Midterm Flashcards
(85 cards)
1
Q
Populism (i.e. Populism with a big P”
A
A political movement in the post-civil war era that attacked/resisted the bourgeoise, the capitalist class.
2
Q
Populism (i.e. Small p populism)
A
Politics that resists or attacks the power of some elite: mobilizes the public (e.g. Trump and Sanders are populists)
3
Q
Democratic Model of Government
A
The public influences the government through linkage institutions, which causes the government to enact what the public wants or what is in the public interest. In short, government is run (albeit indirectly) by the people and for the people.
4
Q
Elitist Model of Government
A
Elites influence and run the government. The public has little to no say. Thus, government policy reflects elite interests. The elite uses institutions like universities, the media, Hollywood, schools, etc. to effectively brainwash the public. In short, government is by the elites and for the elites.
5
Q
Left Wing populism
A
Business class or money class or capitalist class or bourgeoisie is the elite. Examples: Ralph Nader, Bernie Sanders, Huey Long.
6
Q
Right-wing populism
A
The elite is the intelligentsia (new class). These are the people that dominate the economy, dominate the government, and/or dominate the culture. Whereas Left-Wing populism views power as predominantly political and economic, Right-Wing populism views power as political and economic and cultural.
7
Q
Sanders’ Model
A
Disconnect between public and government. The 1% run government and they brainwash the public. Government is run by and for the 1%.
8
Q
Codevilla Model
A
Disconnect between Public and government. Ruling class brainwashes public and runs government. Government is by and for this ruling class. (Ruling class… rent seekers and intelligentsia)
9
Q
Early Populism - Jefferson
A
Jefferson, it might be said, was the most populist of the Founding Fathers. He supported nullification, was wary of the capitalist class (at least when it came to the non-agrarian capitalist class), and was a firm believer in the general virtue of the American public. Thought America should be an agrarian nation.
10
Q
Early Populism - Jackson
A
From the “sticks” of Tennessee. Famed General. Runs for President in 1824. Loses Presidency in 1824 after election goes to the House of Representatives (Corrupt Bargain —-> Henry clay and JQA)
Supported end of property qualifications for voting. Dismantled the National Bank. Viewed President as a sort of Tribune, who represented the common people and had to the power to veto the actions of the elites.
“Equal rights for all… special privileges for none.”
11
Q
History of big P Populism
A
response to rise in Big Business. Founded People’s Party in 1892. Supported Nationalizing the telegraph systems and the telephone systems and railroads and a lot of other things. Although People’s Party was, by and large, not successful. The movement heavily influenced the Democratic Party, which nominated WJ Bryan as President several times.
12
Q
WJ Bryan
A
Famed Populist and Presidential candidate from Nebraska. Gave famous cross of Gold speech. Wanted to add silver to gold standard, because wanted inflation, because inflation is good for debtors. Bryan was the first person to campaign for president. He was a devout Christian. Supported prohibition, opposed darwinism and social darwinism, supported prohibition.
13
Q
Huey Long
A
Every mans a king, but no one wears a crown.
Railed against oil. Pushed public infrastructure and utilities in Louisiana and in the US Senate.
14
Q
Recent Rise in Populism
A
Rise in Populism as trust in government has decreased
15
Q
Issues Important to Left Wing Populists
A
Progressive income tax. Corporate tax. Inheritance ta. Dislike free trade. Stop deregulation. Money out of politics.
16
Q
Issues important to Right wing populism
A
Abortion Sexual revolution Atheism and secularism Ending racial preferences Political correctness Reduction of judicial power
17
Q
Democracy
A
Majority rule … literally people rule.
1democrats say the people are sovereign
Aristotle… states that have democracy believe in the equality of people
18
Q
Socrates arguments against democracy
A
It is better to have people who are suited for positions rule.
The need for philosopher kings.
By and large, the common people are not virtuous, thus any government built merely on the majority rule of the people will not produce virtuous leaders.
Socrates thinks “how do we get virtuous people in power”…. Americans, like our founders, think “how do we check their power”
19
Q
Classical Liberalism
A
Oppose tradition, medieval view of man and society.
Meritocracy as opposed to monarchy or aristocracy.
