POLS 301 Midterm

A good short answer

(a) accurate and precise definitions, (b) when, where and by whom these ideas were formulated, (c) the perennial issues these ideas most centrally address, (d) the impacts these ideas have had, (e) one or two good examples, and (e) their strengths and weaknesses.

Constitutional and legal rights

1. Constitutional Rights: equal political, legal, and social provisions and protections with Constitutional guarantees against legislative and majoritarian abuses • "adequate k-12 education" in KS 2. Legal & Judicial rights: arise from legislative, administrative, court decisions and involve specifics about property rights (such as seizure of) civil rights (nondiscrimination) and welfare rights • Freedom to contract freely v. nondiscrimination

*FIPP's four-cell typology of quasi-ideologies

1. Definition. Four-cell typology extends range of "big ideas" , cells are categories, not ideologies. 2. Radical: want change, but not a complete overall of pluralism v. Extreme: get rid of pluralist society 3. Right: comfortable with inequality and hierarchy v. Left: equality is necessary 4. Radical left: more egalitarian, equality, "we are all in this together" politics. Ex.: Democratic socialists, egalitarian liberals, cosmopolitans, social libertarians, civic communitarians, radical democrats, liberal feminists, environmentalists. 5. Radical right: less dependent and more moral citizens, opposition to permissiveness of liberalism. Ex.: Tea Partiers, right (economic) libertarians, global neoliberals, national protectionists, traditional communitarians, neoconservatives, religious right. 6. Extreme left: Fighting domination and hegemony because pluralism simply masks problems. Ex.: Black nationalists, post-structuralists, deep greens, autonomism. 7. Extreme right: Rejecting differences, rejection of pluralist toleration. White nationalists, theocratic fundamentalists, global-warming deniers, state authoritarian terrorists.

Reasons for and against prioritizing super-national political identities and sovereignty

1. For: Economic integration (globalists), human rights (UDHR). Economic booms. International standards on issues. 2. Against: Not self-governing, depending on rules of players 3. Reasons against from national protectionists 4. o Globalization reduces national sovereignty, undermines the economic interests of the nation, and lower the standard of living of domestic workers 5. Against from social and cultural conservatives 6. o Huntington worries about the decline of cultural homogeneity, national identity and especially one that follows your area (i.e. Americans are protestants with Christian morals ) if you don't you threaten national stability. Supranational identities would encourage others not to do that (Or would he support an entire civilization like clash of civilizations and thus not be concerned with national but supranational like Western hindu ect) Reasons for from global neo liberals • Key person is freidman • Create a free market by placing international needs over state needs i.e don't erect a trade barrier because you're mad • Association with those beyond your country (i.e. how will this affect mexico even though I am in America) • Encourages social mixing across state lines Democratic socialists • The global community is the best place for socialist principles to take place and distribute wealth among the rich and poor • Fems and greens support but no reasoning why

Reasons for and against prioritizing subnational political identities and sovereignty

1. For: friendship, social life, collective benefits. Homeowners assn.. . Promote political participation, specific cultural target polities. Locally tailored programs, legislative morality is easier. Conservatives most aggressive for state rights. 2. Against: elite run, no teeth, enforcement mechanisms. Factions can easily take over subnational units. Critically lack resources. 3. Cities and Localities: idealized in political theory, but metro and local residential areas are seldom unified polities 4. States rights are often asserted to: 1. legislate morality as moral consensus can be approached on issues 2. Develop programs responsive to local needs and cultures 3. be laboratories for policy innovations 4. block overzealous national initiatives 5. But local communities and states: 1. can be dominated by local elites and factions 2. can be parochial (turn inward) 3. can lack needed resources 4. can engage in ruinous competition with each other (e.g. corporate welfare) 6. Traditional conservatives believe that subnational movements threaten national stability i.e quebec in canada 7. Smaller communities are the best places for political cooperation and traditions that the larger govt would not understand (tradcon)

