...fundamentally equal, the means of production are nationalised, and a mass redistribution of wealth is desired in order to uphold social justice and prevent monopoly by the upper class. It effectively supports a view of collectivism – the idea that society, as a whole, should be treated as one economic unit, and that ‘the economy’ should therefore be in its hands. During the 1980s, Labour was arguably the farthest left that it has ever been. During this period, Labour was of an ideology of Social Democracy. Social democracy is a form of socialism which aims to reform the capitalist system to reduce social inequality and promote social justice. The core values of the social democracy can be seen in the old Clause IV which supported equality, redistribution of wealth, social justice, nationalisation, full employment and welfare for all, which were heavily socialist leanings. Its main means of upholding these values were through a mixed economy, Keynesian demand management to support employment and the redistribution of wealth via the welfare system. By the 1970's this system of running the country had led to stagflation, and Keynesianism had failed in the eyes of many. The Conservative Party was later elected with a New Right agenda under Thatcher, and the electorate consensus following their periods in office was that her free-market neo-liberalism was the best so far at generating wealth. Due to the recovery that the UK’s economy made under Thatcherism, Labour was hard pressed...
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...Tocqueville on Material Well-Being One’s possessions may become an important aspect of their life where people constantly desire more belongings. In a democracy, citizens crave a sense of material well-being. This unique feature of the democracy leads to individuals attempting to acquire more and more without achieving satisfaction with what they already own. People spend their money to obtain belongings rather than saving it. Unlike in an aristocracy, everyone must work for their earnings making individuals place greater significance on the possessions bought with their income. Democratic citizens, more than those in other types of government, value material items because of a restless need for more, and a middle class fueling comparisons...
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...In the book, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville analyzes an extensive range of topics, with a prevalent theme being American attitudes and the democratic values of equality and freedom. But, there are some threats to the ideal democracy everyone visualizes when they think of democracy. These are mass society, democratic despotism and extremes of wealth and poverty. Tocqueville suggests multiple solutions to these issues. I think the issues of mass society, democratic despotism and the extremes of wealth and poverty are effectively dealt with through an increased social awareness and voluntary societal associations, control of local liberties as well as through an increased role of citizens in the judicial system. The three issues...
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...from his real objective. Alexis De Tocqueville is traveling to the New World to secretly study the great American Democracy. The purpose of this you might ask? The French must better understand American behaviors in how they feel and act, upon the essential nature of their freedoms. The French must take these learning and place them into their own practices to ensure they have a long last Democracy. In the Introduction chapter of “Democracy in America” by Alexis De Tocqueville and Richard D. Heffner, Heffner goes into length to describe all of the extravagant and detailed descriptions Tocqueville gives about the way Americans feel and act, due to the essential nature of freedoms from their Democracy. I have organized this paper into six different paragraphs that will be described in the following: First, an opening paragraph will let you know what literature I am referencing to when discussing this topic....
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...The B.M.A. is a voluntary association that speaks up for the interests of doctors at home and abroad, provides a range of services for its members and engages in scientific research. These activities involve lobbying not only the British government but also the European Union as well. The B.M.A. is undoubtedly one of the most influential and effective pressure groups as they have great influence over the policies of the British government regarding the health care system in matters such as the pay and training of doctors, the work of GP’s and hospitals, and the quality and quantity of medical facilities. This supports the view that the wealthier and closer the pressure group is to the government the more successful they are. Due to the wealth of its members the B.M.A. can contribute large amounts of money to influence policy-makers directly or to finance public information campaigns. However there are other factors that decide the success of the B.M.A. and other similar groups, this does not support the statement that the wealthier and closer the pressure group is to the government the more successful they...
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...Introduction In this era when individuals are questioning the legitimacy and wisdom of unregulated free markets, issues are raised about the most efficient form of economic activity and the best role for government in an economy. These issues have been discussed at many points in the past, and different societies have come to different conclusions regarding political and economic systems. In the United States, and many developed nations around the world, the view has often been that democracy accompanied by capitalism, offers the best, most efficient use of resources and governments guided by those principles assure the best outcomes for their populations. Other countries have adopted very different governing principles. Communist doctrine, as adopted by some nations, endorses the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production and property (Communism: The failure of an utopian system, 2008). The civilization is governed by an individual, or individuals, whose function is to ensure the efficiency of the society as a whole. As an ideal, the communist doctrine defines a just city as one that eliminates the need for its citizens to wish to exploit each other. History appears to indicate that in practice, however, the communist vision cannot be fulfilled since “absolute power (which is given to the leader) corrupts absolutely” (Martin, 2009). Human nature does not appear to manage total supremacy well. 49 When...
