Chapter 9

1. Which political party do you most identify with?  Why?  Are there things in the party platform with which you disagree?

I identify most with the Republican party simply because I'm naturally inclined to be suspicious of all authority. I don't really have faith in the government to better our lives because it seems with every step forward we take in one area we take another step back somewhere else. I feel that it's up to me to improve my own situation on my own merit. I do disagree with their views on some issues though, usually on social issues such as gay rights. I feel that sometimes republicans try to restrict a person's right to choose how they want to live and can be a little closed-minded.

2. Does America need political parties?  The founders originally hoped that American politics would operate without need of parties?  Would that work today?  Why?

I think that America does need political parties. They're useful in bringing together people with similar beliefs into one group and getting their voices heard. The US is populated by millions of people and millions of individual voices are a lot weaker than a group banded together to speak out about certain issues. With some many people living in America today, I just don't think politics could operate without some kind of organization. There's no way the founders could have foreseen the size the country would grow to or the issue politics would come to include.

3. Please research lesser known political parties - which one do you most identify with?  Why?

Of the political parties I researches, I found that I agreed most with the libertarians. The libertarian platform is about individual liberties and rights. They feel that none of these things should be sacrificed for "the greater good." I feel that people have the right to make their own choices and that is our basic right as humans. The 2010 libertarian platform states, "...we defend each person's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power." I agree whole-heartedly.