Multiple community identities

1. Individuals benefit from having multiple community identities, both with nonpolitical communities and various polities. Benefits: heighten interconnections, enhance moral development, require balance, help overcome parochialism 2. Different types of polities: • Aristotle's villages (neighborhoods • Functional for social collective benefits • Limited authority • Cities and localities (i.e. land use) • Pros: • Receive whatever powers the state allows • Political participation • Moral values • Radical democrats, traditional communitarians • Cons: • Local elite run • Parochial • Needed resources • Ruinous competition with another • States (i.e. criminal justice) • Administer politics of national government • Cooperation and conflict between states and nation. • Duel federal systems (USA) states have right to: • Legislate morality • Develop programs responsive to local needs and cultures • Block national initiatives • National (i.e. military defense) • National authority deals with citizenship, commerce, civil rights, address poverty • Larger polities include (opposed by the Right, supported by Left) (i.e. nuclear concerns) • UN • Civilizations (Islamic, Japanese, Hindu • Global confederations • WTO, International Court of Justice

Expanding rights of citizenship to those residents who were formerly excluded

1. Movement from full rights to all legal residents (women, minorities) → admission of outsiders. 2. Multiculturalism v. Common Culture, assimilation 3. Classical Liberals: all adults who are affected by political decisions should be citizens: Maximal Inclusion 4. Unrestricted borders threaten idea of national sovereignty Reduces economic security of existing citizens Threaten liberal welfare state (taxpayers won't pay for entitlement programs expansively) 5. Cosmopolitan, pursuing justice on a global scale, more open immigration policies 6. Excluded groups often face informal barriers to equal participation . Marginalized citizens less likely to be involved in political process • Past debates about citizenship: Full citizen rights for all legal residents including women and minorities. • Philosophical consensus sometimes challenged overtly by extremists and covertly by groups like True the Vote • Admission of outsiders: Current Debate • Its importance: Answers to membership issue affect *opportunities of applicants *levels of national prosperity and distribution of income. * The maintenance of traditional norms or the pursuit of more multiculturalism • A brief American history on admitting immigrants to citizenship Largely Open Borders and assimilation until 1924,1924-1965: Caps and exclusions, Since 1965: increase in immigration legally and illegally Recent US initiatives to restrict and liberalize immigration (policy as data for principles)

Various ways of structuring citizens within polities

1. Need for community structures recognized by all ideologies, emphasis on different purposes of structures. 2. Density of structures: ranging from vast freedom (private sphere, individualism) to vast control (public sphere, totalitarianism) 3. Types of structures: • Economic (free market v. planned economies of communism) • Cultural (Max Weber: culture determines economics, protestant work ethic) • Voluntary association (Churches, labor unions, conflict pluralism v. atomized mass society, individualism) • Government (secular v. liberalized theocracy) 4. Pluralist consensus: multiple structures needed. Dominance of each structure should be limited, government can influence all other structures' influence, but should limit government through constitution.

The pluralist consensus on the distribution of citizenship

1. People have a right to renounce citizenship and leave a community 2. Do not endorse parallel rights of outsiders to become citizens of a community simply on basis of free choice 3. Need to develop admissions standard because existing communities have the right to decide whether or not to extend the opportunity of citizenship 4. Long time residents entitled to equal citizenship 5. Citizens have extensive, equal social rights; they only have those legal rights provided by constitutions, legislation, and administrative and judicial rulings (LIMITED BY LEGISLATION/CONSTITUTION) 6. Correspondence between rights of citizen and their obligations 7. Citizenship entails provision of equal rights 8. While citizens should have extensive + equal social rights, they have only those legal rights provided by constitutions, legislation, and administrative and judicial rulings 9. To try to extend legal rights, claims about natural and human rights can be made 10. Friends of pluralism disagree about many rights, and priorities among them e.g., Property rights vs. welfare rights 11. Specific rights vary from community to community

Global neoliberalism

1. Radical Right 2. Favor and promote globalization: economic and other interdependence 3. International free markets, free market capitalism everywhere 4. Advances in the world justify any inequalities that may result • Spread of democracy • WTO, IMF • Rejected by Contemporary Conservatives because an assault on sovereignty 5. Globalization encourages democratization 6. Globalization increases prosperity, freedom, equality of opportunity 7. Democratic capitalism is the best form and cannot be improved on 8. FREE TRADE 9. Global elites, Margret Thatcher

