POL 209 Pilot Exam

In a few sentences, discuss President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal for an "Economic Bill of Rights". Identify one economic right discussed by FDR. (2-3)

-"Our Economic Bill of Rights," the President said, "like the sacred Bill of Rights of our Constitution itself, must be applied to all citizens." He added, "A new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed." -Among others, these new rights included the following: The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of our nation, The right of every family to a decent home, The right to a good education, The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health. -Roosevelt concluded: "All of these rights spell security. And after the war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being."

What is "positive liberty" and cite a country where it is dominant? What is "negative liberty" and cite a country where it is dominant? What is the fundamental difference between "positive liberty" and "negative liberty"?

-'Positive Liberty'=the powerful state safeguarding individual rights and private property. The freedom to do something. Positive liberty is something you are entitled to. Ex. You have the right to practice any religion. EX: U.S. -'Negative Liberty'= the powerful state threatening individual rights and private property. State power potentially having a negative impact on individual liberty. The freedom from something. Negative liberty is a natural right. Ex. The first amendment (The U.S. shall make no law interfering with a person's religion, speech, press, etc.) EX: U.S.

What are "substantive rights" and what is an example of such a right?

-'Substantive Rights' are rights that touch upon the substance, quality of life, of its citizens, and include education, health care, eldercare, maternity/paternity leave, etc. Substantive rights are basic human rights possessed by people in an ordered society and include rights granted by natural law as well as the substantive law. Substantive rights involve a right to the substance of being human (life, liberty, happiness) EX: education

We briefly discussed the world toilet problem in class, citing the case of India where many people must rely on outdoor defecation. Discuss this challenge, noting a concrete step being taken to address the problem (WTO); do not use the example of the WTO. (2-3)

-2.6 billion people worldwide without a toilet. -Prime Minister Narenda Modi and the rest of the United Nations have declared November 19th as World Toilet Day and launched the Swachh Bharat mission which aims to end open defecation in the next 5 years. -Wash United and WaterAid are helping in this process.

What is an ideology?

-A comprehensive set of beliefs and attitudes about social, economic, and political institutions and processes -Usually offers a blueprint or action plan to accomplish goals promoted by that set of beliefs and values.

What is conservatism?

-A political and social philosophy promoting traditional social institutions in the context of culture and civilization. -The central tenets of conservatism include tradition, organic society, hierarchy, authority, and property rights. -Strong belief in Nationalism. Critical of social change.

What is The "People's Home" (Folkhemmet)?

-A political concept that played an important role in Swedish welfare. -Replace traditional class society with a society stressing equality & mutual understanding -Emphasis on citizens' wellbeing - Focus on free education (all levels), free health care (for all)

What is socialism?

-A political, social and economic ideology that advocates for collective or governmental ownership and/or administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.

What is Christian Picciolini's story about?

-A powerful reading by a one-time American "hate movement member" and neo-Nazi. -Picciolini, having pulled himself out of that hate movement, now fights against such hate movement extremists. -In this reading, Picciolini reflects on racial hatred, its profound nature, and its powerful challenges in our contemporary society. -He found peace in Rock Music (band).

What is Jeremy Rifkin's "The Empathetic Civilization" about?

-Argues that human beings are by nature empathetic and that our human empathy arises in the earliest phases of our lives. Empathy is the invisible hand. -Rifkin challenges the notion that we humans are from the beginning self-focused and selfish (and "challenged" in being empathetic toward others). -Mirror Neurons=Other people seeing your reaction and feeling the same way -Throughout time, we have extended our empathetic ties from just blood ties to religious, cultural, national, etc. So why can we not eventually extend to everyone.

What is Dugnad?

-Dugnad simply translates to communal work. A Scandinavian term for volunteering and it is something that everyone does. -Meaning: "let's do it together". At dugnad everyone does their best and are thus "good enough" to be equal members of society -With dugnad, no one is supposed to be worse off than before dugnad started. After dugnad, have a celebratory meal; get together to have cakes or waffles & have coffee -Get to know neighbors better, foster stronger community

What is empathy?

-Empathy refers to an individual's ability to understand what another person is going through, by perceiving himself in the same situation. (negative and positive) -Ex. Harry empathizes with the poor, as he was one during his young age.

We watched a YouTube in which Iceland's President Ólafur Grimsson addressed Americans about the economic success of the Nordic model. What was his major message about why the Nordic model is successful?

