Midterm Review POLS 2300

Ideology:
Four components of Ideology;
Evaluates right and wrong explains why things are orients the user programs the transition of policies defines human nature defines the role of government defines freedom

Three legged Stool;

Role of Irony;
the antidote to the ideologue skepticism used to view claims of absolute truth to know that there is no absolute knowledge

Democracy:
The classical Greek definition;
Demos People, Cracy Rule; thus, rule by the people All actively involved in governing, random lot, pynx; amphitheater, 6000 citizens, meet 12-15x's a yr

Aristotle's Typology of regimes/ doctrine of the mean;

True Rule by the One Rule by the Few Rule by the Many Aristocracy Polity (Republic) Oligarchy Democracy (Rule by poor) Perverted

Monarchy

Tyranny (Dictator)

Doctrine of the Mean Virtues are the 'mean' of two vices. IE: Charity is the mean between selfishness and selflessness. His best Regime a 'mixed' government, the Polity/ Republic with a strong middle class
The many as a whole may be better than the few (meal) the people give checks on government actions
middle class avoid the pitfalls of the poor majority and the aristocratic minority.

Overly distant technocrats and experts aren't as awesome as the well-minded middle class free from the burdens of the poor and rich. Broader base of educated ideas

Pericles participatory ethic and the characteristics of Athenian Democracy;

administration in the hands of the many lottery Claims on Excellence
meritocracy; people ought be favored based on individual merit poverty not a bar toward recognizing merit

equal justice in private disputes private life is tolerant reverence in public life
participation; non participation is a neglect of public duty.

Manliness
written in response to the Spartan claim that Athens were a bunch of pussies who only argued and talked instead of fought. Stated that talking is manly :P XD

Machiavelli's best regime type;

led to the revival of Republicanism ( the polity)
Rome = Republic, Greece = Democracy

secularizes the role of the leader

new, pragmatic/secular science of politics All men are inherently evil

People v. Princely Rule

Rule of Law;
Princes brought up under a concept of law can self-regulate Princes should be compared with a people equally controlled by the laws.
Then you see that defects are no more naturally to people than to princes
both when constrained and unconstrained by law, the people have more virtue than a prince equally burdened.

J.S. Mill and his understanding of participation:

We're losing out on education if we don't actively participate in government. Benovolent Dictatorships:
better laws with technocrats however, this makes the assumption that the monarch is omniscient, good, and uncorrupted .

Even if you could have the above scenario, the price of a dictatorship or a non-republic is still too high!
The demos have no chioice and nowill because they have no power to change their destiny.
All powerful monarch ruling over a passive people deterioration of the faculties of citizens.

Mill argues this is immoral based on the principle of utility.

Humans can be (not inevitably be) progressive in a liberty of freedom. Benefits of active government involvement include;
freedom discipline education and moral construction

3 types of Contemporary Democracy:

Direct Democracy
All citizens have direct participation in all government decisions

Representative Democracy

 representatives of the people are chosen who make decisions in all government decisions

Mixed Democracy
Representatives are chosen but the people still retain certain powers and the ability to check the decisions of those representatives.

Liberalism:
The triadic model of freedom;
The relationship between an individual agent, an obstacle, and the agent's goal Goal: The ability to live his or her own way without undue interference from others Obstacles: Laws, customs, or conditions that block individual choice

Agent: The Individual

Three Legged Stool;

Human Nature; reasonable, understanding the need for security, innately free Role of Government; provide security Freedom; ability to make choices free from the coercion of government or other factors. Absence of external impediments
classic negative liberty
characterized by the absence of intervention

Hobbes (1588-1679;
State of Nature
synonymous with the State of War no culture, navigation, trade, comfortable housing, time, maps or discovery there is the existence of continual fear life is nasty, brutish, and short
Three causes of Quarrel;

competition, diffidence(fear), and glory

We are all EQUALLY vulnerable, regardless of strength, brains or speed. Right to self-preserve
can do anything to ensure self-preservation

Laws of Nature

Social Contract
We lay down our weapons and accept the logic of reciprocal rights A covenant enforced by the sword The sovereign state need not be a dictatorship

absolute power; otherwise we would revert back to a state of nature formed by consent Leviathan, it is above civil law and can do no wrong
however, it is illegitimate for the sovereign to threaten your body without your consent.
When is it voluntary? Commit a crime, join the army??

John Locke:
State of Nature
We all have an innate right to life, liberty, property and indolence (ability to exist outside of extortion) Can never dispose/ extinguish your property (property being the body, thus suicide is a no-go) State of Nature is not synonymous with a State of War, but the barrier between the two is very fragile Qualities;
1. Freedom of the individual without asking permission insofar as they harm no other individual 2. Equality; all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal 3. Reason is the law of Nature, thus no one ought violate anothers rights.

Social Contract
two contracts,
one takes us out of a State of Nature the second creates governments
the implication; we may revolt against a government without returning to a state of nature.

Nature of Authority
Not an activist government, doesn't promote rights, only preserves and protects rights already in existence.

Toleration (of Religion) ought not;

1. God gives us no authority to coerce one man to a religion (the life of the soul) 2. State can only affect our outward appearance and can never truly alter the belief of the soul. 3. Suppose you could change the minds of men through force of law; this will still not save their souls

Can not; Suppose there is only one answer, then only one government can be right while all others would be blindly following their kings to damnation.
Doesn't make sense when the odds are that bad also bad that salvation hinges upon birth place. may excommunicate groups from churches or groups based on innate rules no individual can violate another individuals civil rights based on religious difference no individual can threaten civil peace based on their religious practices

Limits on Toleration;

those who threaten civil peace include;

catholic priests
Can not trust Catholics because the Pope is in Rome and Catholics answer to the Pope ruler of a foreign nation before they answer to their king. Thus they are untrustworthy. Cannot be trusted because they have no faith in a God of any sort.

