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GVPT 170 American Government and Politics in a Global Era

GVPT 170 American Government and Politics in a Global Era. ORIGINS OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PRINCIPLES AND AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM January 30, 2006. AMERICA IS A CONSERVATIVE NATION WITH LIBERAL VALUES. WHY CONSERVATIVE? FRAGMENTED NATURE OF US POLITICAL SYSTEM WHY LIBERAL?

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GVPT 170 American Government and Politics in a Global Era

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  1. GVPT 170American Government and Politics in a Global Era ORIGINS OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PRINCIPLES AND AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM January 30, 2006

  2. AMERICA IS A CONSERVATIVE NATION WITH LIBERAL VALUES WHY CONSERVATIVE? FRAGMENTED NATURE OF US POLITICAL SYSTEM WHY LIBERAL? HISTORY AND TRADITIONS

  3. WHAT ARE AMERICA’S CLASSICAL LIBERAL VALUES? • INDIVIDUALISM • FREEDOM • CAPITALISM • EQUALITY • RULE OF LAW • DEMOCRACY • DIVERSITY

  4. ‘CONSERVING LIBERALISM’ • CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN • GEOGRAPHY AND NATURAL RESOURCES • UNEVEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • RACISM • ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS • STATE REPRESSION

  5. AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT: A MAZE OF CONTRADICTIONSCapitalist v AnticapitalistPragmatic v AbsolutistOptimistic v PessimisticMaterialist v IdealistIndividualist v ConformistFreedom v Equality OrientedGlobal v Insular

  6. AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT • Unique Nature: American exceptionalism • A Tradition of Classical Liberalism • America was a ‘nation’ before a ‘state’ • Leadership of the Founding Brothers • An evolving process • A conflictual process • A process compromised by political fragmentation???

  7. AMERICANISM: POLITICAL PRINCIPLES AND THEMES • SHAPED BY WESTERN TRADITIONS • A MAZE OF CONTRADICTIONS • AMERICAN IDEOLOGY IS INSULAR • AMERICA IS A CONSERVATIVE NATION • AMERICANISM IS LIBERALISM • EXCEPTIONALISM HAS ITS PERILS

  8. GVPT 170American Government and Politics in a Global Era THE UNIFINISHED REVOLUTION, NATIONBUILDING AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION February 1, 2006

  9. LECTURE THEMES *AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM AND THE LACK OF A FEUDAL TRADITION *THE UNFINISHED REVOLUTION *PRE-CONSTITUTION: IMMENSE POLITICAL AUTHORITY IN STATES & LOCALITIES *A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC: SOLUTION TO PRESERVE FREEDOM AND EQUALITY *LEADERSHIP FAILURES IN PHILADELPHIA

  10. AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM • ‘CITY ON THE HILL’ AND THE ‘NEW WORLD’ AS BLESSED • DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AS THE PROMISE OF EQUALITY (Lincoln, Martin L.King Jr.,T.Marshall) • AMERICAN DREAM: PEOPLE JUDGED NOT BY ACCIDENT OF BIRTH

  11. The Unfinished Revolution *Change in governance *Traditions of classical liberalism and localism intact *Unsettled political conflicts represented by the split between Federalists and Anti-Federalists *Conflicts escalated into Civil War (1861-1865) *Some issues remain unresolved

  12. THE FRAMERS AND A ‘NEW SCIENCE OF POLITICS’ • No relevant model of republican governance • Differing views- what is a ‘good republic’ • A Big Victory for the Federalists • Consensus was key • Federalists controlled the agenda • Slavery protected by 3 clauses

  13. AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

  14. AMERICANISM: POLITICAL PRINCIPLES AND THEMES • SHAPED BY WESTERN TRADITIONS • A MAZE OF CONTRADICTIONS • AMERICAN IDEOLOGY IS INSULAR • AMERICA IS A CONSERVATIVE NATION • AMERICANISM IS LIBERALISM • EXCEPTIONALISM HAS ITS PERILS

  15. GVPT 170American Government and Politics in a Global Era Analyzing American Political Beliefs February 6, 2006

  16. CENTRAL THEMES HAMILTONIAN V JEFFERSONIAN MODELS OF POLITICAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURAL V SUBSTANTIVE DEMOCRACY

  17. Hamiltonian Model of Political Development • Manufacturing-based economy • Activist government • Elite orientation • Expansion of the national government

  18. Jeffersonian Model of PoliticalDevelopment Agriculturally-based economy Importance of the small farmer Confidence in the ordinary citizen State and local governmental control

  19. AMERICAN POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FROMFDR TO CLINTON: CONSENSUSHamiltonian:public needs best met in contextof a healthy business climateJeffersonian:Ordinary citizen’s needs take precedence in a good society

  20. PROCEDURAL V SUBSTANTIVEDEMOCRACY • Early 20th century conflicts far from resolved • Changes in economy led to demands for expansion of procedural democracy • Growing inequalities: Abolition, Suffragist, Workers, Farmers, Early Civil Rights Movements • Without the ‘means” cannot achieve “the ends of democracy” • Major role of federal courts in the expansion of procedural rights

  21. INDIVIDUALISM: A FUNDAMENTAL AMERICAN BELIEF • Very deep cultural commitment • Individual as the starting point • Some limits placed • Contentious • Contradictory • Continuing subject of disagreement

  22. PROPERTY: A FUNDAMENTAL POLITICAL BELIEF • Meaning has changed over time • Jeffersonian: owning land central to citzenship • Hamiltonian: ownership broader • Conflict over forms of property • Legacy: government subsidizes home ownership • Legacy: Americans threatened by government ownership • Legacy: no real workers movement today

  23. CONTRACTS AND LAW: AMERICAN BELIEFS • Contract as an embodiment of higher law • Public and private life • U.S. Constitution is a contract • Contracts basis of daily transactions • Contentious: neutrality of the law • Individualism, Property, Contracts support capitalism

  24. FREEDOM AND EQUALITY AS COMPLEMENTARY AND CONTENTIOUS BELIEFS • Freedom as the absence of restraints • Equality as entitlements • Conflicts -Political equality impinges on freedom -Freedom leads to inequalities -Resentment over equality of opportunity -Utopian idea of equality and safety net

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