1. My name is Brighid McDonough and I live in a brown house in West Roxbury with my two older sisters and my parents. My sisters are named Devin and Mary and we have become really close, and I miss them when they are away at college. Devin is studying to be a lawyer and Mary, to be a teacher. My dad is a firefighter and my mom is a homemaker. I loved having my mom home when I was younger, so I never had to have a nanny. I went to the Joyce Kilmer for elementary school, and it was right down the street from my house. I walked to school everyday with my neighbors and I became best friends with the girls and boys living around me. I work at a summer camp where I instruct students on how to play tennis, as well as do reading activities with them. I love being around little kids, and I love watching them gain new skills.
I have a huge family, my dad is one of nine and my mom is one of seven. I have always loved having a big family, and I have always felt loved and like I belong. Neither of my parents went to college, so it has always been really important to my parents that my sisters and I receive a good education. We could never afford private school, so getting accepted into Boston Latin was a blessing. I am not very involved in extracurriculars in BLS, but I do volunteer at my local parish and during the summer. I am a peer minister for St. Theresas, so I help middle-schoolers as they get ready for their Confirmation. I help out with all of my friends and I really enjoy it and think it is really rewarding. As I enter my senior year, I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do when I am older. I wanted to be a teacher for most of my life, but in recent years I no longer think that is the career for me. I might want to go into politics, and attend college in Washington D.C, but I am still unsure. I am excited to be taking Comprehensive Chinese, and I hope to learn more about Chinese history and culture this year as I have had very little exposure to Chinese in my language and history courses at BLS. 2. On an average day at BLS, I wake up at 5:45 and start to get ready. I go downstairs and grab breakfast and pack my bag for school. My mom drives me to the commuter rail, and I ride it with my friends to Ruggles and then take the bus to school. I eat my breakfast at my table in the dining hall in the morning, and complete any extra homework and talk to my friends. I walk to homeroom around 7:40 and talk to my friends and prepare for my first class of the day. I like when I have are at the beginning of the day, because many of my good friends are in my sections and work on projects with me. History is my favorite subject, and I take two histories this year. I like history so much because it mixes the two fundamental subjects of math and English because in some instances, there is one clear and correct answer in a history class (much like math or science,) while other times the solution is more left for interpretation or opinion (much like humanities courses.) I have lunch with some of my best friends and it is nice to have a break from academics in the middle of the day. I take the bus home so I can get to my house early because I typically have work. I tutor children in math Monday to Thursday, and I like doing it and seeing thestudents improve. I then get home around 6:15 and do my homework before my sister gets home from work, when we eat dinner. I typically go to bed around 10, and set my alarm to repeat my routine the next day. 3. What are the Similarities and Differences of Voting Rights Between China and the the United States? In both China and the United States, all citizens over the age of eighteen are eligible to vote for positions in public office, without regard to race, sexuality or religion. There are no direct elections in the US, all voting is done at a representative basis, as our political system is set up as a democratic republic. Similarly, in China, there are representatives who vote on behalf of China’s entire population. Individuals in China have a much smaller voice in their election as compared to their US counterparts, however. China is home to 1.35 billion people, and they cannot vote directly for their leader, as they exist in a communist governing system. There are many cities and villages throughout China where there are direct elections, especially in places that are not divided into districts. In the US, elections are not direct. While our political systems may differ presently, both the US and China have had a history of voter suppression and fights for suffrage. In 1920 women in the US were granted the right to vote, but it was not until 1965 that black Americans had full voting rights. Additionally, Chinese-Americans were not allowed to vote or become citizens in the US until 1943. In China, the people do not vote for their president, but he is rather picked by 3,000 deputies, known formally as the National People’s Congress in China. The people, especially among the youth in China, do not feel accurately represented in their elections, as typically only one candidate is offered and average citizens are not allowed to vote. Similarly, in national elections, states and votes are represented in the Electoral College. Each state, based on its size and population, is represented by five-hundred-thirty-eight electors. Each state is either democratic or republican, blue or red. This is a process widely criticized by many people in the minority of their states. Republicans in Massachusetts, or Democrats in Arkansas, for example, feel as though their votes do not count as they are not accurately represented in the college. In both Chinese and American governments, corruption exists, and money is not always necessarily well-spent by officials. In Chinese elections, representatives from the following parties choose a president, so the election is much less about the average citizen. The only parties allowed to participate in Chinese elections are the Communist Party and the eight allied parties. The eight allied parties are:
Elections in the people’s republic of China are based on a hierarchical electoral system, whereby local People’s Congresses are directly elected, and all higher levels of People’s Congresses up to the National People’s Congress, the national legislature are indirectly elected by the People’s Congress of the level immediately below. Governors, mayors and heads of countries, districts, townships and and towns are elected by respective local People’s Congresses. Presidents of the people’s courts and chief procurators of people’s procuratorates are elected by the respective local People’s Congresses above the county level. The President and the State Council are elected by the National People’s Congress. They also have the power to remove any of the positions they are responsible for electing. The National People’s Congress is also responsible for electing the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. It is a 175 member body made up of National People’s Congress members which meets year round to discuss and approve routine and administrative issues. People’s Congresses of cities that are not divided into districts, counties, city districts, townships and ethnic townships are directly elected. Committee members and chairpersons are too directly elected. Also, village committee members and chairpersons are directly elected. Heads of People’s Governments are formally elected by the People’s Congress of that level, but the heads of township governments have been experimentally elected by the people through