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...the Ottoman Empire, the traditional royal families in the Gulf States fell under British control, which sought to secure the route to India and pledged to protect the Gulf region from external aggression in return. Moreover, Britain’s imperial policy empowered the royal families’ authorities and gave them a recognized ruling identity. The arrival of Western oil companies, seeking concessions in the 1930s, further consolidated the authority of the ruling families (Cleveland and Bunton, 2009). This essay will focus on the impacts of oil-abundance on the Gulf states, which more precisely explain the resilience of incumbent regimes. The concept of ‘rentier state’ accounts for the continued survival of absolute monarchies such that democracy is forgone in favour of an authoritarian regime. The main argument of this essay is, however, that a combination of rentierism; and traditional Islamic culture, which are further reinforced by rentierism, elucidate the survival of absolute monarchies in the Gulf in a more accurate fashion. . The Islamic traditional cultures, such as consultation, consensual relationship, and value of stability have also led to the continuance of monarchical system alongside with rentierism. Case for rentierism will then be countered by modernization...
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...“...the bourgeoisie has at last, since the establishment of Modern industry and of the worldmarket, conquered for itself, in the modern representative State, exclusive political sway…” – Karl Marx. Karl Marx in the communist manifesto, praises the Bourgeois for establishing a worldmarket, which gave birth to immense development in commerce, navigation, communication and expanding the industry. However, he also argues, that as the bourgeois continue to broaden the 22 capital market, it pushes back every other class to a lesser decreed. As the bourgeois developed, so did their political power. The bourgeois exploits the proletariat as laborers, a mere commodity to the means of production to further their own interests in establishing themselves as the dominant power. The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionising the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, with them the whole relations of society 24. Therefore, as the bourgeois try to maximize their profits through the mechanics of competition and free trade, nations become interdependent on each other, and the proletariat is not only from one country or region, but an international set of people. The labourers, are seen as a means of production, and therefore to maximize profit (which is the key goal of capitalists), labours are are exploited to a degree of unfair working conditions, low wages and illtreatment as their availability or supply is more than its demand...
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...Michael Hargrove Soc 4010/5010 Instructor Montez de Oca 10/19/12 Beyond Capitalism America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy, by Gar Alperovitz claim’s that our political/economic system can no longer sustain equality liberty, and democracy to the American working class. Alperovitz argues that a radical change to our political-economic system is needed. He also believes that it is at the lower or grassroots level that this change has to take place, but that it is going to take some time and a lot of commitment on their part. An analysis of Alperovitz’s book America Beyond Capitalism provides a unique but radical perspective on overhauling our political/economical system. However, his perspective depends on the American working class people to create a new political/economic system in order to restore equality, liberty, and democracy. This idea is plausible, but reducing the federal government down to the city and state level is highly unlikely. Alperovitz claims that our political/economic system can no longer sustain our equality, liberty, and democracy for working class Americans. Alperovitz’s first argument is on equality. His concern is that globalization, changing technologies, and sectoral balances are creating a widening gap of inequality. The decline of labor unions has enabled the corporations to lead a number of campaigns that have challenged redistribution programs. Globalization has increased the influence of large...
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...different government powers. The main three: Oligarchy, Democracy, and Plutocracy. The basic definition of an Oligarchy is when a small group, or a few people, has control over a country or organization. Specific groups in the US have had problems with the top 1% and the fairness between different groups. Democracy is when the power is vested within the people through elected representatives. The majority of Americans already believe that the United States is a democracy, but some believe that there is too much liberty within the people....
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...benefits of Democracy in China Introduction For Americans, "democracy" is a cherished and familiar word. Proud of their own democratic institutions, most Americans have felt freedom is not free and Democracy takes courage and effort within the whole country. But Democracy does not mean the same concept and advantages to all people everywhere; it changes each time it translates into a different language and cultural context. Democracy (translated into Chinese as " minzhu ," or "people-as-masters") is not a concept inherent in Chinese culture or political philosophy. In fact, it is in complete opposition to their own culture, which stresses harmony and obedience. But neither is democracy a concept that has just recently taken hold in the minds of Chinese youth who have seen the wonders of democracy in Western-style music and food. The Chinese democratic tradition was begun nearly one hundred years before the white plaster statue erected on Tiananmen Square attracted the attention of the world. In those hundred years, it has been the cause of rebellions, arrests, purges, and endless debate on the best way to understand and implement such a complex form of social organization. The power of the word "democracy" worked on Western viewers of the 1989 movement as well. Chinese students knew from experience that describing their struggle as a "democratic" one was the best way to win international sympathy in the industrialized West. The "Goddess of Democracy," although it...