Individualism
Seperation of church and state
Skepticism
Free speech
Restrictions on govt power
20
Q
Republicanism
A
Roman in origin. Diffusion of power between constituencies without direct democracies. “Representative Democracy”. Laws, not individuals, rule.
21
Q
Machiavelli on Republicanism
A
Machiavelli - if you want to live in a good state you want to live in a republic. Republics are short-lived though… they fall apart because people stop paying attention to politics and a small group struggles for power.
22
Q
The Enlightenment
A
Supremacy of “reason”
Tendency towards philosophical naturalism
Organize society according to reason
Scientific meth and geometric method
General anti-clericalism (with notable exceptions)
Seperation of church and state
23
Q
John Locke’s though
A
State of nature (there is such thing as natural law and that law is reason). Men are free in the state of nature.
Property is a natural right that proceeds from the rights of life and liberty.
Rejection of Monarchy and Divine right of kings
Natural law
Limits to govt power
Social contract
Right to overthrow tyrants
Rule of law
24
Q
The Thought of Thomas Jefferson
A
Harm principle - You should be able to do whatever you want, legally speaking, so long as you do not thereby harm non-consenting others. wrote Declaration of Independence. Criticized lack of bill of Rights. Big proponent of federalism Supported French Revolution. Growth of gov't will destroy Republic, government should not borrow money because doing so is immoral. Importance of rebellion
25
Alexander Hamilton thought
Wanted strong and centralized federal gov.
Thought president and senators should serve for life.
Wanted american to be great global power.
Wanted government to hplay a significant role in the economy through industrial policy
Economic nationalism
Debt is good... gets people literally invested in the success of the country and allows us to build stuff.
26
Government under Articles of Confederation
states as sovereign
States as individual countries.
Federal govt only had legislative branch (1 state = 1 vote)
Federal govt had no power to tax.
Ammending articles required unanimous consent.
27
Problems with the Ariticles
Erosion of power of the elites.
Economic recession dues to lots of spending on imports.
States were printing their own money
Trade wars
Political disorder (e.g. Shays rebellion)
British encroaching on American sovereignty.
28
Principles of the Constitution
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Power corrupts.
Property is sacred.
Duty of government is to protect property
seperation of powers
Checks and balances
```
29
Early Slavery in America
Slaves brought over during colonial period and early American period.
Opposition to slavery fairly prevelant among founders, but many of these founders also owned slaves.
Constitution allows federal government to ban importation of slaves 20 years after ratification... this ban happens
15-20 million slaves in US
By Jefferson presidency, Northern states had banned slavery, but slavery wasn't dying out as people thought.
30
Two types of Radical Abolitiionists
Non-violent radicals and violent radicals
31
William Lloyd Garrison
Founded abolitionist newpaper
Opposed to colonization movement (shipping all the free slaves to Liberia)
Opposed liquor
Christian non-violence
Against tobacco
Opposed capital punishment
Denounced Constitution as pro-slavery and immoral
32
Nat Turner
slave in VA who could read, write
Very religious
Organized rebellion against slave owners
33
John Brown
Said US government was illegitimate
Moved from Ohio to Kansas after dedication his life to ending slavery in a church.
Wanted to overthrow govt in slave rebellion
Raided Harper's Ferry armory
34
Frederick Douglas
former slave from Baltimore.
Learned to read and write. Escaped as runaway slave and went to NY and then to Boston where he gave speeches against slavery.
Conservative in his approach to Abolitionism (thought attacks against Constitution were mistaken). Used Declaration of Independence and to argue against slavery.
35
John C Calhoun
Plantation owner and lawyer. Congressman and Jacksons VP
Western states should be one slave state one free.
Wanted to maintain balance of power
Nullification
Every civilization has some that live off labor of others.
Every great civilization has had slavery.
Slaves are just one variation of the laboring class)
36
Myth of Lincoln
Lincoln was the great moral leader in the fight against racism
Lincoln was the political counterpart to the Abolitionist movement
Lincoln was moral leader of the North against the South
Evidence that this is myth, Emancipation Proclamation isnt until late in his Presidency (and even this didn't affect slaves in the North). Lincoln supported Crittenden Compromise, which would have amended the constitution ot allow southern states to have slavery while abolishing slavery in Northern and other states.
