Mia+Barnett

POLITICAL TOLERANCE: I strongly believe that everyone, no matter what religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. should have the exact same rights as anyone else would. This includes being able to teach in public schools, speak at any event, and get married to whomever they want to. I would be perfectly tolerant of a communist, terrorist, or an atheist to speak at our school. People are very impressionable, but I believe they have the power to form their own opinions and will not be swayed by the views of one such speaker. It makes me angry that the government is trying to control people's rights to do as they wish (within reason) ie. gay marriage. It's completely their own choice and no one else's. Compared to other people, I would consider myself very tolerant.

POLITICAL TRUST: I trust that the government will do the right thing, most of the time. But of course, the government is made up of humans, and humans have flaws, so the government too will have flaws. Sometimes the Congress gets power hungry and may push things that overstep some of their boundaries. For the most part, I trust the President and the Supreme court. I trust bureaucracies to do the right thing, and although they aren't perfect, they are the most efficient and managable form of government. I trust the courts more than I probably do the rest of the government, because they aren't trying to gain popularity as other parts of the government are. Political parties can be trusted, but like any biased institution, they will do what they want and only just that.

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION: My first clear political memory was the Bush/Gore election of 2000. I remember hearing all about it on the radio and my father getting really annoyed. He is probably my most influential agent of socialization because he is the most politically inclined in my family. Although we don't talk about politics, Sean Hannity's voice is a constant hum in the background of my house. So far, I personally have not taken interest in politics, so I would not say any political events have had an impact on me. I consider myself very much a feminist, so my gender definitely influences my thinking. Otherwise, I try to be very tolerant of all races and religions, so this would include not forming any opinions based on my own race or religion. Thus, they do not directly impact my thinking. But of course, they're a part of who I am, so of course they must affect my political ideology in some indirect way. I don't think my class or region has affected me either, as far as I can see. To be honest, I myself don't fully understand my own political thinking, so I don't believe I can answer what helps me to do this.

IDEOLOGY: Apparently I'm a libertarian, which makes a lot more sense now that I know what it is. I've always considered myself on the conservative side of things, as far as the economy and big business go, but I haven't always agreed with the conservative standpoints on certain social issues, like abortion and gay marriage. I believe everyone is fully entitled to their own opinions, so although I love to express my own opinions, I try not to attack the ideas of others. Thus, my political ideology would not be considered strong. I'm a huge advocate of freedom which is really at the basis of all of my issue preferences. I believe big businesses should have the freedom to run as they wish, so I don't support government regulation of the economy. I believe humans should have the freedom of choice, which is why I support gay rights (choose who to marry), pro-choice abortion (choose whether or not to get an abortion), yet I support privatized healthcare (choose where and from whom to get care).

POLITICAL EFFICACY: I have a lot of faith in my own ideas (the ones I have figured out, at least) so I would say I have a lot of faith in my internal efficacy. As for the government, as far as the big picture goes, I believe in external efficacy. The government is not an almighty power that can magically fix all problems everywhere. They deal with the big issues, and if they don't respond to a minor problem, it does not compromise my belief in external efficacy. They do what they can and what they are allowed to do, and that is quite enough for me.