The key ideas of the Tea Party

1. Reducing public debt and cutting taxes 2. Governments spend too much money, future generations will be crippled with debt 3. "Starving the beast" by cutting taxes and spending 4. Instrumental principle (how carry out): constitutional originalism, framers' intent so that government cannot abuse power 5. Elderly people distressed that next generation are being nannied by the state 6. Sarah Palin

The original bases of American national identity

1. Subjects of the King → Colonists → Nation 2. Constitution allowed for common political creed instead of Art. of Confederation 3. Patriotism: high priority to one's national identity 4. Samuel Huntington: Four Factors Figure Greatly in Sustaining American national identity • 1. Race • 2. Ethnicity • 3. Common Culture • 4. Political Creed (pride in institutions) • multiculturalism reduces assimilation, setting back common culture 5. In the colonies, American identity was minuscule prior to the 1740s 6. American identity emerged slowly between 1740 and 1787 7. Constitutional Convention of 1787: an effort to forge a nation and generate an American national identity based on acceptance of a "political creed"

James Madison's republicanism

1. Tyranny comes from factions. Factions cannot be abolished, only controlled. Must have republican government and federal control to control factions. Larger the society the better. 2. Avoid pure democracy / tyranny of majority. 3. Republican alternative to straight democracy: "demos" shares power with "the one"(elected monarch i.e. President) and "the few" (elected leaders) 4. Longer tradition of this type of governance, associated with stability. 5. "common good" is the motivation of the elected leaders, separation of powers 6. Citizen virtue is emphasized in qualities of leaders 7. Virtues of representatives compared to citizens, representatives have greater wisdom and knowledge, more concern for common good, and capacity to refine public views. 8. Madison's argument prevailed, and American Polity came into existence.

Communism

a) A derivative of Orthodox Marxism in 20th century b) For Marxist/Leninist Communism, there is an aim to retain Marxist vision of achieving 'the promise land' seeing that the end if note economically determined—it requires 'voluntarism' by vanguard of the proleterait. It requires a forced collapse of capitalism through a revolution c) Impacts: Transplanted Marx into the pre-capitalist world. Emphasized imperialism in a differentiated world wide financial capitalist system, and lead to the adoption of alternative revolutionary models d) Examples: Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh e) Strengths and weaknesses: a. Full employment and rapid development, equitable distribution of wealth b. Personal freedom lost and workers are treated poorly, central authority can abuse power

Democratic socialism

a) A radical left quasi-ideology that places an emphasis on a democratic system but more socialized economy (no capitalism bc its incompatible with democracy). b) Inspired by Marx's theory in early 20th century Europe but through democratic reform, not violent 1revolution. Personified by Bernie Sanders c) Issues addressed: a. Political equality (equal participation and restrictions of campaign financing) b. Social equality (means of production are socially and collectively owned) c. Economic equality and progressive tax(the more money you earn, the higher taxes you pay) d) Strengths and Weakness: a. re-distribution of resources equally, universal healthcare, reduction in poverty b. Government may abuse power, everyone is expected to work together and cooperate e) Impacts: Many socialist countries exist today such as China, Denmark, and Canada. f) Example: Denmark has a wide range of welfare and equal benefits for its citizens, but because of this they also have some of the highest taxes in the world.

Contemporary conservatism

a) A right-wing ideology that is focused around preservation of American tradition, support for Christian values, economic liberalism, and anti-communism. b) Started in 20th century in opposition to liberals weak response to communism and big government. c) Issues addressed: a. Fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget b. Reduce government through more tax cuts and privatization (vouchers) c. Shift authority from central national government to states and localities d. Economic growth through supply-side policies e. Stress traditional family values (oppose abortions, no-fault divorce, inheritance taxes, and "the nanny state"-the welfare state) f. Cameron's new family values: strengthening family and social bonds, provide family, leave, marriage counseling, character modules in schools, mental health programs, drug and alcohol rehab, national service...) d) Strengths and weaknesses a. Strength: promote and protect individual rights from government b. Weakness: distribution of wealth and resource is spread unequally and some will always be at the bottom e) Examples: a. The recent rollback from the Trump admin. of the Obama era policy that provides women who work coverage for contraception. It stresses the conservative notion of traditional family and Christian values.