37
Progressivism
Reaction to centralization of wealth and centralization of power the capitalist class durith late 19th and early 20th century.
A predominantly middle class movement (as opposed to Populism, which was more lower class). Middle class was pissed at loss of status as they were eclipsed by titans of industry.
Opposed:
"Social darwinism"
"Crass materialism"
"Corruption" - corrupt officials do things for their own benefit, not for public benefit
Rise of political machines
38
Jane Adams
Founded settlement house in Chicago - Hull House
39
Herbert Coley
```
Born to journalist parents
Jeffersonian ends; Hamiltonian means
Regulate corporations
Inheritance tax
Progressive income tax
Industrial policy
Government by "experts"
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40
Teddy Roosevelt
Enacted the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Broke up Standard Oil.
Created Departments of Labor and Commerce.
Created National Parks.
Imperialist foreign policy. (Naval power)
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In 1912 Roosevelt supports
Increasing federal regulation of economy
Welfare state
Primary elections
Child labor laws
Women's suffrage
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41
Woodrow wilson
Openly critical of Constitution - at least Jeffersonian, Madisonian interpretation. Constitution has to evolve or change with the times.
Administrative state.
Philosopher kings or, more accurately, scientist kings.
Federal Reserve, Dep. of commerce and Dep. of Labor
42
1920's
Conservative Restoration until Great Depression
43
FDR
Activist government in economy to stimulate the economy. Keynes.
By the time FDR dies there is the Administrative State, National Secuirty State. Welfare state and regulatiory state.
44
Progressive National Project
Welfare state
Administrative state
Safety, education, poverty.
Government is the solution to societal problems.
45
Framing the debate about government...
Is government the problem or is government the solution to our problems? What is the diagnosis and what is the cure?
46
Definition of Ideology
Interrelated attitudes and opinions about human nature and society
47
Models for ideology
Linear... Liberal/Progressive to Conservative
Maddow and Lillie ... Liberals and Libertians, Populists and Conservative... Gov. role in economy vs Gov. Role in social issues.
Michael Lind - ties ideology to geography .... Densitaria (supports administrative state, socially liberal, econ. Libertarians???) and Posturbia (social conservatism and economic populism???)
Hunter - Orthodox vs Progressive
48
Three groups on the modern left
Social welfare liberalism
Liberation ideologies
Reform liberalism
49
Social Welfare liberalism
Strong from FDR to LBJ.
Basically, people and society are messed up because of ignorance and bad social institutions. "Progress" requires government to get rid of this ignorance to to replace bad social institutions with good social institutions.
1. Belief that human nature is elastic and can be changed by government.
2. Human beings are rational.
3. Why is the world not the way it should be? (Ignorance and bad social institutions)
4. Idea of progress (utopianism and Amerian dream)
5. Role of education to destroy "ignorance"
6. Solution to bad social institutions is more equality or good government institutions
7. Evil caused by bad social institutions and ignorance
8. Culture of critical discourse (academic freedom)
9. Free speech.
10. Economic egalitarianism (equal outcomes, redistribution of wealth.
11. Social egalitarianism (principle of symmetry) - have to treat people the same
12. Devotion to welfare state
13. Tendency toward pacifism.
50
Liberation Idoelogies
Basically, we now have this unjust legacy because of Western imperials my (white, straight, Christian, males). Justice requires liberating people from Western imperialism).
How do you decide who is privileged and who is oppressed?
Economic/Social class? Race? Sex? "Sexual orientation"? Species?
51
Reform Liberalism
Bill Clinton in 80's and 90's. Criticized War on Poverty and McGovernism.
A reaction to the excesses of Social Welfare Liberalism and Liberation Ideology. Basically, reform liberals hold a more conservative view of human nature, are more skeptical of the ability of government to bring about "progress," and more supportive of capitalism.
52
Issues where Reform Liberals Differ from SWL's and Liberation Ideologies
More interventionist or hawkish foreign policy.
Criticize War on Poverty.
Support of Capitalism.
Criticism of SWL's and Liberation Ideologies for abadnoning White working class.
Support welfare reform.
Era of big government is over.
