Journal: 1-7

What Party Do You Attend?

     First, I will answer my question from last week. Through my research, I was unable to find out just how many cases had been brought before the supreme court on the matter of violation of free speech. However, in my research I found articles that show that the supreme court is slightly biased on the matter. They usually consider painful and hurtful acts of free speech to another person as wrong and unjust. So in the court's view, even though you have the right to say what you want, you shouldnt make a threat or say something hurtful to another person or else you might face punishment on the matter.

     This past week we finished our documentary This Divided State and also discussed results which we received from two political tests. One was only about 10 questions and the other seemed pretty close to 50. It gave you results of what side you are on the political spectrum and how you normally feel on the issues of todays society. For the first quiz, you could be a leftist authoritarian, a leftist libertarian, and rightish authoritarian or a rightest libertarian. It also gave you numbers which represented how strong your beliefs were in the category it put you in. The second quiz however just simply told you if you were a socialist, neo-liberalist, libertaian, authoritarian or centrist.

     Although alot of the questions from these two quizes were broad, open ended and biased, I believed that it forced you to choose an opinion on matters. I also believe that they both gave a pretty accurate account of what you trully believe in and where you fit on the political spectrum. For example, the quizes accurately both said that I was a leftist libertarian. However, I do believe that political correctness played a key role in me answering my questions. I must admit I answered a few questions based strictly on what I believed a liberal would answer it if it was a tough question that I had trouble answering.

     Something I found very interesting was the political compass results of all the candidate for presidency in 2008. Sarah Palin and John McCain are exactly where I would think they would be, far right and high on hte authoritarian scale. However, it suprised me that Barack Obama and Joe Biden technically are not a liberal according to this graph. It shows them being really close to the middle but leaning towards the right and being slightly authoritarian. Perhaps this is how a president should be in order to get elected. From all the US history and government studies I have been through, I have always been taught that being in the middle on issues appeals to the most people and therefore gives you a better chance at being elected. Perhaps this scale is good at determining who will win an election based on how close to the middle they are.

     I end my blog today with a question: Does the candidate closer to the middle always win the other political elections represented on the political compass website?

"Being Libertarian." A Look Inside... Web. 03 Nov. 2010. http://traevoli.com/libertarian.php.

First Ammendment Coalition. Word Press, 2010. Web. 3 Nov. 2010. http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/.

"US Presidential Election 2008." The Political Compass. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. http://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2008.