Questions & Answers: U. S. Government - Political Study

Define the term political science and explain its ties to other major disciplines.
Political science focuses on studying different governments and how they compare to each other, general political theory, ways political theory is put into action, how nations and governments interact with each other, and a general study of governmental structure and function. Other elements of political science include the study of elections, governmental administration at various levels, development and action of political parties, and how values such as freedom, power, justice and equality are expressed in different political cultures.

Political science also encompasses elements of other disciplines, including:
· History—how historical events have shaped political thought and process
· Sociology—the effects of various stages of social development on the growth and development of government and politics
· Anthropology—the effects of governmental process on the culture of an individual group and its relationships with other groups
· Economics—how government policies regulate distribution of products and how they can control and/or influence the economy in general

Review the political ideas of Aristotle, Plato, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke.
Political theory has changed over time as different thinkers have considered government. Ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato believed that political science would lead to order in political matters. From this order, stable, just societies would be created.
Thomas Aquinas altered the ideas of Aristotle to Christian ideas. These altered ideas said that people should have certain rights and responsibilities. These rights and responsibilities should decide the type and the reach of government rule. Aquinas said that laws should limit the role of government. These ideas of limited government laid the groundwork for ideas that would become a part of modern constitutional governments.
Thomas Hobbes, author of Leviathan (1651), thought that people’s lives were centered on a search for power. So, he argued that the government must work to control this search. Hobbes thought that people were not able to live peacefully without government interference. John Locke wrote Two Treatises of Civil Government in 1690. Locke argued against the ideas of Thomas Hobbes. Locked argued that people are good, independent, and equal. Many of Locke’s ideas can be seen in the Constitution of the United States.

What are the four main ideas about the beginnings of government?
There are the four main ideas about the beginnings of government.
Evolutionary—the state evolved from the family. The head of the state is like the family’s male ruler or female ruler.
Force—one person or group brought everyone in an area under their control. In this area, they formed the first government.
Divine Right—certain people were chosen by a ruling god or goddess to be the rulers of the nation. The nation itself is created by the deity or deities.
Social Contract—the idea that no natural order exists. People allow themselves to be ruled to keep order and avoid disorder. In turn, the state promises to protect the people they govern. If the government fails to protect the people, the people have the right to bring in new leaders.

Since ancient days, many types of government have organized society. Most forms of governments have worked in different ways from each other. These governments differ on many things. They differ on how the citizens are involved in selecting the leaders and the amount of power given to the government. Also, they differ on how often leadership changes occur and how the change in leadership will happen.

Briefly outline the political ideologies of David Hume and Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and German philosophers Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Hegel.
Hume and Bentham believed politics should have as its main goal maintaining “the greatest happiness of the greatest number.” Hume also believed in empiricism, or that ideas should not be believed until the proof has been observed. He was a natural skeptic, as well, and always sought out the truth of matters himself rather than believing what he was told.
John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher as well as an economist, believed in progressive policies such as women’s suffrage, emancipation, and the development of labor organizations and farming cooperatives. Fichte and Hegel were eighteenth century German philosophers who supported a form of liberalism grounded largely in socialism and a sense of nationalism.

Review the political ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Montesquieu.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Montesquieu were two French philosophers who influenced the French Revolution (1789-1815). They argued that government policies and ideas should change to ease existing problems. This idea is known as liberalism. Rousseau influenced the Revolution with writings such as The Social Contract (1762), Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789), and The Citizen (1789).

Rousseau and Montesquieu maintained other ideas:
· Personal freedom and community welfare are equal in importance
· Man’s natural goodness leads to peace
· Reason develops with the growth of an educated society
· Each citizen has certain responsibilities to the government

Define fascism and monarchy as a form of government.
Fascism centers on a single leader and is, ideologically, an oppositional belief to Communism. Fascism includes a single party state and centralized control. The power of the fascist leader lies in the “cult of personality,” and the fascist state often focuses on expansion and conquering of other nations.
Monarchy was the major form of government for Europe for hundreds of years. A monarchy is led by a king or a queen. This ruling position is passed down to the children of the king and queen. In other words, the rulers are not elected. In modern times, constitutional monarchy has developed. A king or queen still exists in a constitutional monarchy. However, most of the decisions for the country are made by democratic institutions (e.g., British parliament).

Define anarchism, communism and dictatorship as forms of government.
Anarchists believe that all government should be eliminated and that individuals should rule themselves. Historically, anarchists have used violence and assassination to further their beliefs.
Communism is based on class conflict, revolution and a one-party state. Ideally, a communist government would involve a single government for the entire world. Communist government controls the production and flow of goods and services rather than leaving this to companies or individuals.
Dictatorship involves rule by a single individual. If rule is enforced by a small group, this is referred to as an oligarchy. Few malevolent dictatorships have existed. Dictators tend to rule with a violent hand, using a highly repressive police force to ensure control over the populace.

Describe a Presidential System and Socialism as forms of government.
A presidential system is like a parliamentary system. In a presidential system, there is a legislature and political parties. However, there is no difference between the head of state and the head of government. Instead of separating these roles, an elected president works in both areas. Election of the president can be direct or indirect. Also, the president may not belong to the largest political party.
In Socialism, the state controls production of goods, though it does not necessarily own all means of production. The state also provides a variety of social services to citizens and helps guide the economy. A democratic form of government often exists in socialist countries.

Explain parliamentary democracy, direct democracy, and indirect democracy as forms of government.
In a parliamentary system, the government has a legislature and many political parties. The head of the government, usually a Prime Minister, is typically the head of the party with the most members in parliament. A head of state can be elected, or this position can be taken by a monarch. An example would be Great Britain’s constitutional monarchy system.

In a democratic system of government, the people elect others to represent them in government. The word democracy is a Greek word that means “for the rule of the people.” There are two forms of democracy: direct and indirect.
In a direct democracy, each issue or election is decided by voters who each have one vote. An indirect democracy, also known as representative democracy, uses a legislature (e.g., Congress) to vote on issues. In other words, the people are elected to the legislature. Those elected people vote for the people that they represent. Democracy can exist as a parliamentary system or a presidential system. The United States has a mix of a presidential system and an indirect democracy.

Define the terms realism, liberalism, institutionalism and constructivism as they related to international relations.
The theory of realism states that nations are by nature aggressive, and work in their own self-interest. Relations between nations are determined by military and economic strength. The nation is seen as the highest authority.
Liberalism believes states can cooperate, and that they act based on capabilities rather than power. This term was originally coined to describe Woodrow Wilson’s theories on international cooperation.
In institutionalism, institutions provide structure and incentive for cooperation among nations. Institutions are defined as a set of rules used to make international decisions. These institutions also help distribute power and determine how nations will interact.
Constructivism, like liberalism, is based on international cooperation, but recognizes that perceptions countries have of each other can affect their relations.