Anarchistic and extreme left arguments for rejecting polity-based identities and pursuing identifications with natural communities

a) Anarchistic and other extreme left ideologies seek communities that are based on mutalism b) Arguments for natural communities a. Neighborhoods (natural communities) b. Aristotle argued 2450 years ago that villages enable subsistence but fail to fulfill higher needs c. Today, neighborhoods, gated communities, and homeowners associations resemble such villages d. Functional for friendship, social life, and specific collective benefits e. Provide optimal opportunities for participation and influence f. But it is doubtful that they are polities—given their limited (often non-existent) sovereignty c) Example: neighborhood or villages that existed millions of years ago d) Strength: encourage participation and inclusion. Weakness: how do you handle large scale problems and what level do you report crimes to

Nazism and fascism

a) Both consist of an authoritarian government who rejects the ideas of democracy and places emphasis on nationalism. b) Fascism was created by Giovanni Gentile and resulted in a Fascist Italy after World War1. Hitler was inspired by fascism and adopted Nazism c) Issues both address: a. Elitism b. Promote mass society and the needs of the nation come first c. Both promote totalitarianism and a one party state d. Fear of communism d) Differ: a. Nazism promotes supremacy of Aryan race and anti-Semitism b. Fascism is extreme nationalism but didn't reject other nationalities e) Impacts of both Nazism and Fascism led to absolute tyranny and supported any type of political violence if they were threatened. Both ideologies were major causes of World War II. f) An example of this includes the holocaust and the systematic mass murder of 6 million Jews. Nazism used its dishonest platform to inspire hatred toward an entire population. g) Strength: promoted improvement of country and speeds up decision-making process since 1 person is in control. Weakness: Abuse of power, prevents free speech

Anarchism

a) Contributors such as Leo Tolstoy and Pierre Proudhon during the 19th century. b) Anarchism is a prominent extreme left ideology that consists of social order without a ruler and institution. c) Issues it addresses: a. Reject conventional authority b. Radicalize liberalism c. Emphasize spiritualism over materialism d. Seek moral development of humanity d) Impacts anarchism has had include e) Strengths: there are no authoritarian regimes or restrictive government rights placed on the civil liberties of citizens. Weakness: there is no law or order to protect individual rights because it bases for the theory is that man is good. f) One example of anarchism was the Free Territory of Ukraine during the Ukrainian revolution in the early 20th century that attempted a stateless anarchy. The result was a failure.

Orthodox Marxism

a) Developed by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels in 19th century. Engels interpretation of Marxs is known as Orthodox Marxism b) It seeks to theorize decline of democratic capitalism and the development of an ideal communist society through 6 stages. c) Issues the ideology addresses: a. Foresees an ideal society at the "end of history" i. Affluent ii. Classless iii. Absence of any oppressive state authority b. Economic factors will causes changes leading to this end c. Predict—rather than prescribe—an inevitable revolution against capitalism d) Impacts: class conflict between bourgeoisie and proleteriat will create revolution, temporary dictatorship of proletariat and the socialization of the means of production. e) Strengths: forsees a future where everyone has equally opportunity and resources. Weaknesses: Many of those have attempted a communist state have failed due to stricter government control and power which can become authoritarianism.

Classical liberalism

a) Developed in 18th century and regarded as America's founding public philosophy and has. Contributors such as John Locke and Adam Smith b) A political ideology that values the freedom of individuals — including the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and markets — as well as limited government. c) Issues addressed: a. Negative liberty i. Liberty: individuals have a natural right to "freedom from" restraints imposed by authorities, except those need to keep other individuals from being harmed b. Rule of Law c. Laissez faire capitalism (a natural right to earned property) d. Thought guided by Science and Logic e. Social mobility and (formal) equal opportunity f. Religious toleration g. Representative democracy h. Limited (but not weak) government d) Impacts: served as a founding principle/ideology for American democracy and continues to be embraced by many people especially conservative actors e) Strengths: Stresses "freedom from" for individuals and produces more social engagement from citizens. Weakness: still does not provide sufficient rights for women and minorities and those white male landowners could only participate. f) Examples: separation of church and state in schools, we have to tolerate others religion but it does not govern our government or force us to study one religion in public schools.