-High economic competitiveness & success a result of: Healthier population (physical & emotional) Well-educated population Strong & modern infrastructure. -Make major resource investments in these social welfare (social justice) programs such as: Higher taxes Consensus of all, including business leaders. (Take the pressure off businesses to assume responsibility for healthcare of their employees.)

What is the MBTI?

-MBTI = Myers-Briggs Personality Test. -An assessment that is believed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. -Your answers determine what type of personality you have and provides general assumptions about how your personality type is best suited for success in terms of careers, communication, etc. -The test is commonly used in many different business-oriented settings, including: Leadership development, Team building, Screening and interviewing employees, Career selection, Personal development

What is Martin Luther King Jr.'s overriding argument in his speech, "I Have A Dream"? What is U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson's overriding argument in his speech "The American Promise"? What is the relationship between the two speeches?

-MLK: Wants equality for ALL people. Come together as one great nation. -Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson: wants to break racial barriers (this starts with voting) -BOTH: Address racial issues (Mostly African-American). They believe the U.S. has not officially given rights to all races and are fighting to trend toward equal opportunity for all.

Who is Olof Palme?

-Palme was the prime minister of Sweden, a revolutionary reformist, and was a leader of the social Democratic Party. -Major proponent of social justice; new parliamentary democracy constitution -Controversial; loved & hated. -Championing of trade unions & working-class. Bolstered job security with ambitious redistributive program.

What is Olof Palme's main argument in his essay, "The Emancipation of Man"?

-Palme's argument was that he was aiming for change that emancipates men as well as women from restrictive effects due to tradition in Sweden. -Believes men and women should be given equal opportunity and wants to see men doing more "women tasks" such as caring for children and working around the house and women taking on more "manly tasks" such as executive job positions and working with their hands.

What are "procedural rights" and what is an example of such a right?

-Procedural Rights are rights that focus on the concerns of democracy. Rights that involve the procedures by which the democracy functions, such as freedom of choice in election, use of secret ballot, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, etc. EX: freedom of speech

In a couple of sentences, explain why Swedes and Northern Europeans use the term "social justice".

-Social Justice is the universal European political ideology that signifies that all citizens are entitled to certain social rights to ensure solidarity -Those rights include universal access to education, healthcare, workers' compensation, as well as parental leave rights (for newborns), and child and elder care. -Trade (labor) unions have been very influential/highly associated with European social justice systems with the centrality of workers' collective bargaining rights. -European social justice systems give prominent attention to dealing with "marginalized populations," It sets out strong prohibitions against discrimination based on nationality/ethnicity/race, religion, gender, social class, age, ability/disability, and sexual orientation.

How is empathy different from sympathy?

-The basic difference between sympathy and empathy is that sympathy is all about feeling sorry for someone's misfortune, whereas empathy implies acknowledging what another person is feeling.

What is a worldview?

-The comprehensive point of view or lens through which an individual or society develops its understanding of the world. -A worldview is shaped by values and beliefs and used to influence the development of areas such as religion, conduct of war, government, economy, and politics. Worldviews provide a comprehensive "larger picture" view of which values influence the development ideas.

In a couple of sentences, explain why Americans use the term "social welfare".

-The definition of a social welfare policy is social services provided by a government for its citizens. -Examples of social welfare in the United States include Medicare, Medicaid, temporary assistance for needy families, food benefits and section 8 housing assistance. -This means that the government gives money to the impoverished, like a charity case, because there are no standards. Americans view people on welfare as needy and believe they should have worked harder to get what they want.

What is sympathy?

-The feeling of sorrow or commiseration for the hardships, problems and pain caused to another person. (only negative) -Ex. I have sympathy for the man who lost his dog.

What is Pre-Modern Worldview?

-The first or earliest worldview -Generally covering the period from the recorded time until the 17th century. -Knowledge or understanding is communal and passed down through myths, folktales, stories and by "enlightened" elders/leaders; -The pre-modern worldview allows for mystery or ledges to fill in gaps in science and philosophy. Pre-modern cultures are characterized by how their mythologies explain their understanding of ultimate Truth. -One or a few appointed leader(s) have sole access to God(s) and develop the framework for how the culture governs itself, establishes religious practices, and understands the mysteries of the world. -More attention is placed on the tribe's well-being or blessing than on that of the individual

What is Post-Modern worldview?

