February 21, 2016
Unit 2: Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Illinois Residents Least Confident in Their State Government

Summary

Only 25% of Illinois residents have confidence in their government. Although Illinois has the lowest confidence percentage, less than 40% of the residents of Rhode Island and Connecticut have belief in their state government either. Through the use of other Gallup polls, a link has been found between state population and low political efficacy. The more populous a state is, the greater the chance of a negative public opinion about their state government. Illinois has had a long record of distrust in their government due to the amount of political corruption found in government officials.

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner (since 2015)

North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple (since 2010)

Analysis  

One of the main reasons Illinois has such a low confidence percentage is because the state governor and legislature are of different political parties and are thus stuck in a political gridlock. Illinois has had stability in the sense of not trusting their government in the past up until now. Depending on how someone was politically socialized, it affects their political values and beliefs. This relates to the connection between state population and government trust. Residents of less populous states are going to have different factors shaping their ideas rather than more populous states. North Dakota has the highest confidence in their state government at 81% and there are many differences between the two states let alone politics.



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February 9, 2016
Unit 1: Constitutional Underpinnings & Federalism

Missouri bill would revoke scholarships if student-athletes strike 

Summary  

Tim Wolfe

In the case of the Missouri Tigers athletics team (University of Missouri), state legislator is proposing a bill that would violate their rights. The bill would retract athletes' scholarships if anyone "calls, incites, supports or participates in any strike." There have been hunger strikes and protests for the resignation of president Tim Wolfe due to the dislike of his office's reaction to the handling of racial discrimination complaints. Football players refused to play or eat until Wolfe resigned which he did on Nov. 9. Several bills have been proposed in response to the unrest at the University of Missouri. 

Analysis 

The Bill of Rights and Constitution are documents defending everyone's personal unalienable rights. As the University of Missouri tries to get support for this bill, they come close to violating the students' right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. The school does acknowledge this by stating, "The issue really is, they can have the freedom of speech (when they) like or don't like something on campus, but if they're going to receive state money, there are going to be ramifications." The term "state money" refers to the scholarships students are receiving. Scholarships work similar to categorical grants, as the school gives students money, the students should obey school guidelines to continue receiving money. The school board believes that if students accept this money they should not back-lash against the school. Even if the bill did pass, a majority of students and student-athletes say they will continue to protest as it is their born right. Regarding these bills, legislative session was held on Jan. 6.


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