53
Conservatism
1. Human Nature: unchanging, original sin and concupiscence. We are constantly struggling against our passions. Our reason is weak and our passions are strong.
2. Presumption in favor of tradition... democracy of the dead
3. Role of education... importance of moral education; control of appetites and passions.
4. View of Society... Balance between Communitarianism (held by many conservatives) and individualism (held by many libertarians)
5. Skepticism of democracy
6. Value law and order... domestic tranquility.
7. Defense of private property
8. Importance of non-government institutions
9. Defense of civil society and its institutions (i.e. the family, the Church, etc.)
54
Neoconservatives
leftists who left the left in response to counter-culture, McGovernism, identity politics. Accept New Deal and, to a lesser extent, the Great Society. Support American interventionism. Believe that America, because of her values is a force for good in the world, and that we are iin a moral struggle against the forces of evil (e.g. radical Islam). Support frequent intervention of the United States in international affairs and conflicts. Support globalism, mass immigration, and fiscal conservatism.
55
Paleoconservatives
1. believe that societies are organic (i.e. you can't manufacture society).
2. reject idealism and utopianism
3. reject Progressive National Project (hubristic utopianism)
4. law of unintended consequences... when you make fundamental changes to society the unintended consequences are often worse then the intended consequences
5. Subsidiarity - decisions should be made at local level
6. Civil society is important and the growth of the state threatens civil society
7. Nationalism (economic, cultural)
8. Non-interventionism
56
Social Conservatism
1. America is good, because America is morally good. If you wanna make America great again, you need to make America moral again.
2. Orthodox
3. Problems because of moral decline
4. All laws are impositions of morality and values. The only question is whether they are impositions of the right morality and values.
5. Objective morality
6. Culture matters and not all cultures are equal
7. importance of civil society
8. Civilization is built on belief in God and afterlife, traditional sex roles, and private property.
57
Economic conservatism
1. Most important thing is economic prospertity
2. THe reason the economy doesn't do well is government ... government is the problem
3. Cutting taxes and regulations is how the economy is gonna do well
4. Economic events have big impact on social and political events
5. Moral hazard ... when people make mistakes they should pay the price... when you subsidize something you get more of it
58
Orthodox vs. Progressives on Separation of Church and State
Both believe in the separation of Church and State, but they disagree as to what the separation of Church and State mean. Hence, Orthodox regard the Seperation fo Church and state as being a narrow prohibition against the establishment of a national church (e.g. the US cannot establish the United Methodist Church as the national church). It does not mean that the government should be secular. According to this view, the seperation of church and state was more intedned to protect the church from the state then the state from the church. Progressives regard the separation of church and state as being an expansive prohibition against religion in government. That is, they read the establishment clause as, essentially, establishing a secular government. Hence, progressives tend to support taking religion out of public schools, removing references to God in government, etc. The purpose of the establishment clause is to protect the state from the church and not the church from the state.
59
Advantages of Orthodox in Culture Wars
Most Americans are, at least, nominally orthodox.
60
Advantages of Progressives in Culture Wars
Most of intelligentsia is progressive. These are the people who control the economy, the government, and, at this point, the culture. Progressive clerisy.
61
Orthodox vs. Progressives on Sex Roles
Why are men and women different or how are they different?
1. Progressives.... differences are naturally insignificant or they are socially constructed. If there are differences between men and women it is generally because women have been systematically short changed.
2. Orthodox... men and women are different by nature (e.g. sports, war, etc.)
62
Government Action with regard to Sex Roles
Civil Rights Act that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.
Title IX... prohibits discrimination of the basis of sex and requires that schools increase funding for women's sports
WOmen in military
Affirmative Action
ERA - killed
Divorce on Demand
63
Sexual Revolution
attack on the tradition sex code, which says that sex is confined to marriage (marriage is a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman), abortion and birth control are immoral, modesty and chastity are important values, and censorship is necessary to prevent moral corruption.
Sexual revolution was Predicated on moral relativism and belief that the tradition sex code is arbitrary and repressive... Led to roe v. wade, divorce on demand, griswold v ct, etc.
64
George Gilder's argument against the Sexual Revoltuion
1. Men and women are substantially and intrinsically different (e.g. men are more aggressive and bigger). These differences are biological .