-The latest worldview -From the 20th century to the present -Knowledge or understanding returns to a more communal sense as the individual's experience is considered "biased." -The postmodern worldview combines the reliance on the individual mind with the communal/global experience when attempting to gain understanding. A post-modern worldview can be understood through the values of communal truth, globalization (identity found through wider human experience), and conservation (the desire to live in harmony with one's surrounding rather than in dominance over it.)

What is the difference between "procedural rights" and "substantive rights"?

-The main difference is that 'procedural rights' are how laws are enforced and 'substantive rights' are the content of the law.

When we examined the so-called "Swedish Model" we noted two big societal results. One is the victory of the middle class: Sweden is an overwhelmingly middle-class country. What is the other big result?

-The other big result was that they were/are 'near the elimination of poverty'.

What is Modern Worldview?

-The second worldview -Dominated the 17th to the 20th centuries. -Knowledge or understanding becomes greatly influenced by the scientific process. The role and responsibility of the individual gains importance as the individual has personal access to "truths" which are seen more as empirical, evidence-based, testable, right or wrong. -A modern world-view can be understood through the values of individualism (the individual's ability to access truth and be a separate being from the tribe), universal truth and nationalism (identity can be found through common nationality and locality, and less dependent on ethnicity or history.) -Well-being is seen less through the role one plays within her/his tribe, and more through the position the individual is able to achieve.

What is the "American Dream"?

-This dream is modern and is viewed as an opportunity for equality. The freedom and opportunity for individual success and prosperity, with the promise of upward socioeconomic mobility through one's own hard work and initiative. -The protection of individual rights and of property has been at the heart of American political thinking and institutions since the country's founding.

What is the "European Dream"?

-This dream is post-modern and is achieved by finding security and respecting human rights over wealth. -Community relationships, cultural diversity, work to live, universal substantive rights, humanism

Explicitly set out your own thoughts about human diversity and socioeconomic-political inclusion in a comparative, cross-national political context. Beyond identifying the various ways human diversity is manifested, discuss (a) challenges and opportunities around our human diversity and (b) how different political systems have dealt with human diversity as they strive (or do not strive) to enhance the inclusion of all members of a society in their socioeconomic-political systems. Your essay discussion should be comparative and cross-national as you reflect over the various nations we examined the first weeks of the semester. Draw upon the case of Sweden as you make your arguments. As you are able, you may bring in the United States, although this is not required. In addition, we have talked a bit about other Nordic countries (Iceland and Norway), and you may bring them into your discussion too.

Diversity is often thought of as a person's demographics such as sex, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. However, diversity also includes topics like attitudes and beliefs, ideology, and socioeconomic conditions which include occupation and person wealth. Many societies tend to struggle when it comes to incorporating diversity. Up until the 1860's, the U.S. saw itself as a rich nation that provided numerous rights to its citizens. However, this was only applied to white citizens. Finally, the emancipation proclamation was put into effect to end slavery. This was a step forward, yet, there was still much to be done. It was not until 1920 that women received the right to vote. Even after this change, there was still more to fix. The U.S. was still working towards reaching the "American Dream". As nations age, they begin to make changes to better fit their society. These diversity issues will never end; however, they will continue to be improved upon. Much like the United States, Sweden has also made vast improvements to counter diversity issues and provide its nation with opportunity. Sweden's main goal is to represent social justice. Social justice maintains the belief that the government will provide minimum standards of income, nutrition, health, housing, and education to every citizen as a political right, not as charity. This is seen as social welfare in the U.S. Sweden strives to create personal dignity & independence while generating feelings of inclusion, solidarity, and a sense of community. Using a progressive tax system, Sweden has been able to limit the impoverished community and build up a core middle-class society. This has led to even greater prosperity throughout the nation. Sweden has also been the leader in multiple fields when it comes to diversity inclusion. Sweden has allowed same-sex marriage since 1944 and became the first country to declassify being gay as an illness. As if this is not enough, Sweden also values trade unions, women in the workplace, and Dugnad (the community coming together to work as one). Sweden is a flourishing society that relies upon collective responsibility and global consciousness, ultimately leading to the European Dream.

In European corporatism, four political actors form a sort of "four-leaf-clover" of decision-making power. Note each of the 4 actors that form that "four-leaf-clover".

The "4-Leaf-Clover" is a combination of: (1)state bureaucracy, (2)political parties, (3)corporations and businesses, (4)unions.