Ideologies: meanings and positive and negative roles in acquiring political knowledge

a) Ideologies: full blown sets of comprehensives and systematic political and social ideas and ideals a. Quasi-ideologies: more focused, less comprehensive ideologies b) Historically, ideologies developed during and after the French Revolution and the seating chart c) Ideologies are divided among the plurality and each addresses how to best handle issues ranging from economic to social. They are resources for constructing public philosophies and political theories d) Impacts: various conflicting ideologies have mobilized citizens to participate politically on behalf of their beliefs but have also started wars and conflicts. e) Strength and Weaknesses a. Influences us to participate in politics and gives us ideas on how to think about our beliefs of societies. b. Our commitment to these ideas decreases our tolerance and ability to think about others views, it can also impede universal movement toward a political good.

Corporate capitalism

a) In early 20th century, entrepreneurial industrial capitalism gave way to corporate capitalism a. To thwart the advance of communism and socialism during the Great depression, a (tacit) gran compromise was struck in America between corporate capitalism and democratic forces b) Corporate capitalism is: a. Big business (monopolies and oligopolies) under centralized and professionalized management b. Dispersed ownership of stock c. Financial institutions dominate investment decisions c) Impacts: d) Strengths and Weaknesses: a. Encourage innovation by desire to be rich, prevents large bureaucratic government b. In order to be more accepted it needs to: i. Allow unions and engage in collective bargaining ii. Provide job security, living wages, and fringe benefits iii. Submit to regulations (beyond those required for effective working of markets) that served broader public interests iv. Corporations and winners in capitalist economy would pay progressive taxes to finance government

Libertarian principles of open admissions (think Carens)

a) Joseph Carens b) There is a universal right for people to immigrate where they wish, subject only to their assuming the same obligations and constraints of other citizens of the host nation a. Restricting entry involves unjustified coercion and violence b. Restricted entry is like a "feudal privilege" for native-born citizens c) Argument: a. Pririoty of individual rights b. Would maximize economic gains c. Except for public property d. Private property owners can sell or rent) their land to whomever e. Polities have the OBLIGATION to protect rights of EVERYON d) The view has an appeal to egalitarian liberals and other liberals e) Example: India and Nepal share open borders

Traditional conservatism

a) Leading spokesperson Edmond Burke in 18th century. Ideas of the monarchs, aristocrats, and religious authorities of 17th through 19th centuries b) An ideology that follows natural law and embraces tradition and hierarchy. c) Issues addressed: a. Conserve "ancient regime" b. Reject liberal science: embrace tradition c. Reject natural rights for "real" rights d. Reject individualism for organic society e. Stress virtue over self-interest f. Stress natural hierarchy and trusteeship g. Unequal rights and duties: Noblesse oblige- way for the top to provide for the bottom. Scrooge comparison d) Impacts: those who were controlled by monarchs and religious authorities wanted to escape to America to pursue their own self and individual interests. Many violent revolutions for independent nations occurred because of traditional conservatism. e) Strengths: it does have some responsibility to take of its weakest members (noblesse oblige). Weakness: restricts those who want to pursue a life that's different from they're born into, you cannot disrupt the natural social order.

Right and left libertarianisms

a) Left (social) and right (economic) libertarianism place emphasis on different issues, but both view problems, whether socially or economically, as the fault of too much gov't. b) Theorists: Left was inspired by Henry Thoreau and Henry George & Right was inspired Robert Nozick c) Issues addressed o Left lib: View highly unequal property as due to government rather than market forces. Stress equal right to moral choices (social liberty) • Right lib: Uphold absolute rights of property-holders; to own and exchange (too much government intervention) Moral self-owernership d) Impacts: Libertarian party arises, weak party but still has significant impact on elections d) Strength and Weakness: a. Strength: protect civil liberties from too much gov't intervention b. Weakness: no control or restraints when it is best for the country overall e) Example: Libertarianism has advocated for personal rights, but if there were no gov't restrictions of environmental degradation climate change would continue.

