POLS Theory Exam 2

Macedo, “Just Patriotism”

patriotism vs racism, countries as moral communities, patriotic pride, justice and the nation state, safeguards against unjust patriotism

Macedo: patriotism vs racism

discrimination against people unlike you in both scenarios and the belief that one's nation is inherently superior.

Macedo: countries as moral communities

fates are joined together in ways that are morally and politically consequential, we are all in this nation project together and have obligations to one another as members of the same political community.

Macedo: patriotic pride

motivation to work together and make the country better, collective responsibility and collective pride

Macedo: Justice and the nation state

“we need public authority to realize justice in the world”. we bind to our nation state because we want to make it better

Macedo: safeguards against unjust patriotism

space for criticism, aspirational principles in the constitution, civil education and institutions, global perceptions of our country

Hazony, “The virtues of nationalism”

human nature, loyalty, the nation: how it thrives, state, nationalism: political outlook and personal ethic

Hazony: human nature

our sense of self is malleable and crafted though our communities, we are tribal creatures who are bound to others. we are impoverished without these bonds

Hazony: loyalty

loyalty is the glue that binds a group together. mutual suffering: their suffering makes us suffer (ones adversity effects both)

Hazony: the nation and how it thrives

clans => tribes => nation. nation thrives through loyalty and culture, internal coherence

Hazony: state

natural expression of nations desire for self-governance, self determination

Hazony: nationalism

political outlook: independent national states => self determination, nationalism is inward focused, productive competition among nations

personal ethic: cultivates virtues of character, power to organize your own life, loyalty, country as a cohesive cultural vision

Wolff, chapter 2

unanimous direct democracy, wilffs criticisms of representation, elections and voter preferences, instant direct democracy: wolff’s proposal, the hypocrisy of the modern democrat, majority rule: wolff’s criticisms

Wolff: unanimous direct democracy

dysfunctional on large scale but could work on small scale, only form of democracy that preserves autonomy, every law is the citizens will

Wolff: criticisms of representation

no one to one relationship, voting is only moment of sovereignty, far from self-gov, things happen behind closed doors

wolff: elections and voter preferences

not enough representatives for each issue, no range of options, lots of compromise. preferences are given to people who could have some opinions we dont agree with

wolff: instant direct democracy proposal

personal voting machine in every home, power lies in citizens, people are entitled to self-gov whether they’re educated or not. would people do adequate research?

wolff: the hypocrisy of the modern democrat

many praise democracy but think people aren’t actually capable of governing themselves, no one has the time or education. we believe in elective guardianship.

wolff: criticisms of majority rule

49% is still the minority, rejected alternative is forced upon us, we did not agree to the original constitution

Mill, “Considerations on Representative Government”

benevolent despotism, mills definition of democracy, participation and its effects on character, mills defense of representative democracy: two principles

Mill: benevolent despotism

absolute monarchy is disastrous, even if the king is well intentioned and knows best for everything. you should always prefer democracy because monarchy stunts growth of morals/character, created resignation, no care for country or public good, no personal opinions, etc.

Mill: definition of democracy

citizens have sovereignty and take part in the government (voting, office holding, etc)

Mill: defense of representative democracy - two principles

“protective” argument: you cant trust others to protect your interests for you, our interests will always be in jeopardy, rulers don’t understand what ordinary citizens interests are, need accountability and non-domination

prosperity: democratic societies are more prosperous in terms of economic growth and prosperity

Anderson, “Instrumental vs Non-Instrumental values”

democracy as a membership organization, democracy as a mode of governance, democracy as a culture, democracy’s value (4 things)

Anderson: Democracy as a membership organization

who is a member of the state and on what terms? anyone who is entitled to laws permanently should have a say and if anyone doesn’t have a say it is undemocratic

Anderson: Democracy as a mode of governance

two models:

majority rule (no discussion, winners vs losers)

Government by discussion among equals: voting is considered only part of the process, happens after discussion, sharing perspectives and learning

Anderson: Democracy as a culture

discussions and cooperation, active civil society, not directed by the state, space for civil conversation and engagement. talk to people with different beliefs and lives bc this creates democracy

Anderson: democracy’s value

mutual respect: people are entitled to respect and a voice, as a citizen you have standing to make political claims, everyone counts equally

avoiding abuse/oppression: democracy makes it less likely that the government will be outright oppressive

sympathy and autonomy: encourages us to see each other as citizens in a shared project, shared goals, discussions with different views

collective learning

Brennan, “Against Democracy”

hobbits, hooligans, vulcans, political liberties are different, how much do people know?, rational ignorance, two proposals: restricted suffrage and enfranchisement lottery

Brennan: hobbits, hooligans, and vulcans

hobbits: not very involved in politics, doesn’t vote, ignorant

hooligans: very involved in politics, biased, overconfident, hatred towards anyone with different views, most regular voters

vulcans: scientific and rational about politics, interested but dispassionate, no one is a true vulcan because everyone is slightly biased

