An Analysis of Social Movements and American Political Landscape

This essay delves into the dynamics of American politics, examining the influence of social movements on the country's political, economic, and social spheres. It explores the nature and impact of social movements, including the formation of women's rights groups, civil rights initiatives, and labor unions, and their roles in shaping freedom, equality, and legal frameworks. The essay further analyzes the roles of labor unions within the capitalist and political economies, the goals of the civil rights movement, and the relationship between positive and negative freedom. It also highlights the achievements of the women's rights movement and provides an example of a leader, Nelson Mandela, who championed equality and freedom. The essay concludes with a discussion of the professionalization and resource mobilization of social movements in America, emphasizing how these movements can influence the future of the nation.

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American politics.
1. What are the social movements and how have they impacted American political, economic
and society.
Social movement is basically described as the organization of people acting in collective
manner so as to employ some of the political techniques such as organized strikes, huge
demonstrations, boycotts and some other civil practices so as to induce social change
(Baumgartner & Bryan, 45).
Social movement has impacted America socially through formation of women progress rights
units, civil rights for both marginalized and minorities in society and formation of labor units for
fighting for workers. In addition on the issue of political impacts, social movements have
facilitated development of freedom and equity for all Americans, increased levels of liberty in
the entire state and also formation of legal schemes to control the whole state. However, there is
issue of economic impact whereby social movement has emphasized on the aspect if labor rights
and equity in working areas (Baumgartner & Bryan, 55).
2. What are the labor unions and what role they have in capitalist economy and political
economy?

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Labor union is basically referred as the association of people majorly worker who come
together to fight for the employees’ rights and other related conditions for workers for example
better wages and improved working conditions (Wilson,67). Labor unions helps capitalist
economy through improvement of wages, improved working conditions for workers in different
fields and after all raising the quality of life for the workers. Politically labor unions demands the
federal government in America to legalize 8 working hours, solving issues of unemployment,
checking on wages and also ensuring work safety such as security ,use of apt measures of
taxation and improved civil rights.
3. What are the goals of civil right movement?
First it focuses on the aspect of equity in America. This suggest that all men should be
treated equally. The other goal is all about issue of discrimination (Wilson, 97). In addition the
movement also demands for the formation of legal measures by the government in America.
4. Relationship between positive and negative freedom.
Generally negative freedom entirely comprises the issue of freedom to be free from
something. Positive freedom emphasizes on purely ability to something (Dalton, 231). In most
cases, negative freedom will analyses laws that aim to combat discrimination in society while the
positive freedom seems different since it tries to enlighten those individuals who are doomed
with limited incomes thus giving a detailed fulfilled and meaningful existence within the society.
5. Achievements of women rights movement in light of challenges confronting women in US
today.
First the movement has boosted the right to vote for the women and that’s why a number
of political leaders are women (Mayhew, 41). It has formed a path for women to join those jobs

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which were left for the women. The movement also fights for the rights of women such as right
to be free form torture. This movement has impacted much on both social and political arena for
the women in America state.
6. An example of a leader who struggled to expand equality and freedom.
For example in my case have identified Nelson Mandela a South African leader (198-
2013). (Mayhew, 41).He was a South African apartheid who inspired an international campaign
on his release from prison where he served a sabotage and conspiracy sentence. Among the other
accolades he is a father of freedom and he is associated as the liberator, the savior and father of
equality.
Another event related to social movement.
In this section have used event with the topic The Trend of Social Movements in
America; Professionalization and Resource Mobilization, by JOHN D.MC.CARTHY &
MAYER N.ZALD. I have attached link describing the event. The content obtained from the
document is how the authors are focusing on resources available to boost social movements in
America. It analyses the current increase of socio-political social movement. Generally, there a
lot of ways of showing social movement in society. It shows how American have used voting as
way of enhancing political social movement. It also describes the general analytical level of
different theories of social movements. It includes that’s social movements always can either be
radical or even be all-embracing type of movements. Each type of social movement aims at
changing the social, political and economic position of the society (Wilson, 197). Basically the
essay is divided in five main sections. Each sections discusses the aspect of social movement in
America. The first section tries to weigh the evidence for the claims that participation in social

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movement in America has increased at higher rates. The second part is all about those factors
which are related to socio-political participation in society including the influence of leisure and
how discretionary has influenced social movement with time. The third part is all about those
social movements changes how they have been affected by various professional institutions such
as universities, churches and entirely the funding basis found in career forums. The fourth topic
of the content analyses implications of social movement in organization. This means that it
argues on classical model of social movement in America. The last part of the discussion is all on
conclusion where it summarizes on implications of social movement to the America future .It
also describes on how social movement in America can be influenced by the authorities and
elites in the state.

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Work cited.
Baumgartner, Frank R., and Bryan D. Jones. Agendas and instability in American politics.
University of Chicago Press, 2010.
Dalton, Russell J. The good citizen: How a younger generation is reshaping American politics.
CQ press, 2015.
Mayhew, David R. Placing parties in American politics. Princeton University Pres, 2016.
Wilson, Woodrow. Congressional government: A study in American politics. Routledge, 2017.
https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/50939/164.pdf?sequence=1