Political terms

Government corruption can be defined as political power used by government leaders for private gain and to maintain their power as a government official. Most of the times these corrupt politicians say they are accomplishing to the best of their abilities to catch criminals when, in reality, they commit the same multitude of crimes. They are able to maintain their power as a result of most people not voting due to thinking that they will not make a difference and because the politicians have…

fearful of the relationship between church and state. As the movements left the fringe of society, the leaders of the movements used government and public policy at the center of their struggle instead of focusing on the working outside of the political system such as education. Feminists such as the Grimke sisters argued that they were justified public roles in the government, and felt that they should focus on public change instead of focusing on reforms regarding the family structure…

the movement of political correctness as to not offend anyone. According to Princeton, political correctness is “avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude or marginalize or insult people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.” While preventing discrimination is the alleged goal of the movement, I believe it is counterproductive and on the contrary instills intolerance and ignorance. One of the biggest goals of the political correctness…

In his presidential address to the American Political Science Association Robert D. Putnam challenges his colleagues in the discipline of political science to meet the obligations of a much overlooked aspect of discourse within the discipline; engaging the public. The past century has witnessed many evolutions throughout the fields of social science. Most notably is the scholarly and academic concentration on promoting the legitimacy of social science research via the incorporation of…

The Progressive Era lasted from 1900 to 1920. It was a time where there was a lot of social activism and political reform in the US. The main goals of the progressive movement were to stop political corruption, stop monopolies from forming, prohibit bad things such as prostitution, gambling, and alcohol and fight for women’s suffrage. The 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th amendments are all results of the success of the progressive era. The “Progressives” were young people who were mostly Protestant,…

When John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice emerged into the realm of political philosophy in 1971, it not only breathed life into modern-day liberalism but it also inspired the rise of sharp criticism, as philosophy often is wont to do, from different political morals. Included in that mo-saic of contrasting views is modern-day communitarianism. Drawing primarily upon the insights from renowned philosophers Aristotle and Hegel, communitarians place a greater emphasis on the role of the community in…

In “Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands”, Walzer addresses the conflict between morality and politics, and questions whether or not a moral, political actor is even possible. In light of earlier theorists, such as Machiavelli and Weber, Walzer argues that it is extremely likely for political actors to encounter “dirty hand” problems, in which the actor may have to sacrifice moral principles to make the “right” decision. Walzer argues that, whilst this is an inevitability for politicians…

shattered the ultimate political gender barrier within the country. Today in more than 70 countries across the world, women have sat in top leadership positions. Women in such positions have included Margaret Thatcher and currently include Angela Merkel, yet not one of these women are American. Justification for this deficiency includes historical, cultural, and institutional explanations. In order to overcome such a barrier, other leading countries in terms of political gender cohesion can be…

citizens to be active or knowledgeable, which highly contrasts with the majoritarian model. Pluralism requires activity and knowledge for those who are concerned about certain issues and desire participate through organized groups. The significant terms for pluralism are divided power, fragmentation, and open…

Mr. Jefferson Smith, is a character loosely inspired by the 33rd Vice President Henry Wallace and his battle against the democratic party bosses as America’s forgotten visionary. Through political activism and deep patriotism for…