Brennan: political liberties are different

civil and economic rights are to make choices about our own lives and how we live them, political liberties are to vote and run for/hold positions in office. does everyone have the right to vote and participate no matter how ill-informed they are? brennan thinks it needs stronger justification

Brennan: how much do people know?

many citizens know very little about the history, current admin, government programs, etc

brennan: rational ignorance

its rational for people to not know or educate themselves on politics, there are costs of acquiring information (time, knowledge base, etc). people aren’t stupid, but we don’t have the right incentives

Brennan: two proposals

restricted suffrage: college classes, incentives for people who qualify to vote ($1,000 tax credit)

enfranchisement lottery: select at random a statistically representative sample to vote, people would go through an intensive seminar hearing all ideas and voting on behalf of everybody (jury duty vibes)

Achen and Bartels, “Democracy for Realists”

problems with ballot initiatives, problems with term limits, retrospective voting, politician incentives (under retrospective voting), problems with retrospective voting, the value of democracy, who makes policy?

A and B: problems with ballot initiatives

1. less government spending

2. shift spending from state to local government

3. shifts resources of revenue from taxes to user fees

A and B: problems with term limits

people aren’t as knowledgeable in their first term, cannot effect long term issues so they’re less likely to address it, weakening legislature to other areas of government

A and B: retrospective voting

voters are typically uninformed, assessing how they feel that the government is doing (good/bad), undemanding of voters, rewards success and punishes failure

A and B: politician incentives (under retrospective voting)

doing what is in the citizens best interests to be reelected, focus on short term problems instead of long term, alignment of selfish interest of politician and interest of the citizen

A and B: Problems with retrospective voting

voters must be able to discern government diligence and competence in producing the pain or pleasure they experience and understand what politicians are responsible for. shortcut, we are also bad at accurately assessing how well the past 4 years went (most think of the past few months)

A and B: the values of democracy

1. elections provide widespread agreement about who should rule

2. the longer a party holds power, the more likely they’ll get voted out of office

3. loyal opposition - you can criticize government and not be a traitor

4. democratic citizenship helps with development of human character

5. modest accountability - politicians avoid doing what is widely dispised

A and B: who makes policy?

powerful politicians and private interest groups

nothing is representative anymore, we need both economic and social stability

Hersh 1-83

political hobbyism, partisanship, problems with primaries, small dollar donors, real poltiical work, building broad coalitions

Hersh: political hobbyism

compulsive news consumption, invested in politics for education and entertainment, politics is a sports game. most politically engaged Americans participate in this

Hersh: partisanship

sports fandom, loathing people we don’t know, political rivalry, dual party systems create healthy democracy

Hersh: problems with primaries

primary system delights political junkies but doesnt pick good candidates, primary voters are unrepresentative, many ppl dont vote in primaries because its less entertaining

Hersh: small dollar donors

project ourselves in a certain light to others, wealthy donors are more motivated by superficial benefits.

small dollar donors are more democratic, shows that democrats are more appealing to everyday people. sdd are politically extreme, giving money for their emotional rush, to do something for themselves

Hersh: “real political work”

deep canvassing, multiple parties working together, local, service to others

Hersh: building broad coalitions

an alliance of diverse individuals, interest groups, or political parties that unite around a shared goal or issue rather than long-term ideological agreement.

Hersh 100-160

the harms of hobbyism (3), local party organizations (two models), importance of political parties,

Hersh: 3 harms of hobbyism

1. politicians behavior

   1. attraction to drama makes politicians act dramatically, short term emotional highs > long term power, changes in media environment cater to hobbyists

2. loss of empathy

   1. no more deep engagement with others

3. wasted time

   1. over an hour a day spent on hobbyism on average

Hersh: local party organizations, two models

brookline: not much deep canvassing or a strong presence, no services, most money goes to a buffet on election night

oregon: more active role, comes to doors often, neighborhood leader, not exclusively during election time, engagement!

Hersh: importance of political parties

power, effective democracy, parties do well when they pick the best match, meaningful voice, critical democratic roles

Hersh 160-217

local party organizations: changes over time, race and political engagement, how constituents exercise power (Haverhill, MA), how to strengthen parties

Hersh: local party organizations, changes over time

old local parties: printed their own ballots, nominate own delegates, rewarded loyalists, offer social services, racist party machines, focused on working class, etc

now: less anchored in needs of constituents, focused on college-educated people, declining of local party organizations

Hersh: race and political engagement

middle and upper class privileged (white) people treat politics as a game and a leisure time activity, while minorities treat politics more seriously because ti directly effects them. politics as a form of service linked to sense of fate

Hersh: how constituents exercise power (Haverhill, MA)

latinos organizing in the community after daughter runs for a seat in house. offering politicians votes if they agree to focus on issues important to them. shows power

Hersh: how to strengthen parties

retain politics, national parties should provide benefits for members, year-round organizers instead of ads