Dominant big ideas of modernity

a) Modernity started post-medieval era and continues to exist today in society. b) Modernity is aggregation of individuals formed by a social contract offering some equal rights and many (un)equal opportunities in free markets. c) Big ideas of modernity strive for universalism and challenging unequal rights were: a. Communities: more important national identity b. Democratic capitalism within nations and more inclusivity with stress on human rights c. Rulers: accountable representatives who work within a "thin democracy" (minimal requirements such as free speech, free elections, universal suffrage) d. Steady progress in change e. Justice: challenging unjustified inequalities by expanding equal opportunities f. Humans are pleasure seekers and make choices based off of their own self-interests d) This era impacted many republics as they saw all the inequalities around them and challenged authority. It influenced many revolutions such as the American Revolution and French Revolution e) Strengths: rejects tradition and allows others to participate through democracy. Weakness: unequal opportunities in the free market

Reasons for and against prioritizing national political identities and sovereignty

a) National political identities: sense of belonging to one state or nation, as a cohesive whole consisting of language, ethnicity, culture, and politics. b) For: a. Creates a common pride and love for nation b. Help support when coming together for national disasters or enemies c. Have a common set of shared values d. Have control over nation and itself (sovereignty) by allowing/denying laws the conflict with their ideals but can occur in other countries c) Against: a. Different ethnicities conflicts and complicates with national identity b. Struggling to accommodate new immigrants c. Citizens may have a global identity instead national identity d. National law > state law-States must comply with federal law first and cases are settled by supreme court d) Examples: a. America has a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism, but has no set ethnic identity as do most countries that focus on national identity. "Out of many, we are one" b. Marijuana issues in states may have a different view than federal law (which outlaws it) therefore states and federal law clash

Natural rights and human rights

a) Natural rights- broad abstract claims(to life, liberity, property, and the pursuit of happiness) based on: a. Natural needs flowing from our biological requirements and human capabilities b. Natural desires of individuals in the state of nature (our imagine existence in a condition without any social-political restraints), and c. Claims from flowing from self-ownership d. Most contemporary philosophers are suspicious about the existence of natural rights, and usually regard them as rhetorical claims; such claims are independent of citizenship—as are human rights b) Human rights—widely accepted moral claims for specific universal provisions and protections. The way these are justified is based on morals. c) Classes of human rights: a. Basic liberties b. Equal treatment c. Security rights d. Due process rights e. Economic rights f. Social or welfare rights g. Political rights d) The role of human rights in real world politics: often lack legal enforcement mechanisms and they're increasingly a powerful basis for claims on governments, prompting efforts for governments to deliver the human rights to those lacking it

Orthodox pluralism, its development, its elements, and its weaknesses

a) Orthodox pluralism: a discredited theory by political scientists focusing on how political outcomes reflect group interests and power in ways that seemed to justify America being governed under a new, unwritten Constitution of the Second American Republic, that of Interest Group Liberalism b) Became a public philosophy during 1950s and 1960s and was generated by the "positivist" (facts and science) political science c) Various tenets include: a. Citizens have fixed interests represented through "various groups" b. Power is spread narrowly among broad groups (various complexes include military-industrial interests, scientific-educational interests, automotive-oil interests, medical pharmicists) d) General principles: o The equal liberty principle- citizens of pluralists communities are entitled to equal basic liberties and rights. Although these rights will be limited, when various rights and liberties conflict o The community sovereignty principles. Authority must be used to enforce the common good and justice, but some of that authority needs to be restrained so it does not conflict with equal liberty principle. o The citizen engagement principle. All politics, both local and global, should follow the most democratic process guidelines. This is civil society. e) Weakness: a. Weakness: Government must always expand to accommodate new mobilized interests, The "public good" gives way to accommodation of special interests, Injustice takes the form of systemic biases in favor of particular organized (and usually well-heeled) interests

The key ideas of principled pluralism

a) Politics is a battle over competing interests and specific principles articulated by alternative ideologies. b) Political stability requires that battles between interests and ideologies be tamed by recognizing "an underlying consensus" among all "friends of pluralism" on some "intermediate" principles like o Equal opportunity o Balancing social and market justice o Rejection of "open borders" c) Just a few principles: a. Tolerance, not just of alternative ideologies but of justifications drawn from these ideologies b. The importance of citizen rights, but the need to balance them in ways that optimize competing values c. Constitutionalism, but not in an "originalist" interpretation d. Embedding individuals in multiple community structures, while having countervailing power among structures e. Complex justice, where market justice is limited by social justice

