Political Science

Topic 1. The Constitution and Separation of Powers
The Founding Fathers divided governmental authority into three separate and independent powers for two reasons. to promote vigorous administration and to prevent tyranny (Goldwin and Kaufman 48). Alexander Hamilton advocated for the creation of an executive branch so that compromises and gridlocks inherent in the legislative process would not cripple the administrative process. James Madison placed great emphasis on the danger of tyranny when all powers of government are concentrated in one place and held by a singular national party. To this age of the welfare state and nuclear weapons, the principle of separation of powers has become more relevant. Especially in times of great humanitarian or military crises, the checks and balances provided in the Constitution ensure that popular will, not dictatorship, operates. Unlike the parliamentary form of government, the American presidential system is more accountable and characterized by disciplined parties, smooth continuity and direction in policy. The parliamentary system may be unsuitable for emerging democracies like Iraq, for instance. Politics in Iraq is dominated by the Sunni tribe and the degree of polarization along ethnic lines discourages the fusion of powers principle. Weak legislative checks may result into what is called an elective dictatorship.

Topic 2. Mass Media and Agenda Setting
Techniques used by the mass media are meant to manipulate, exploit, and control the unsuspecting consumer. For instance, the advent of yellow journalism, tabloid journalism, and infotainment are driven by the need for the media to increase circulation or pump advertising revenues. American advertising is effective in creating a market where one did not exist previously. Hence, Marshall McLuhans words the medium is the message (McLuhan 22) intends to show that the content in a medium is meant as a piece of distraction. In this manner, the reader or viewer can only understand the obvious and eventually fails to appreciate the real social implications of the medium. Instead of providing education and information, the profit-driven media instills entertainment and amusement and creates among us, passive viewers who realize too late the various social implications of technology.