How Do Current Events Affect Public Opinion of America's Weaknesses?
If physics can lend anything to the sphere of political science, it is that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. As the world becomes more quickly polarized than ever before, the public opinion of the America, both internally and externally, has never been more important. Despite the significance of popular support for the American nation as battles surge overseas and nebulous danger threatens the home front, recent events in the Middle East, at home, and throughout the rest of the world have caused a degeneration of support. The power of public opinion is nothing new; the lessons of Vietnam have never been more relevant in the formation of an American policy campaign to garner support than now. In both past and present circumstances, the power of current events on the formation of public opinion is clear; while it can serve to bolster support for an administration in good times, in bad times, current events and their coverage transform public opinion, zoning in on and becoming the core of America's weakness. "Iraq to investigate alleged abuse of 173 detainees."1 "The Revision Thing: Democrats made a key mistake when they voted for the Iraq War: They trusted the President."2 "Senate rebukes Bush on Iraq War pol
Without factoring in public opinion, "post-Cold War interventions in Somalia, Haiti, and pats of the former Yugoslavia have, if anything, sharpened rather than tempered debates about the use of American armed forces abroad."12 The failed fist intervention into Iraq was quieted by discouraging American opinion that the war had become too much of a crisis to be pushed any longer, but the tragic events of 9/11 brought America to its knees. Deeply wounded, the people of America united despite their recent polarized election to defend the feeling of safety they had known at home and the presence of their nation in idea abroad. From February to April of the same year, Gallop polling tested the national waters in terms of favor for President Roosevelt's proposal.8 Not even half of the surveyed American populace approved of the plan.9 At the same time, the New York Times was as avidly reporting the Capitol squabble then as it is today. According to the Times, 35 senators at the time stated they were "uncommitted" to the plan, 28 were firmly "against," and only 32 were on the record as "favoring" the plan.10 As this discontent was disseminated to the people, a paralleled reverberation was witnessed upon all walks of American society. While the subject of the debate has changed since the 1930s, those recording public opinion and the power of the results have not. No matter what the era, recent events highlight the power with which a leader, or group of leaders, runs a country and demands its respect. With a powerful nation like America, where its strength is evidenced and put to the test throughout all nations worldwide, the revelation of its weaknesses at home is widely disseminated to the rest of the world. As public opinion shifts for a leader, like it current is for Bush and has in the past for many other leaders during turbulent times, current events most frequently serve to highlight the nation's weaknesses, not underline its strengths. "Enlargement of the Supreme Court from nine to fifteen members was the most controversial feature of the general reorganization of the federal judiciary proposed by the President, aimed at speeding up the process of clearing cases through the federal court system, and making the system more 'representative' of the wishes of the people."6 icy."3 The most recent headlines make clear the modern history of the United States: one of disjoint, confusion, and dismay. While the media sources reveal the chagrin manifested in the 60% of Americans who disapprove of the President's performance in office, it is the interminable bombardment of the American people with news of a failing war campaign in Iraq, disagreement on the home front, and growing concern over recent events that have drawn attention to America's weaknesses. While these events spla
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1893
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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