Liberal privacy

a) Started by John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty" b) Beyond religious liberty. Moral liberty is essential to human happiness and social progress c) Individuals have the right to be free of not only religious but als social and political constraints on moral choices (about the good life_ that have only private (personal) consequences a. Examples of voluntary polygamy, same-sex marriage d) The current liberal position on privacy: John Rawls, Political Liberalism. e) Definition: In a pluralistic society, each individual has the right to autonomy (to pursue ones own moral doctrine). a. Governments must be neutral among moral doctrines, even if consequential thinking-that the "bads" outweigh the "goods"- suggest that society and individuals would be served by privileging one moral doctrine b. Pluralistic states cannot pursue any "perfectionist" conceptions of the good life, whether they be Aristotelian, Marxist, Neitzschean, or religious c. Rawls based such rights on "constructivism"

Dominant big ideas of post-modernity

a) Started in 19th century and continues into the future b) Reject universalism and emphasizes marginal voices. It's multicultural like a mixed salad but with arbitrary inequalities c) Big ideas it addresses: a. Communities: national identities second to sub-national like an indigenous nation or LGTBQ nation b. Community structure: Transnational political, economic, social, and ecological networks rather than democratic capitalism c. Citizenship: More inclusive in terms of citizenship and expanding human rights d. Rulers: self-governance with a strong participatory democracy (thin + thick democracy- more political participation and adherence to institutional values such as tolerance, equality, and diversity e. Justice: Defining and challenging oppressions, f. Change is unknown but will be transformative. g. Humans are identity seekers h. Epistemology: knowledge is subjective (there are diverse truths) d) The impacts of this include the fall of the soviet union and liberalization of china e) Strengths: continues to push the conversation of justice for everyone, especially the marginalized populations. Weakness: finding a balance between different voices

Dominant big political ideas of antiquity

a) The dominant political ideals of antiquity occurred in Ancient Greece through the middle ages and were basically an organic whole consisting of unequal members like an orchestra b) Big ideas of antiquity were a. Communities- people most identified with towns, tribes, and religious groups b. The community structures- consisted of slavery and feudalism (often theocracies) c. Leaders- often guardianship like religious leaders and knowledge comes from tradition and authority d. Change is static (what goes around comes around) and cyclical e. Justice: we honor natural inequalities f. Human nature is motivated by God and finding their place on heaven and earth c) These ideas still impact society today, especially in other countries with current theocracies d) Iran is an example of a theocracy and a majority of these ideas of antiquity are still followed e) Strengths: political philosophers of this era placed emphasis on how we can promote "the good man", Weakness: many inequalities in society such as slavery and inability to participate in government due to strict authority.

The Straussian approach to political knowledge

a) The quest for, rather than possession, of truth and attempt to understand the nature of political things. b) Founded by Leo Strauss, pre-eminent post- WWII philosopher. c) In this quest for political knowledge, we must reject 3 modes of thinking a. Positivism, an empirical approach to political knowledge, cannot be the central way we observe political nature and values need to be used as context for the data. b. Positivism then transforms itself into historicism because its biased towards current times and the west. c. Ideology influences the quest for knowledge and can lead to a biased opinion. d. We don't completely throw out positivism, but we proceed with caution. d) Strength: we can use this approach when talking about justice so we are unbiased with our opinions and will consider alternative views because the truth is the most important. Its weakness is that it's hard for most people to turn of their opinions and therefore impedes on our ability to understand the true nature of politics.

