Politics

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Ideology

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Four functions of an Ideology
1. Explanatory: why things are the way they are
2. Evaluative: Supplies standards or criteria of evaluation (justice, fairness, etc)
3. Orients adherents: gives them an identity
4. Political program/ plan of action

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freedom/ liberty

Back 2

The agent is free if they are able to obtain their goals and unfree if they are cannot overcome obstacles.

Front 3

Democracy

Back 3

Fails in a society with huge wealth disparities
Works in a society with a large middle class- and is even morally elevating.

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liberal democracy

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stresses the rights and liberties of the individual

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social democracy

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the key to democracy is equality, especially equal power in society and government. Steps must be taken to distribute power (and thus money) evenly.

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people's democracy

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ruling in the interest of the working class

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de Tocqueville

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French- published "Democracy in America" and warned that democracy, with its overbearing emphasis on equality, threatens to produce mediocrity or despotism.

When everyone is supposed to be equal, there is pressure to conform TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY

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Aristotle

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Agreed with some aspects of plato's argument. He classified democracy as a self-interested "perverted" form of government ruled by many. He claimed Polity was a better ruling system.

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Plato

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Believed that democracy is dangerous because it puts political power into the hands of ignorant and envious people (who will not know how to use their power for the public good). Civil war will undoubtedly arise because envious people will be persuaded by demagogues.

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Arguments against democracy

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Plato- ignorant and envious masses will not rule in the interest of the public.
Aristotle- People are short-sided and selfish. Chaotic
Polybius- mixed gov. is better just like an alloy is stronger and promotes virtue instead of vice
Machiavelli- republic is best-corruption, virtue and liberty. Gov of men.
de Tocqueville- tyranny of the majority. despotism and mediocrity
James Mill- The time it takes to inform yourself on issues, is time taken away from labor. Without labor, we cannot accumulate more property and property brings us happiness.

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Arguments for democracy

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Artistotle- it is better than a tyranny or an oligarchy because many heads are better than one.
Roger Williams (Rhode Island) said people should make the laws they will be regulated by
John Stuart Mill- utilitarian arguments for why democracy rocks

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Madison

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Checks and balances are necessary in order to keep ambitious men from destroying liberty

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Hobbes

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The soverign is not a party to the contract according to Hobbes, but according to Locke, the soverign is a party to the contract and if the sovereign (leader) does not benefit the people, they have a right to revolution.

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Locke

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Both denied that social status was somehow fixed or ascribed by nature, and both believed that government is founded on the consent of the people; but Locke believed that people can consent to create and obey only a limited or constitutional government. To give someone absolute power over other people's lives would be both irrational and contrary to the will of God. (57)

Locke was incredibly influential in the ideas of the American Revolution- and in the drafting of the constitution- which put his principles into practice.

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State of Nature

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political world no longer exists, there is only one law=preserve thyself (and preserve others as so far as in your power to do so). In this condition of perfect freedom, people would be in a state of constant fear and misery. Man's life would be nasty, brutish, short- there would be no way to agree on what the “greatest good” (“greatest evil” = sudden, violent death, we can all agree).
People will organize and have someone rule over them in order to gaurentee their safety: They will enter into a SOCIAL CONTRACT from a state of nature.

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Jeremy Bentham

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greatest good for the greatest number.
Viewed natural rights as nonsense- the only thing that matters is pleasure and pain.

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James Mill

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Student of Bentham, father of John Stuart Mill. Gov exists to stop people from stealing.

Protectionist democracy: Exists to protect your interest in maximizing happiness and protecting property.

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John Stuart Mill

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distinguished author and member of parliament. Government limited by the harm principle

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Harm Principle

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f someone’s action only harms themselves (alcoholism, etc), Mill would argue to leave them alone (prelude to libertarian’s victimless crimes idea) Gov’t has no right to tell you how to act unless you are threatening others.

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T.H. Greene

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"self" is actually socially embedded in a series of roles and relations... In a society with vast disparities of wealth, it makes no sense to say that everyone is free or equally free. If you are in poverty, you do not have the freedom to accomplish goals in the way the middle class can.

+/- Freedom: He uses this distinction as the basis for his claim that gov. has a duty to promote the welfare of the people so that they can become free.

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Welfare state

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Originated in Germany in response to socialist sentiment

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Libertarian

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the state exists to guarantee contracts (property), that public services should be privatized (if you are rational; you will buy into private police/fire services), there should be a free market for anything people want (otherwise there will be a black market) and that your income is yours
Individuals (agent) are limited to obtain/ further their wealth (goal) by laws and government (obstacles)

TAXATION IS THEFT

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Adam Smith

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Private profit, public good. Invisible hand economics