Political knowledge and citizenship
Political knowledge is a foundational aspect of effective citizenship and the Jimmy Kimmel video shows the extent to which the American public shows signs of poor political knowledge. Overall, the sentiments that they relay either for or against Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act evidence the poorly informed nature of the citizenry. Consequently, the video makes it evident that Americans do not have the political knowledge needed for them to practice effective citizenship.
The confusion between Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act
One of the factors leading to the conclusion of poor political knowledge among Americans is their inability to distinguish between the Affordable Care Act and Obamacare, which is a nickname accorded to the Act. From the video, it is apparent that the majority of Americans perceive these as two different policies, associating Obamacare with President Obama and thereby according it the sentiments that they hold regarding him as a political figure.
Limitations of political knowledge
The inability of the respondents to defend their opinions further highlights the limits of their political knowledge. For instance, one respondent perceives Obamacare as socialist and thereby un-American while defending the Affordable Care Act. On the other hand, a supporter of Obamacare considers it as essential while having negative perceptions about the Act due to its unavailability to all when compared to Obamacare.
Policy views influenced by politicization
Overall, it is evident that the people in the video are proponents of the policies that the Affordable Care Act implements. Additionally, regardless of their views, they feel that healthcare availability affects them personally, leading to their opinions on the topic. However, it is also evident that their decisions depend on politicization rather than policy preferences that would allow them to understand that the two terms refer to the same policy. Therefore, the people in the video do not have the knowledge necessary for effective citizenship since they derive their understandings of policy from politicized rather than objective perspectives.
Works Cited
Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Six of One - Obamacare vs. The Affordable Care Act.” 1 October 2013. YouTube, < https://youtu.be/sx2scvIFGjE >.
