Media Events and Political Actions Shaping The Government

Civil Rights
In the American government, several civil rights events have been discussed to show how they influence a sense of social responsibility. On July 2, 1964, are when the American civil rights legislation law was enacted, and this Act managed to outlaw discrimination issues based on issues like sex, race, national origin, and religion. From this Act, people were given the right to be politically and socially free thereby fostering equality. For example, the Montgomery Bus Boycott became the turning point for the African Americans because they would soon enjoy the freedom of movement and influence other civil rights groups globally. Parks saw an opportunity, and she was determined to stand against the unfair laws imposed on African Americans (Kenney, 2015). After Park's arrest, the yearlong boycott started and directed towards the racially segregated city buses. The protesters persevered through the unrelenting pressures from county courts, city hall, and white extremists. However, their struggle was successful because the whites and people in the media embraced it. For those who participated in the boycott, democracy became tangible, and they shared a communal awakening (Burns, 2012). From this event, the national agencies responded ethically and ensured that all discrimination again the blacks were prohibited from ever resurfacing because it was going against human ethics. The government of America through the Supreme Court became socially responsible for the actions and ruling it dispelled.
The right to vote gives U.S. citizens the opportunity to exercise their civic duty and choosing their leader. However, this was not the case for African Americans because they faced strong and even violent resistance from the whites shortly after independence. This would not last long because the African Americans decided to fight for their civil rights to voting. For example, minority voters were disenfranchised in Texas, and the state has repeatedly blocked changes required at the local and state level. The state is seen to encourage early voting among districts with minorities as a way of discouraging them from taking part in the voting. Like in 2007, strict voter registration rules were enacted. Sadly, the act of prohibiting the minority groups from exercising their civic right is wrong like normal citizens. Therefore, government agencies should examine the Voting Rights Act and appreciate the civic duty of every individual in the state concerning voting and the right to choose leaders that they like. The ethical deed from the government agency is to allow the minority groups to vote. The actions of courts would be a social responsibility because it would give this person a voice.
Media Events
After the Hurricane Katrina, the media covered this event extensively and looked at FEMA’s response that was displayed to be slow. The negative tone shaped media’s agenda and the response from the government became limited to the role played by public health coverage during the hurricane. FEMA’s director then, Michael Brown, defended his institution by explaining that the slow response was attributed to the fact that they had not been authorized by the government to evacuate the people. In his opinion, it was the mayor’s responsibility to hasten the whole evacuation process, which he failed to do even after President Bush recommended him to act. The people story and perception on FEMA showed that much of the responsibility given to the body regarding the response to the national disaster made many civilians to lose trust in the way the government handled the whole situation. Nonetheless, the response system during the disaster could follow the predetermined disaster plans. In the end, it led to the disproportionate adverse effects on vulnerable citizens who could not evacuate on their own. The media articles popularized their sentiments on the failed government systems were given more emphasis. However, this was inappropriate because other bodies played a vital role in disaster response and mitigation (Barnes et al., 2008).
Randy Weaver became famous on 21 August 1992 after he failed to appear in court to answer charges of firearm possession. He lived in Ruby Ridge with his family who hid in a cabin for a whole year and a half making the court to send marshals to arrest him as a fugitive. However, their plans backfired because innocent people died at the end of the exercise. This prompted the public to react by condemning how it was carried out. American citizens saw it as a persecution of innocent family by a federally tyrannical government. The standoff made people draw negative conclusions on the government’s use of force and a white supremacy uprising against the government (Keneally, 2017). In cases such as these, the government agency had the duty of ensuring that the fugitive was apprehended without causing harm to other innocent people regardless of their position on the issue.
Republican and Democratic Parties
Republican and Democratic parties share different views when it comes to ethical perspectives, and this includes getting money out of politics, overturning united citizens and passing campaign reforms on allocation and use of funds. For most Republicans, they oppose the act of overturning Citizens United while Democrats advocate for the overturning of Citizens United. Citizens United is a 2010 Supreme Court decision that set the stage for SuperPACs and activates the organizations accommodated for tax-exempt on a political ground especially with their million-dollar donors (Rapoport, McGlennon, & Abramowitz, 2015). The campaign committee of Democrats seems to have overflowing or surplus amount of money thereby promoting corruption to be encouraged among citizens. The need to manage political party spending during campaigns is important. Besides legislation, the promotion of third parties and their agendas will go a long way in ensuring public interests are prioritized. This will help in limiting the spendthrift nature currently exhibited by the two major parties (Rapoport, McGlennon, & Abramowitz, 2015). In the end, the third parties role in providing checks and balances on their actions will promote the need for ethical actions in the interests of the public.
The other difference is on finance reforms where Democrats advocate for the passing of fiscal reforms, and they try to get much money that has managed to infect the government out of its political process. For example, 1996 election had excesses prompting Richard Gephardt to voice his genuine support for banning soft money, but behind the scenes, he was helping the party raise soft and hard money (Rapoport, McGlennon, & Abramowitz, 2015). The Republicans consider this as true because they have managed to Democrats auction itself to the highest bidders. The bidders always have the upper hand in controlling the government because they financed the whole campaign. However, the Republicans oppose the majority of Democrats’ actions because they want to serve the people who elected them. Therefore, the Democratic Party has negative ethical implications preventing them from serving the people because the policies they make will be geared towards attaining personal goals and achievements (Rapoport, McGlennon, & Abramowitz, 2015). Various constitutional amendments are yet to be made to empower the Congress with the ability to limit political parties’ spending.


References
Barnes, M. D., et al. (2008). Analysis of media agenda setting during and after Hurricane Katrina: Implications for emergency preparedness, disaster response, and disaster policy. American Journal of Public Health, 98(4), 604-610.
Burns, S. (Ed.). (2012). Daybreak of Freedom: The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Chapel Hill: Univ of North Carolina Press.
Kenney, K. L. (2015). Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. USA: ABDO.
Keneally, M. (2017 Aug). Ruby Ridge siege, 25 years later, a ‘rallying cry’ for today’s white nationalists. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ruby-ridge-siege-25-years-called-rallying-cry/story?id=49296439
Rapoport, R., McGlennon, A. I. & Abramowitz, J. (2015). The Life of the Parties: Activists in Presidential Politics. University Press of Kentucky