Oregon State Honors College Essay

The very first reading that my AP Government teacher assigned the beginning of my senior year
was People of Paradox by Michael Kammen. In it, Kammen details the American tendency to be
contradictory in their preferences in politics: Americans have managed to be both puritanical and
hedonistic, idealistic and materialistic, peace-loving and war-mongering. Its true, American citizens
dont know exactly what they want until action has been taken one way or the other. One of the most
paradoxical elements of American society today is our view of how government should be run.
Conservatives tend to believe that government should generally be kept as small as possible-except
when it comes to keeping the country moral (such as banning gay marriage, abolishing abortion, and
not restricting ones right to bear arms,). On the other hand, liberals believe that government is an
equalizer, and is important in building a progressive and modern society. Although many Americans are
registered with one political party or another, a fair portion of voters identify themselves as moderates,
or independents. These are the citizens that decide elections: they are the ones that politicians must win
over in order to take an office. Moderates generally believe in aspects of both the Democratic and the
Republican party, but these beliefs may overlap from time to time.
About a week ago, everyone in my family received ballots for a new measure in our county that
would raise the property tax in order to pay for improvements in our local school district. I read the
voters information packet, but I still wasnt sure how I should vote, since this was my first ballot:
besides, I wouldnt be the one paying the tax. So, I decided to talk to my parents. My mother and I
talked about it for over an hour, and what I took away from her comments was that she wasnt sure if
she should vote yes or no- she liked the idea of a bill improving the school district that her kids had been
in, but she wasnt sure if she was okay with increasing her taxes in order to pay for something that
wouldnt directly affect her. She said that she wished the bond could be funded without increasing her
current property taxes.
Even though liberals or conservatives may believe that the indecision or the contradictions of
moderates are obnoxious, they are what keep one specific political party from taking over the
government and alienating everyone else in the country. The public opinion of government fluctuates
depending on the state of the nation- for example, before the Depression, Americans were content with
the government being minimally involved in their lives. However, when poverty hit, they were more
than happy to let Roosevelt sweep in and take a stronger hold over their lives with the New Deal.
Contradiction is okay when it comes to politics- it gives the government the flexibility to be able to bend
with whatever is thrown its way.