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...Philosophy paper choice 1 Democracy is considered as a normative goodness in contemporary society but it has been a contested topic throughout history. Recognizing and examining those critics of the past will instigate a firmer understanding of the concept. Hearing arguments against democracy will help establish a belief based on an informed conscious rather than blind acceptance. Both Plato and Aristotle were philosophers who scrutinized this form of government for different reasons, their ancient judgments still hold weight today and can be used to evaluate democracy as a whole. My thesis for this paper is that Plato offers a stronger criticism against democracy and Aristotle is a better friend to democracy by comparison. First to establish a similarity between the two philosophers would be the way in which they describe the origins of democracy. Plato starts by explaining how democracies emerge because of the decay of oligarchies. He claims that oligarchies will lead to a schism within the city, where one city becomes two, the city of the rich and the city of the poor.1 Since the poor faction contains the majority of the population, they will overpower the rich faction who are softened by their luxurious lives and cannot resist the poor. Aristotle defines democracy similarly as “where the poor rule”8 and how he defines the poor is when you combine “poverty with mass.”9 Plato asks “is not the transition from oligarchy to democracy brought about by…the necessity...
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...the advantages and disadvantages of different types of political regimes. Aristotle looked at monarchies, aristocracies, polities, tyrannies, oligarchies, and democracies. In his examination, he proposed an explanation of what his best regime would be. While Aristotle admitted that none of the regimes could match his best regime, it can be argued that the polity is the best regime out of the ones that Aristotle studied. The polity provides the greatest regime because it is an indistinguishable mix of democratic and oligarchic elements that works towards the benefit of both the masses and the wealthy, which promotes the middling effect of Aristotle’s best regime. Aristotle’s best regime is one that mimics what he describes as the best way of life. He defines the ideal way of life as living virtuously. He likens this virtue to a mean that is attainable by every type of person. This lifestyle can also be adapted to the regime of a city (Book 4, Chapter 11, Segment 3, pp.114). Aristotle proposes that finding the virtuous mean in a political community is the way to achieve the best regime. A balance needs to be found in a regime that takes into account all factions. It cannot stray too far to one extreme or the next. A strong middle class is the best way to counteract these extremes. He points to an overpowering democracy or oligarchy as the path...
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...influence in their world. Athens was a polis on the Balkan Peninsula. It ruled through direct democracy and had a strong navy. Pericles led them into their golden age and strengthened Athens as an empire. A golden age is the time where an empire has the largest stretching influence and the highest capability to extend their intellectual, philosophical and political ideas. Their golden age took place between the Persian Wars and Peloponnesian Wars, since this was their greatest time of achievement with their spreading ideas. Topic Sentences Topic sentence #1: This time period displays Athens at their highest...
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...Raven Williams 10/2/2012 History of Political Thoughts TR 1:00pm Dr. Andrew Douglas Plato’s Plea Against Democracy Democracy is defined as a government by the people that exercise their rights through the elected officials and ruled by the majority. The written dialogues of Socrates by Plato take into account that democracy is actually inefficient and undermines the true values of their citizens. Plato’s best known and comprehensive work is the Republic. He criticized democracy as an inadequate form of government because it caused corruption of people through public opinions and created rulers whose main concern it to the ability to influence its citizen rather than being knowledgeable of proper rulership. Therefore, this government is capable of molding the perception and ideas of the citizens. According to Plato, democratic governance is a poor form of government due to the focus on self-interest rather than the welfare of society as a whole. In this essay, Plato’s background, views on politics will be presented first; then, his in-depth opinion of democracy and what he believed to be an ideal society. Plato wrote, in his autobiography Seventh Letter, that he could not identify himself with any political parties because they were heavily engage in corrupted activities. However, it was due to the execution of Socrates that provided Plato with the assurance that the existing governments were fallacious without any possible reparation. He perceived politics as unhealthy and...
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