EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE
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Political Science
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Feb 20, 2024
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POS 210 EXAM1 Study Guide
Unit 1: Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal 1.
What is a political ideology? In what ways is an ideology similar to and different from a scientific theory?
It’s a comprehensive set of ideas that explains and evaluates social conditions, and helps people understand their place in society, and provides a program for social and political action. Ideologies are not scientific theories, and they tell people how they should live. Ideologies are normative. -
Science = “is” -
Ideologies = “ought” 2.
Describe the four functions on an ideology
-
Explanation: Why are things the way they are? -
Evaluation: What’s good and bad
-
Orientation: Who are we? How do we relate? -
Political Program: What should we do? 3.
Is the United States best described as a democracy, a republic, or a democratic republic?
4.
Describe what democracy originally meant
5.
Recognize the main features of the republican
tradition as it evolved from Aristotle and Polybius to the American founding.
-
Mixed Government -
Freedom and self-government (Machiavelli)
-
Declaration of Independence
6.
Describe ostracism. What does it show about democracy? Define/identify 1.
Triadic model of freedom:
consists of an agent (an individual), an obstacle (government, set of social beliefs, standing in the way of freedom), and a goal (freedom). 2.
Tyranny of the majority:
a phrase coined by Alexis de Tocqueville and utilized by JS Mill, referring to the inherent
weakness of democracy and majority rule in which the majority place their own interests above, and at the expense of, the minority. 3.
Ostracism:
banishing citizens from Athens without trail and even without legal charges being brought against them. 4.
Aristotle:
posited that democracy can, and often does, turn into tyranny. Advocated polity as the best type of government regime. Believed democracy to be corrupt because common people are concerned only with their own interests, not the good of the polis--- demos will strip the wealthy of property and power. 5.
Plato:
Didn’t like democracy because it was dangerous due to the Demos because of them being ignorant and envious. He believed that the Demos could ostracize/punish anyone, be easily swayed by demagogues (who turn the citizens against each other), and that they would like to lead them to civil war and anarchy. 6.
Niccolò Machiavelli 7.
Mixed government:
republican policy of combining or balancing rule by one, rule by the few, and rule by the many in a single government with the aim of preventing the concentration of power in any single individual or social group.
8.
Alexis de Tocqueville:
After his 1830s visit to America, wrote several books analyzing democracy in the states. Saw democracy as an overwhelming, irresistible force in the world, and argued that it emphasis on equality risked promoting mediocrity or even despotism Tyranny of the majority, claimed that civic virtue promoted via participation in public affairs. 9.
People’s Democracy:
Ruled by the working class, but usually not direct rule. Usually takes the form of dictatorships in the name of the working class. 10.
Liberal democracy:
Democracy must protect individual rights and liberties. Ruled by the majority unless they would infringe upon their rights of others. 11.
Social Democracy:
Focuses on equal influence in government. Redistribution of wealth to ensure equality of economic power. Unit 2: Proto and Classical Liberalism
1.
Describe the three main characteristics of liberalism.
The red main characteristics of liberalism are Individualism, Liberty, and Equal Rights. 2.
Describe the triadic model for classical liberals.
-
Agent: Individual -
Obstacle: -
Goal: 3.
How is life in the State of Nature different according to Locke and to Hobbes?
-
Hobbes: “state of nature” is his term for what life is like before society. It states that
they are in a consent state of war, trying to improve their lives and preserve or protect themselves. -
Locke: Man in the state of nature is insecure, state of nature isn’t a horrible condition. 4.
How is Hobbes sort of liberal but also not liberal?
-
Liberal:
Individualism, Reason, Consent and the Social Contract, Government must protect natural rights. -
Illiberal:
Absolutism (that the individual must obey the sovereign in all things), All natural rights are surrendered, except for right to self-preservation, and sovereign power is unlimited and not subject to laws. 5.
Why does Hobbes believe that we need a Leviathan to enforce the social contract/covenant?
People are restrained, and that they are not allowed to go back to the their state of nature. 6.
What is the obstacle to economic freedom for capitalists?
Government Regulation
7.
Describe one way that Locke is a more liberal thinker than Hobbes. Define/identify
1.
laissez-faire capitalism: Invisible hand— “let is be, leave it alone” 2.
social contract: conclusion that only a government in which power was absolute, complete, total,
only a government that had absolute authority, and could prevent men from harming one another and could also preserve our lives.
3.
the harm principle:
power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. 4.
Thomas Hobbes:
Porto-liberal; goal was to discover from a stable, orderly, and secure government that can be maintained. 5.
John Locke:
classical liberal; argued that there are two social contracts, searched for “self-
evident truths” and then built theories based on these truths. 6.
Adam Smith: Against government regulation of trade, agreed with lassez faire of physiocrats; mercantilism = Trade barriers. 7.
John Stuart Mill:
Utilitarianism; argued the minority shouldn’t suffer even if it pleased the majority, developed the Harm Principle, concerned about the tyranny of the majority/silencing of
unpopular opinions. 8.
The Physiocrats
: lassez faire; developed an alternative economic theory —- argued that the true basis of wealth is agriculture. 9.
Mercantilism:
merchant capitalism: regulate trade to enhance national power. Unit 3. Conservatism
1.
Identify the various types of conservatism (classical / traditional, modern/individualistic, neoconservative)
2.
Identify and explain the main features of Edmund Burke’s political thought
3.
Describe why conservatives are suspicious of reason. 4.
What kind of reform is acceptable to a conservative like Burke? 5.
Describe conservative understandings of the following principles: virtue, freedom, & order
6.
Describe individualist conservatism.
7.
Explain neoconservatives’ critique of welfare or welfare-state liberalism.
8.
What is Irving Kristol’s defense of a strong (even growing) state? 9.
Per the Bb Video on Jonathan Haidt, identify common traits of morality held by modern conservatives.
10.
How does David Brooks’ NYT column “A Nation of Weavers” reflect traditional conservatism?
Define/identify 1.
Little platoons:
intermediary associations that stand between individual and government. -
Examples: PTA, Girl Scouts, fraternities, Kiwanis, bowling leagues, religious organizations. 2.
Ayn Rand i.
Irving Kristol
ii.
Edmund Burke:
Father of conservatism, slow changes because humans are flawed, believed that government power shouldn’t be concentrated in one place or one person, and that natural rights don’t help people. 3.
Jonathan Haidt 4.
David Brooks
5.
Original Sin:
tendency to sin innate in all human beings. 6.
Neoconservatives:
addition to traditional conservatism, a concern for nation-building, and aggressive for policy to promote our values and protect our additions.
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7.
Individualist conservatives:
No ordered liberty, freedom is competition in the free market, most problems stem from too government, believed fervently in the individuals' ability to “pull oneself up from their bootstraps” and disagree w/traditional conservatives that the social context plays a significant role in shaping
us. 8.
Prejudice:
Making decisions based on past decisions and customs.