What's the Difference Between a Donkey and an Elephant?

Today we finished learning from the group that looked at the differences between the Prime Minister and the President. They concluded that when it comes to passing a bill in the British parliamentary model, everything begins with the Prime Minister and in the American Republican model, everything ends with the President. Other conclusions included:

• There is more flexibility for individual parliamentarians in the American system to "go their own way" -- Cabinet solidarity vs. bipartisanship
• Passing legislation is less complicated in Canada and easier to do.
• Government can be held more directly responsible in the Canadian system. The president needs the help of the House and the Senate to get things done.

The next group discussed the differences between the two major parties in the US -- Democrats and Republicans

Democrats in general see the government as a force for good and look suspiciously towards entrepreneurs and business in general. They see government as a redistributer of wealth that from time to time makes thing fairer and helps out the less fortunate members of society. Democrats favor higher taxes on those who earn higher incomes as part of their "social responsibility" to help society because they can. The term "liberal" or "left wing" is sometimes used. Many Democrats are pro-choice and oppose what they consider the government legislating on "morality" issues. In the Iraq War, most Democrats want American troops to leave as soon as possible and think it was a mistake to go to Iraq in the first place.

Republicans in general see government as a necessary evil and believe that the less government the better. They favor entrepreneurs and business as the real creators of wealth and seek to have government stay out of the way. Republicans favor lower taxes, as they believe that taxation (especially raising rates on higher incomes) punishes achievement and discourages people from looking after themselves and being productive, responsible individuals. The term "conservative" or "right wing" is sometimes used. Many Republicans are pro-life and support government legislation on "morality" issues. In the Iraq War, Republicans want American troops home as soon as possible, but they see Iraq as a legitimate battleground in the War on Terror and are unprepared to leave until the country is more stable.

Remember, candidates create their own brand of the party that they belong to. John McCain has broken ranks with his party in the past on "morality" issues. Part of Sara Palin's nomination can be tied to the fact that some Republicans thought McCain too "liberal" and not a true "conservative", as Palin herself has strong backing from the more conservative wing of the party.

Bill Clinton sometimes broke ranks with the Democratic party when he signed a Republican bill into law that reduced welfare. Again, the American system allows the individual politician more flexibility than is found in Canada.

On Monday, we will conclude with the two groups and move on with the course.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death and The System of Checks and Balances --Thursday, September 11

We began class today reviewing the Mayflower Compact activity from Tuesday of this week. I asked you to consider the implications of arriving at a negotiated system of government. We determined that there were two competing factors at work; rights and responsibilities.

While the government may be charged with protecting certain individual rights, there is no escaping the fact that an individual who agrees to any democratic majoritarian system is to some extent giving up their individual freedoms. In other words, they accept the reality that they might not always be on the majority side of an argument and therefore have to abide by a law that restricts their individual liberty.

The examples I used included the restrictions on the use of property in a residential area and the restrictions on access to medical service in a universal health care system. In the former, an individual would not be allowed to use the property for industrial purposes. In the latter, an individual could be prohibited from "jumping the queue" because of their ability to pay for a particular medical procedure. In both cases, freedom of choice is restricted because a larger social good or responsibility has been deemed to take precedence over the individual right.


Here's another example from American headlines... it's the case of "It's My Lawnmower and I Can Shoot it If I Want To"...


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,391522,00.html

The classic struggle between rights and responsibilities is not limited to the labor that gives birth to a new government. Rather, it endures in an unremitting set of challenges fermenting the public discourse that ultimately shapes the character of the nation. And in that discourse, Lady Liberty has been sculpted in an image which consistently gives shelter to individual rights.

Read the Mayflower Compact. Note how the Pilgrims specifically recognize their need to "promise all due Submission and Obedience..." in abiding by the laws created for the good of the colony. The November 11, 1620 document cements America's preference for a government based on the consent of the governed.

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/amerdoc/mayflower.htm

We also started listening to presentations today from the Presidential Primer exercise. The first question discussed was:

How is the presidency of the United States different in responsibility and jurisdiction than the job of prime minister?

In the discussion of this answer, we considered the way a bill becomes a law in Canada vs. the United States.

The following is a chart that helps describe how a bill becomes a law in the U.S.

http://www.cybertelecom.org/images/howlaw.gif

The following is a chart that describes how a bill becomes law in Canada.

http://www.filibustercartoons.com/law.gif

Friday will see us carry on with presentations....

