An Introduction to my Cynicism... : ]

The introduction to the class URB 240 was intense to say the least. As one might imagine, giving a thorough overview of public/urban policy in addition to outlining the direction of the course, is no simple feat. As an Urban and Metropolitan Studies major, many of the topics touched on were ones that I have grown familiar with over the last three semesters. We began at the policy cycle and worked our way through voting with one’s feet. Though the overview was brief and compact, it definitely got me thinking. Taking a minute to review the policy cycle, I recalled my experience as intern at a government affairs firm this previous semester. The policy cycle begins with problem identification, followed by formulation of a plan, the adoption of a plausible plan, the implementation of that plan, and the subsequent evaluation of that plan. The office that I interned at was referred to as a government and public affairs office, but was essentially a lobbying firm. The life of a lobbyist is in essence the policy cycle, or at minimum I might use the metaphor of actor and script—the policy cycle playing the role of script and the lobbyist as the actor. These thoughts were most provoking when we discussed group theory and elitist. Everyone wants to believe that ordinary people can change the world, but perhaps politics has made a cynical of change. What I’ve learned about politics, particularly here in Arizona, is that change takes money. Our readings do a good job of explaining group theory.  I agree that groups like the AFL-CIO, NRA, and the NEA are capable of making change. There is however an air of elitism in the nature of the groups able to make change. AFL-CIO has hundreds of thousands of due paying members and is an umbrella organization. Said simply—they have clout! Further, I’ve seen the receipt books for lobbyist clients. It is safe to say that change is not cheap. We then went on to discuss elitist theory or the theory that only the elite in society are capable of making change. I for one subscribe to this belief because it is the only real reality that I’ve seen. Stay tuned for more cynicism folks!!

Life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happyness <3