various mechanisms. These include: Direct nomination and election Direct election Two ballots in three rounds Competition based on mass recommendation Nomination and elections by the masses Public recommendation and public election Vote of confidence Every March, almost three thousand National People’s Congress delegates and more than two thousand Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference delegates gather in Beijing. The government claims that, as participants in the political process, they represent the voices of China’s 1.35 billion people. Every five years the committees change delegates. Percent of Voters/Year Presidential Election People’s Republic of China (Voters represented as those within selected Committee) United States of America (Aged 18-29) 2004 80.28% 48% 2008 76.33% 51% 2012 77.13% 45% Reflection: In my research of voting rights in China and the United States, I realized how fortunate myself and other Americans are to live in a truly democratic government. I think democracies and republics are the most fair ways to govern people and give individual citizens the voices they deserve. I think China needs to reform many aspects of their government, as to allow their enormous population to have more influence on how they live and the laws mandated upon them. I also learned how different the government of China and Hong Kong are, even though their land and culture overlap in other facets. Hong Kong is a democracy and their citizens vote in mass numbers, especially those of a younger generation. People in the US and other democratic nations take their right to vote for granted and often do not vote, typically less than half of eligible citizens go to the polls. I think my research project brought awareness to our incredible fortunes as Americans, and that we should take advantage of our rights and advocate for other nations to allow their citizens to do the same. Summary: People in America can directly exercise their right to vote when they turn 18. They can fill out a ballot and directly contribute to the election of the next president of the United States of America. In China, representatives of the population vote on their behalf. The majority of the population in China does not vote in elections because they have representatives. However, in Hong Kong people can directly vote. Hong Kong is a democracy and all of China should move towards the ideals of Hong Kong as to better represent the views of Chinese citizens as a whole, considering their enormous population and countless voices and opinions. 4. Attitude Scale Questions: https://docs.google.com/a/bostonk12.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDYrgnQdjJGNrmTKtQJSFrEce5AlED3AktCnxN1z0hg1srgw/viewform Attitude Scale Results: Question Strongly Disagree (# of people) Disagree (# of people) Agree (# of people) Strongly Agree (# of people) Do you plan to exercise your right to vote when you turn 18? 1 2 4 10 Do you think voting rights are fair in the U.S.? 2 2 11 2 Do you think voting rights are fair in China? 3 13 1 0 Is the voting process in America or China Better & why? 0 0 0 America is better (13) Should voters be mandated to show identification before voting? 1 3 7 5 Do you think China should adopt the democratic processes of Hong Kong? 0 0 11 5 Should American voting processes be reformed? 1 8 6 1 Do you think the electoral college accurately represents the American people 0 6 9 1 Do you understand your voting rights? 1 2 9 4 Do you think it is important to have the right to directly vote? 1 1 11 3 5. In depth Interview Questions: https://docs.google.com/a/bostonk12.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9oc3iuR2-Egm-BcrlxOuaIu8xbBGWPt4zxesTm0VRGWWvEQ/viewform Responses to My Survey: 1. Name: Grace 2. Age: 18 3. Gender: Female Response #1: How do you think the voting systems in both the US and China could be improved? I think the electoral college should be outlawed and the president should be elected by popular votes in the U.S. I think that China should move towards a democracy to be fair to its population. Response #2: Which system of voting do you believe is more fair, China or the US? Why? The U.S. is more fair because the people have choices of their leaders. Also their votes are reflected and help directly elect their leader. Response #3: Do you believe China should become a democracy or a republic? Which would more accurately represent their population of 1.4 billion? They should become a democracy because it will help reflect their population of 1.4 billion. A democracy would allow the population to directly elect their leader and have more of a say in what goes on in their country. Second Response: 1. Name: Michael 2. Age: 17 3. Gender: Male Response #1: How do you think the voting systems in both the US and China could be improved? I think in China the voting system could be improved in that there would be more fair representation for all citizens. Communism can easily become corrupt, and does not accurately express the views of the people. I think a move toward a more democratic system would modernize the country and allow its citizens to thrive. In the US, I believe the electoral college needs to be reformed so that citizens voices are heard equally, regardless of what state they live in. For example, the democratic candidate won the popular vote in the past election, but lost the presidency on account of the electoral college and makeup of parties throughout states. Response #2: Which system of voting do you believe is more fair, China or the US? Why? I believe that while both countries could improve their systems, the US's system is more fair because people at least have the opportunity to vote for whomever they choose, although the voice of the citizens individually can get clouded. Response #3: Do you believe China should become a democracy or a republic? Which would more accurately represent their population of 1.4 billion? I think that while democracy is more ideal, it makes more sense for a republic in a country with such a large population. Nevertheless, I think representatives should be elected directly and all votes should be counted for the same value. 6. Conclusion: I have learned that different forms of government exist to serve their respective citizens adequately, although some reflect the opinions of individuals or minorities overwhelmingly. My project serves to address the partisan and discriminatory nature of some forms of government, for example the communist regime currently guiding China. While the government of the United States is far from perfectly equitable, it addresses present needs and more accurately serves our people. Voting rights is a privilege too often taken for granted, and citizens of democratic nations should share their voices and opinions at the polls to create a more fair and harmonious government that benefits themselves and the interests of their fellow citizens. Works Cited Burgio, C. (2007). Democracy in China: A distant dream. Asia Europe Journal, 5(2), 181-186. doi:10.1007/s10308-007-0119-1 Kroef, J. M. (1981). “Normalizing” Relations with the People´s Republic of China: Indonesia´s Rituals of Ambiguity. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 3(3), 187-218. doi:10.1355/cs3-3a MacLeod, C., Yang S. (2013, March 14). In China, it's an election in name only. USA TODAY Retrieved October 10, 2016.
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Brighid McDonoughComprehensive Chinese at Boston Latin School. Archives
December 2016
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