Check out the new link to the Smithsonian web site about the Star Spangled Banner. Go to the hyperlink on the left hand side of the page entitled,"You Solve the Mystery". Choose a question and, using the primary sources provided, try to explain some of the mysteries surrounding the flag. After you decide what you think, take a look at what Smithsonian historians discovered after examining the same primary sources.

Remember the Alamo, Bias, and the Mayflower -- Wednesday, September 10

Today we discussed the article dealing with bias in the presentation at the Alamo memorial site. Although the article highlights the biases in favor of the Texians who fought there, we found that the article itself was laden with its own brand of bias diminishing the work of the Daughters of the Republic and the bravery of the men who gave their lives in what was unquestionably a no win situation.

This example highlights the importance of critical evaluation on the part of you as a student of history. In each and every case, regardless of the source, it is your responsibility to consider and analyse the bias evident. As demonstrated by the article, bias can be subtle.

"The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal moment in the Texas Revolution. Fewer than 200 soldiers, including knife fighter extraordinaire James Bowie and former Tennessee Congressman David Crockett, made their stand against a much larger army led by Mexican dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna. A 13-day siege ended badly for the Texians."

Many accounts place the number of Texas soldiers at 140 and the "much larger" Mexican army was said to be roughly 4000. By excluding these details the writer diminishes the enormity of the challenge these men faced and ultimately the voracity of the fight they put up, to say nothing of the incredible understatement found in the final line.

And such is the nature of bias -- sometimes what is not said is more important that what is said.

The natural question that comes out of this is, "What is the truth?"

And the answer is that certainty in history is as elusive as Barry Sanders -- when you think you have it, it escapes you. This is a constant in a discipline which is based on the documented recollections of others and their analysis over time. Subjectivity can be relied on to be a certainty. Ultimately, this is what makes the real study of history more interesting and engaging-- everything is measured and tested against new evidence ... and as such, everything is still subject to reevaluation and reinterpretation.

That said, it is also important to remember that we must consider the different realities and circumstances of the times which we are studying as opposed to simply applying the realities and circumstances of the post-modern times in which we live to the past.


We will soon begin taking a closer look at bias and its various forms in a longitudinal study that you will be working on with respect to the upcoming presidential election in November.

The last quarter of the class was spent considering the background the Mayflower Compact (1620) and the circumstances of the Pilgrims who came to America to settle the Plymouth Colony. Tuesday's class activity was aimed at putting you in a similar situation and getting you to consider some of the questions that would have faced the Pilgrims at the time. It was both a sobering experience in that they had to get along to survive, but it was also a great opportunity to shape a new world of their making through a majoritarian model. Actually, the Mayflower Compact represents the opening act in the American tradition of a government based on the consent of the governed. In a speech in 1802, John Quincy Adams, a descendant of Mayflower passenger John Alden, referred to the Mayflower Compact as the foundation of the U.S. Constitution.

Read the short article on the compact.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact

On Thursday, September 11 we will briefly discuss the basic questions that are confronted when one considers the creation of government.

As scheduled, we will also begin presentations for the Presidential Primer of last Thursday/Friday.

Of Kings and Presidents and Cruisin' for Democracy ("May" you need a "Flower"?) --Tuesday, September 9

Today we spent half of the class working on our presentations for the material from "I'm Here for the Party - Presidential Primer" post. We agreed to begin these presentations on Thursday of this week.

For the remainder of the class, you were split into 3 groups and given one of the following activities:

1. You are on the cruise ship Conquest going to a great vacation spot. You have been informed that due to massive terrorist attacks, you will have to divert to a nearby uninhabited set of islands. The ship does not have enough fuel to return you safely anywhere and all means of communication has been disabled. In other words, you are stuck with each other on the islands for the foreseeable future. The task before you is to write a pact or contract of sorts that sets out an agreement that you will all live by as to how you will get along and govern yourselves. There are 3400 passengers.
2. You are on the cruise ship Black Prince going to a great vacation spot. You have been informed that due to massive terrorist attacks, you will have to divert to a nearby uninhabited set of islands. The ship does not have enough fuel to return you safely anywhere and all means of communication has been disabled. In other words, you are stuck with each other on the islands for the foreseeable future. The task before you is to write a pact or contract of sorts that sets out an agreement that you will all live by as to how you will get along and govern yourselves. There are 480 passengers.
3. You are sick and tired of life in Canada the way it is. You want a different form of government more than just a different government. You have joined with a group of people who have invested significantly to move away to a small un-owned island for the purposes of starting over again. You are meeting to set the rules for how the new place will function. The task before you is to write a pact or contract of sorts that sets out an agreement that you will all live by as to how you will get along and govern yourselves. There are 5000 residents.