2. Interest of society is in preserving and maintaining these differences.
3. Male sexuality is short term, non-emotional, permiscuous.
4. Female sexualty is long term, emotional, not permiscuous. Women care less about looks and more about power and status.
5. Civilizations that subjugate female sexuality to male sexuality fail.
6. Traditional sex code subjugates male sexuality to femal sexuality.
7. Sex revolution has led to feminization of poverty. Has been "good" for men and bad for women.
65
Different Views of the Supreme Court among the Founders
Jefferson: Supreme Court is the most threatening... judges will read everything they want into the constitution and the constitution will be mere wax in the hands of the SC as a result of Marshall's doctrine of judicial review
66
Two Major Schools of Constitutional Thought
Originalism... the Constitution should be read as it was intended to be read by the founders. In this regard, the Constitution means what the founders originally meant the Constitution to mean. If you disagree with what the original meaning of the Constitution is then you should amend the constitution and not, as has occurred over the past century or so, reading everything your ideology wants into the constitution.
Living Constitution... the constitution changes over time. Hence, we ought not to necessarily privilege what the founding fathers intended the Constitution to mean as much as we ought to privilege what we, today, think the Constitution means. It is the responsibility of judges to interpret the Constitution for us and to make sure that our interpretation of the constitution keeps up with the times.
67
Left and Right on Poverty
1. Left thinks that there is more, persistent poverty. Need more govt action to prevent and alleviate poverty. We haven't made much effort. There are actually more poor people than counted by the government because the government definition of poverty doesnt include the near poor or relative depreivation.
2. Right thinks that American poor, generally, arent that poor. There is a lot of opportunity in the US and so must of the poor are either a) just paying their dues for a little while b) poor because of bad government policies or c) poor because of some moral or cultural reasons (e.g they have a poor work ethic or grew up in a culture that had a poor work ethic). Government counts a lot of people as poor who are not actually poor.
68
Left and Right Solutions to Poverty
Left: redistribute wealth, graduated tax system, increase entitlements, increase funding to different government programs that can elleviate poverty. We should be concerned about equality of opportunity and, to some extent, equality of outcomes.
Right: return to tradition sex code (end the feminization of poverty), reform government programs that create significant moral hazards, grow the economy by shrinking the government. There is almost no chance, as an adult, of falling into poverty if you work full time and wait unti marriage to have children. We should be concerned about equality of opportunity and not equality of outcomes. Poverty does not equal race.
69
Libertarians, Conservatives, and Liberals on Welfare State
Libertarians... abolish the welfare state b/c it is immoral and it doesn't work
Conservatives... the welfare state creates moral hazard. it should either be seriously reformed (by making it more market based and/or by reducing the welfare state bureaucracy) or abolished. welfare should be temporary.
Liberals: the other two groups are blaming the victim and are mean... welfare levels playing field
70
TANF
welfare program, reformed in the 1990s, that represented a move toward the view that welfare should be temporary.
71
Definitions of Racism
Standard: discrimination based on race
Conservative: belief in the biological inferiority of other race
Liberationists: systematic discrimination against one race by the racial group with the levers of power
72
Liberation ideology view of race
- white people are privileged... success is because of privelege or power
- fighting racism means destroying white privilege/white supremacy
- why does does group x have x problem? white supremacy or oppression or prvelege?
73
History of Race in America and Interpretations by political left and right
History of race in America as history of fight against white supremacy
1. slavery... civil war
2. 13th, 14th, 15th amendments
3. Civil rights act (extended priniple of symmettry)
4. Voting rights act
Conservatives believe that these measures, along with other factors, effectively ended racism (i.e. ended the belief in the biological inferiority of other races and the violation of the principle of symettry)
Liberals believe that there still exists systematic discrimination because of white privilege and power
74
Principle of proportionalism
Liberationist belief that ... races are inherently equal and so society should be equally represented (e.g. if AAs are 15% of population thaen 15% of lawyers should be AA). disproportionalism is caused by racism, discrimination, oppression.