Atheists

Muslims, however, are cool.

John Stuart Mill;

Harm Principle Appropriate Spheres of Liberty (3) Political Education Conformity

Smith

Purposes of Government (3) protect the weak curb the violence chastise the guilty Invisible Hand
Mechanism by which free market functions
Weird 'force' that turns 'self-interest' into 'public goods' We ought move from Mercantilism to Free Market

Public Interest is furthered by the greedy nature of the individual. They wish the better their position in life, but in order to so they must offer something of equal value, promoting both their own interest and the interest of the consumer There is a benevolent deity who administers the world in such a way as to maximize human happiness. In order to do this he has created humans with a nature that leads them to act in a certain way. The world as we know it is pretty much perfect, and everyone is about equally happy. In particular, the rich are no happier than the poor. Although this means we should all be happy with our lot in life, our nature (which, remember, was created by God for the purpose of maximizing happiness) leads us to think that we would be happier if we were wealthier. This is a good thing, because it leads us to struggle to become wealthier, thus increasing the sum total of human happiness via the mechanisms of exchange and division of labor.

Advantages of Free Markets

Maximizes individual liberties, individuals are free to use their talent and resources in whatever occupation they choose This is more favorable than having individuals subjected to the direction of a government planner Also, this allows individuals to succeed as much as their initiative, talents, and drive permit
Because individuals and companies have the liberty to invest and produce as they wish, a free market economy enables consumers to have access to the broadest possible range of goods and services.

Libertarians:
Allen
Anti-Paternalism
Paternalism from the state is the greatest enemy of freedom
Paternalism is when the state thinks it knows better than the citizens what is good for them.
Mandates for insurance, prohibition, moral legislation, theocratic actions

It is up to each 'mature' adult to do what is best for them and make good choices, not the state Highest value for Libertarians is Free Choice for the Individual

Demand will always result in a forceful Supply, this is human nature!!

Tyranny of the Majority

keeps negative things continuing based on the ideals and morality of the majority.
Leads to a Black Market
Prohibition Mob, Drug War Gangland, etc

Basically, when the government tries to halt a certain action in the market like prostitution or the distribution of drugs, it creates an atmosphere of violence. People will still want these goods, and will resort to violent/ negative methods to achieve it.

Piranha Theory
Liberty is destroyed by tiny 'nibbles' with a deadly cumulative effect

Rothbard
Anarchism
No man or group has the right to aggress against the person or property of anyone else.
(negative freedom)
Remember, the distinction between Marxist Communism and Wellfare Liberalism is that Wellfare Liberalism views Free Market as the solution to a coercive state while Communists view the Market as the root of class oppression

Enemy of Civil Liberties is always the Monarch implied consent from the social contract is totally bogus

Harms Principle
can do anything unless that action causes physical harm
Conscription = Slavery, Taxation = Robbery

War is illegitimate on the basis that it often includes the mass slaughter of innocent civilians advocates for the full spectrum of human freedoms apart from those that violate the harms principle.

Public Interest
There is no such thing, only interacting individuals (atomism v. hollism)

Rights
absolute right to private property
taxation, body, labor, etc

Thus Imprisonment is illegitimate

Marketopia
Market should be the only principle that rules society, humans, and their interactions. Everything is for sale
sex, drugs, organs, everything...

Justice = Whatever we agree to

Minimum wage is illegitimate, it is just to work for whatever wages we agree to work for. Every adult is responsible for their own actions
Thus we ought have private police, private prisons, etc, the gov't should not regulate them.

No values other than Market Values

no maternalism, anything, mothers should view children only through economic measures, balancing the expenses of raising them v. their potential income.

No taxes, instead, a fee for each service rendered (parks, roads, etc) What gets sacrificed?
Equality, fairness, social goods (roads, public educations, protection, parks, etc)

Government insistence of social goods and equality trample over individual rights to the market, the individual right not to be coerced is more important than social good.

Welfare Liberalism:
Green and Positive Freedom
Argues that negative freedom is not enough, but instead requires an active government to ensure individual liberty. However, we ought not sacrifice the freedom of the many for the individual Duties of Government
positive power, reciprocity of the social contract, we provide security in order to retain it. Freedom is useful for achieving progressiveadvancement of society
the power of citizens as a body to make the best of themselves
maximize the potential of all individuals

We need to enjoy non-compulsion, yet the mere removal of the state has no contribution toward true freedom.

The Nobel Savage who is deeply independent is not as widely free as the poorest citizen.

Welfare = the ability to maximize individual potential

housing, public schools, etc

New Deal Liberalism

Roosevelt
Freedom of the Individual
freedom from fear classical liberalism = protection

freedom from insecurity

body, shelter, financially
Peace for the Individual For community
schools, sanitation, highways, viability of local government quality of work, sustainable economy peace with other nations/ no war

for nation for world

protection from want (want, homelessness, healthcare?) conflicts with classical liberalism freedom of expression agrees with classical liberalism freedom of religion agrees with classical liberalism Government adds something to the market in order for freedom to exist (Gov't = helping hand)
maximizes individual development
human decency, non-abuse, a job, maybe some retirement. no model for ideal human goal.

Positive Freedom

Must educate children, aid women, mothers, the cripple and blind, the unemployed etc

Class antagonism
monopolies, war profiteers, etc
ignoring the poor and middle class will lead to civil war!

Four Freedoms
Freedom from Fear Freedom from Want Freedom of Expression Freedom of Religion