We will discuss this activity on Wednesday after we discuss the Alamo article from the "Bias? What Bias?" post.

The Blog and How to Swing It...Monday, September 8

Today we looked at the class blog and discussed how it will be used. You are expected to keep up with the readings and to make sure you have all assignments up to date. I will keep all assignments on the blog and I will also expect that you use the material here as notes for the course. All blog material is fair game for the final exam!!!!!

***Reminder -- Wednesday we will be discussing the article about the Alamo that is found in the "Bias? What Bias?" post.

We also took time to plan for presentations which will continue on Tuesday. You will get about half the class to plan. Then we will set a date for presentations and move on.

Be sure to check the new sites and articles posted as they arise....

I'm Here for the Party... Presidential Primer -- Thursday, September 4 and Friday, September 5

On Thursday we also got started looking at the very topical Republican and Democratic conventions and the way in which American presidential politics works... I asked you to research the following:

• How is the presidency of the United States different in responsibility and jurisdiction than the job of prime minister
  



• What are the two major parties in the United States and what do they generally stand for
  



• How do the parties select their presidential nominees?




• Who are the nominees of the two major parties and what do we know about their political backgrounds and their positives and negatives?

On Friday, we began that discussion and will continue on Monday, September 8.

Bias? What Bias? We Report, You Decide... Wednesday, September 3 and Thursday, Sept 4

On Wednesday's class we also discussed the topic of historical bias. Ideally, the historian and the journalist have much the same code; only the journalist deals with the here and now and the historian deals with the past. This professional code requires that the writer must do their best to keep their personal attitudes and feelings separate from the matter they are covering. This is a wonderful ideal, but in practicality, no one can completely separate themselves and what they believe to be true and real from the way in which they account for, discuss, and analyse historical subjects.



So as such, I will be asking you to be careful when reading material and always assume a bias exists. Conversely, when I ask you to do the work of the historian, I expect that you will attempt to minimize your own bias as much as you can. More on this as we go on in the course...



Our discussion on this topic was advanced using the American Civil War as the backdrop.



I began by asking you to draw a general conclusion about the war. The class came to a consensus that the Civil War brought about the end of slavery. Based on this statement I asked if it followed logically then that the original aim of the war was to end slavery. The class agreed. However, we discovered that originally Abraham Lincoln campaigned on a policy where slavery could be maintained in the South -- only no new states could come in as slave states. We were able to conclude that there were other factors that caused slavery to become the central issue of the war.



Of course, one man's truth can be another man's bias...



Read the following blog and decide for yourself. The writer is trying to highlight bias of a sort in some historical writing he has found. Does he however, reveal another bias?



http://libertycorner.blogspot.com/2008/06/historical-bias-101.html



Here is another example. Read the story of claimed historical bias at the site of the Alamo. Did the writer succeed in minimizing their bias as well? What are some of the ways we can check this? Be prepared to discuss these issues briefly in class on Wednesday, September 10.



http://www.statesman.com/specialreports/content/specialreports/forgottenplaces/15alamo_rs.html

What is History? Wednesday, September 3

The first class featured an introduction to the classic question, "What is history?"



Through some discussion, we determined that history is the study of the past and how it affects the future. So what are the implications of this statement? It suggests that those people and happenings that affect the future or have a significant impact on the nation are historically worthy of study while others are not worthy of such study.



Does that mean that, for example, the diary of an "ordinary" person is not worthy of historical study?



This depends on your perspective. Perhaps it is the diary of a young woman whose son has gone off to fight in the Civil War and the diary includes entries that discuss the events of that war which include his account of the third day Confederate assault on Gettysburg. There could be much to learn about the attitudes of everyday people towards the war. There could also be things that help us to better understand how the world was different for these people and the reality they lived in.



Therefore, evaluating what is historically significant is not always as easy as it sounds.



Knowing the purpose of your study is also critical. In this case, we are studying a nation and this has implications for the requisite parts that we divide our study into... Conventionally we divide a nation's history into two main components -- political history and social history. As well, we also have other categories -- military history and economic history, but these usually are dealt with under the framework of the political or social history. For example, a particular military action has its own story, but it is most often discussed in concert with what precipitated the military response in the first place. Or economic history might be intertwined with the social impact of a particular event, like the 1929 stock market crash.



For a more detailed analysis, read the following link --



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_history



Our study of the United States will be divided up into the aforementioned historical categories. My purpose will be to not only familiarize you with America's history, but also have you participate in the process of historical analysis and writing... More on that later.