Political (citizenship) obligations

a) Totalitarian philosophes have been highly duty-oriented, emphasizing citizen obligations to serve the state and society b) Liberal societies have generally given insufficient attention to obligations that rights entail c) Some obligations are: a. To ensure security and stability b. To promote prosperity c. To promote justice d. To promote well-being of the current members e. To ensure political equality d) Debates about it: a. Whether all citizens have the duty to vote b. Whether draft should be voluntary or be a draft c. Whether those with privilege have greater obligations d. Whether tax burdens should be progressive e) Examples: serving jury duty, obeying laws, and pay taxes

Federalism and the Chinese boxes

a) We need to consider a mixture of polities of various sizes at various levels, arranged as Chinese Boxes (Russian Dolls) a. Governance by larger polities reduces citizen efficacy and increases alienation b. So, issues should be handled by the smallest association c. While there must be multiple levels of government, the total number of levels should be minimized b) Created by Robert Dahl in an attempt to explain power structures existing in governments c) Issues addressed: a. Land use-locally b. Education and criminal justice-states and provinces c. Military defense and citizen rights- nationally d. Trade-regionally e. Nuke and greenhouse gases-globally d) Strengths and weaknesses: a. Strengths: more citizen involvement and employing local knowledge, things would get done faster b. Weakness: some problems are more effectively handled at larger polities e) Examples: States coming together to solve climate change

Sovereignty

• Cosmopolitans: global sovereignty • Republicans: local sovereignty The place of nationalism and patriotism in our multiple identities • National identity: regarding oneself as a citizen or resident of one of the 193 nations in the UN • Supporting extensive national sovereignty is often maligned as xenophobic, prejudicial, imperial, militaristic, and genocidal • But these result from extreme forms of nationalism • More limited forms of nationalism mobilize citizens to achieve important national goals • Patriotism: Giving high priority to one's national identity, seeing meaning and virtue in a nation's past, present, and/or future

Democratic capitalism and the mixed economy

• Crony Capitalism defined: Business becoming increasingly political, seeking to influence public policy and public opinion • In response to success of Ralph Nader his Raiders in late 60s, Lewis Powell and the Chamber of Commerce pursued "Businessmen of World Unite!" • Fund pro-business think-thanks and public relations initiatives • Business interests increase lobbying efforts and from corporate PACs—seek to capture Congress and regulatory agencies • On invisible bills, Congress provides subsidies (tax exempt bonds, qualified dividends, and deductions for losses specifically available to commercial real estate developers) • Business and politics are intertwined • The overall results: government became more strongly tied to business interests than to citizens. Businessmen can be productive entrepreneurs, or they can be "con men" (have ulterior motives)

Communitarian principles about admission of outsiders to citizenship (think Walzer)

• Developed by Michael Walzer in response to the question of how to treat outsiders seeking admission. • Virtuous citizens → effective participants • Comparing nations to different polities, nations are most like clubs • Clubs can accept or reject who they please, due to self-determination • Reflecting values of existing members / can discriminate based on human compatibility with club (or nation). • National Sovereignty • Communities of character: similar moral understands and obligations that unite us • Firmer sense of obligation if we choose • Relativism: American understands will surely be different than other peoples Beyond employing analogies, Walzer provides the moral basis for restrictive admissions. • Nations have the right to determine how many applicants to admit and which sort of people to admit • They may aspire to be communities of character, whose members share similar moral understandings and a strong sense of responsibility to one another • National citizenship helps us prioritize our moral obligations • Our obligations extend to those we choose • Prompted by globalization and increasing labor mobility, Michael Walzer urged theorists to turn attention from equal treatment of residents to just treatment of outsiders seeking admission • Walzer suggested using analogies to determine the fate of aliens who would like admission, he finds clubs as the best analogy: o Club membership has restrictive membership to maintain internal cohesion o Admission to clubs is by decision of prior members o fails to account for the moral life political communities

Contemporary liberalism

• John Dewey, John Maynard Keynes, Martin Luther King, Barack Obama Continuities in liberalism: • Individualism and pursuit of one's own good • Securing citizens from infringement of individual rights • Social mobility and equal opportunity (can move up in class ranks) • Religious (and social and moral) toleration Securing liberal society from external enemies

Citizen virtues

• Participation in civil society allows citizens to acquire more virtues • Each citizen may choose and pursue their own justice-respecting conception of the good life • Governments should be neutral among moral doctrines and mor promote or broadly favor a particular moral code (or religious doctrine) • Partisans may promote certain virtues and seek to have them reflected in specific laws • The particular virtues (e.g., observing the Sabbath) emphasized by various ideologies should be incorporated into law only when • There is broad (Supra-majoritarian) consensus • this consensus is not based on dominant moral doctrines but on consequentialist argument