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Democracy
The idea of democracy, like the idea of capitalism, promises much, though the reality always falls short. The promise is of wide participation in government, free and open competition among diverse groups, self-determination. Democracy offers the vision of individuals … Continue reading
Posted in European history, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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From Modernization to Globalization
Modernization is a major social scientific theory that emerged in the 1950s to explain different levels of development in the world’s societies. Although the roots of modernization theory developed in the response of nineteenth-century American and European intellectuals to industrialization, … Continue reading
Liberalism
Liberalism refers to a system of thought that focuses on the good of the whole of society as opposed to its neglect in the service of the restricted few. Liberalism began at a time of rejection of traditional feudal … Continue reading
Posted in American History, European history, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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Laissez Faire
Laissez-Faire, a French phrase that means literally “let do” meaning “let a person alone,” was applied to economics by English and French thinkers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The phrase generally applies to the same conditions in modern as … Continue reading
Posted in American History, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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Conservatism
Conservatism is a system of thought that focuses upon upholding traditional values, social structure, government, and economic systems. Conservatives hold specific views about the role of government in the economy and the value of democracy. Conservatives have sometimes been suspicious … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Christianity, European history, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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Philadelphia in 1787: The Making of the Constitution of the United States
Philadelphia, the capital of Pennsylvania, was in 1787 a city of a little over 40,000 people. The city had been founded a century earlier by Quakers and it still had a strong Quaker presence. Philadelphia was the cultural and intellectual … Continue reading
The Crisis in American Politics
What the 18th century Framers of our government feared, abuse of power and corrupt politicians taking control of our system of government, has apparently come to pass, if this election season and those who are our choices for President, are … Continue reading
The “Best Administered” Government
The Constitution developed a system of government, federalism, that ideally is the best form of government, a combination of republicanism and democracy that balances power between the legislative, executive, and judicial. Federalism means that the Constitution is based on a … Continue reading
What does the Pledge of Allegiance Mean?
In America, the education of citizens in government begins at a young age at public school, sports events, church meetings, and other public assemblies. At such places and events people of all ages look to the flag, a piece of … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Government
Tagged Citizens, Constitution, Government, Pledge of Allegiance, United States of America
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Whose Democracy Is It, Anyway?
Is America under the Constitution a democracy? The Constitution was written over the course of a summer in 1787 (in Philadelphia: the Constitutional Convention). The 55 or so men who wrote the Constitution did not have mandated authority from the … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Government
Tagged Constitution, Democracy, Government, James Madison
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The American Plutarch 