measure a person is willing to take in order to seek justice.
Civil disobedience in the United States varies as much as civic life is regulated. For example, in order to have a lawful protest, in most cities you must petition to have your protest or march approved by city officials or the police department. This level of management of traditional civil disobedience in the United States sometimes compromises the peoples’ ability to hold the government accountable. What if the police department or city happen to be the target of your protest? Is it necessary to have the city regulate these activities or should citizens have the right to “peaceably assemble” wherever necessary depending on the political situation?
In this unit you will explore a variety of channels that have been used to create and maintain the power of the people to show dissent towards challenges in our political system. In each chapter, you will be challenged to consider the legitimacy of a person or group's act of resistance. Was it justified? Who gets to decide if one form of political dissent is right over another? What kind of tools should we be using in order to evaluate that?
Dissent in the United States varies, as does the experience of people who identify themselves as Americans. The types of problems that citizens choose to address publicly vary. Often, these forms of dissent are organized around an election or an issue area where citizens need to make a choice. When citizens join together to voice dissent, especially in regard to human rights and justice issues, the fervor can be palpable as people are infused with hope, inspiration, and a sense of excitement that political change is possible.
What does it mean to disobey? It means to act, think, and promote ideas that challenge the status quo. The motivation behind dissent comes from a deep desire for justice and equality. Conscientious objection is the refusal to participate in the perceived wrong taking place. This could include disobeying a law that is felt to be unjust. While breaking the law is not the ideal goal of the objector, it is a powerful method that demonstrates the drastic measure a person is willing to take in order to seek justice.
Civil disobedience in the United States varies as much as civic life is regulated. For example, in order to have a lawful protest, in most cities you must petition to have your protest or march approved by city officials or the police department. This level of management of traditional civil disobedience in the United States sometimes compromises the peoples’ ability to hold the government accountable. What if the police department or city happen to be the target of your protest? Is it necessary to have the city regulate these activities or should citizens have the right to “peaceably assemble” wherever necessary depending on the political situation?
In this unit you will explore a variety of channels that have been used to create and maintain the power of the people to show dissent towards challenges in our political system. In each chapter, you will be challenged to consider the legitimacy of a person or group's act of resistance. Was it justified? Who gets to decide if one form of political dissent is right over another? What kind of tools should we be using in order to evaluate that?
People Power
“American democracy is at risk. The risk comes not from some external threat but from disturbing internal trends: an erosion of the activities and capacities of citizenship. Americans have turned away from politics and the public sphere in large numbers, leaving our civic life impoverished. Citizens participate in public affairs less frequently, with less knowledge and enthusiasm, in fewer venues, and less equally than is healthy for a vibrant democratic polity” (Macedo et al., 2005, p. 1).
The democracy we have been gifted with today has come at a price. The price has been the people and time millions of Americans, and those who hope to be citizens, have put into crafting the policy and practice of equality and justice.
The concept of people power has two dimensions – the first being the rights of the people that are expressed in the Constitution and the organizing efforts among the citizens to maintain and expand the interpretation of fairness. The second dimension of people power is the innate will to survive that we all have as humans. The experiences that make us fight for the expressed rights that were not only implied but promised to all citizens is within our rights. The right to “peaceably assemble” is one of the corner stones of our democratic process.
We saw this in full effect at various times throughout history when there were blatant examples of mistreatment and it took the people to rise up to either stop what was happening or begin something new. In this chapter, you will learn about some of those issues that inspire action and sometimes political change.
The democracy we have been gifted with today has come at a price. The price has been the people and time millions of Americans, and those who hope to be citizens, have put into crafting the policy and practice of equality and justice.
The concept of people power has two dimensions – the first being the rights of the people that are expressed in the Constitution and the organizing efforts among the citizens to maintain and expand the interpretation of fairness. The second dimension of people power is the innate will to survive that we all have as humans. The experiences that make us fight for the expressed rights that were not only implied but promised to all citizens is within our rights. The right to “peaceably assemble” is one of the corner stones of our democratic process.
We saw this in full effect at various times throughout history when there were blatant examples of mistreatment and it took the people to rise up to either stop what was happening or begin something new. In this chapter, you will learn about some of those issues that inspire action and sometimes political change.
Systems
The structure of any government is important for citizens to recognize as the knowledge gained from their exploration will mean the difference of living the life of a citizen or a subjugated member of society. Granted, subjugation is not always a choice and this is deeply understood. The type of subjugation that we are referring to is that of being passively present in a nation that represents individuals and groups who don’t show up.
But what happens when we do? The idea of popular sovereignty makes two assumptions. First, that the authority and the actions taken by the government have the interests of the people at heart by nature of their role; and second, if they do not, and if the government abuses those powers, then the people can reclaim them. This idea remains strong among American citizens as we work through cultural and social changes within a governmental infrastructure designed hundreds of years ago.
Seeing how each branch of government works and how their powers may overlap will help you become a better citizen or resident of the U.S., but also a stronger ally to other nations and people around the world. Our system is not unique in the sense that the system of governance mirrors our cultural biases, shortcoming, and strengths.
Culturally, we are really good at presenting a picture of hope rather than of reality. Through our three branches of government, we’ve institutionalized this hope for balance and equality through checks and balances between the three divisions of power. In this unit we will examine Congressional, Presidential, and Judicial power in the United States. We will learn about the history of each branch, major historical milestones, structural functions, and contemporary issues being addressed today.
But what happens when we do? The idea of popular sovereignty makes two assumptions. First, that the authority and the actions taken by the government have the interests of the people at heart by nature of their role; and second, if they do not, and if the government abuses those powers, then the people can reclaim them. This idea remains strong among American citizens as we work through cultural and social changes within a governmental infrastructure designed hundreds of years ago.
Seeing how each branch of government works and how their powers may overlap will help you become a better citizen or resident of the U.S., but also a stronger ally to other nations and people around the world. Our system is not unique in the sense that the system of governance mirrors our cultural biases, shortcoming, and strengths.
Culturally, we are really good at presenting a picture of hope rather than of reality. Through our three branches of government, we’ve institutionalized this hope for balance and equality through checks and balances between the three divisions of power. In this unit we will examine Congressional, Presidential, and Judicial power in the United States. We will learn about the history of each branch, major historical milestones, structural functions, and contemporary issues being addressed today.