75
Left solutions to racism
- change culture (especially white culture)... racism as a problem with the heads of white people
- change education
- change the laws (especially at federal level)
- identity politics (oppressed people must identify with their oppressed groups to overthrow the oppressors)
- popular views among intelligentsia
76
Political Right on Racism
- racism is belief that races aren't equal bc of genetics
- the idea that slavery is uniquely american or white or western is bullshit
- the people who were believers in white supremacy were the secular, progressive intellectuals that were opposed by christians
- differences between races are not bc of oppression (although misguided liberal policies have hurt minorities) but rather are, in large part, due to the organic cultures of those races themselves.
- races are genetically equal but all cultures are not equal
- support principle of symmetry but not principle of proportionalism
77
Reasons for the decline in trust of govt
- economic insecurity
- high unemployment
- low gdp growth
- high inflation
- globalism
- gov't gets credit and blame for economy
- tax burden is too high
- bad public education
- high deficits
- poorly executed wars
- more transparency with regards to the dirty laundry of politics and politicians
78
How to fix distrust of government?
Left: big problem for left when ppl dont trust govt. how can we make govt more efficient?
Right: stop growth of govt
Libertarians: shrink government back to a sort of night watchman state
79
Wedge issues on the political right
Globalism vs. Nationalism. Interventionism v. Non-interventionism. Communitarianism vs. Individualism. Conservatism vs. Classical Liberalism. Conservatism vs. Libertarianism
80
Wedge issues on the political right
Neocons vs. Paleocons
-economic globalism vs. nationalism; interventionism vs. non-interventionism; mass immigration vs. limited immigration;
Conservatives vs. Libertarians
- communitarianism vs. individualism; social issues and civil liberties; interventionism vs. non-interventionism; reform progressive national project / welfare state vs. abolish progressive national project / welfare state.
81
Democratic Model Pros and Cons
Pros:
Elections seem to change things
Money in politics is not determinative
the power of (linkage) institutions is generally democratics as well (e.g. NRA)
Cons:
-elections change things on the margins/peripheries (window dressing)... what are the major differences between the Bushes and the Clintons?
- democratic model doesn't reflect the extent to which (linkage) institutions are controlled by elites and these elites
-government policy often doesn't reflect popular opinion (e.g. prayer in schools)
-elites don't share public opinion (e.g. US vote vs. Beltway vote)
82
Elite Model Pros and Cons
Pros...
- discord between elite opinion and popular opinion... discord between government policy and popular opinion
-the polivy views of elites in densitaria (globalism, social liberalism, interventionism) are basically the policies of the US gov.
-elections change things on the marigins, but rarely if ever change anything fundamentally (Democrats and Democrats Lite or Republicans and Republicans elite)
-elites, who dominate linkage institutions, brainwash the public through the media, universities, etc.
Cons...
-elections change things (e.g. difference between Trump and Clinton)
-elites cant buy elections and they draw their power from the people (e.g. NRA, HRC, etc)
83
Why did Trump win?
1. The white working class has gotten screwed economically
2. The white working class has gotten screwed culturally. Clerisy and Political correctness. Deplorables.
3. New identity politics in response to contention 1 +2. White working class is now voting as a bloc.
84
Why did Trump win?
1. The white working class has gotten screwed economically.
2. The white working class has gotten screwed culturally. Clerisy has used the media, universities, and the Supreme Court to impose their values on the government. Political correctness run wild. Clerisy has labled this group to be heretics. They are deplorables, who cling to their guns and their Bibles because they don't know whats good for them.
3. New identity politics in response to contention 1 +2. White people in general, and the white working class in general, is now voting as an identity bloc.
85
Has Progressive administrative state been good or bad for America?
Good:
-improved standard of living (e.g. minimum wage, labor safety, food safety, building)
-infrastructure (e.g. interstate highway system)
- won 2 world wars and a cold war
- established principle of symettry
-equality of opportunity
-America's become the most powerful country, possibly, in the history of the world
Bad
-progressives equate correlation with causation
-the reason we've gotten into 2 world wars and a cold war and everything is because of the progressive internationalism of Roosevelt, Wilson, etc.
-violates contsitution
-creates moral hazards and destroys civil society
- increased distrust of government
- economy and standard of living have improved in spite of progressive administrative state and not because of it.
