Essays on Political Theory

The political elements of Star Trek show that the series had more insight than what is apparent. The show started in the 1960s when the Cold War was at its height. Many authorities argue that Star Trek is an exploration based on self-interest, colonialism, collectivism and control . However, George Gonzalez takes a different approach in The Politics of Star Trek where he undertakes a critical review of the story within the context of the actual implications of the actions of the characters. This paper will review the first two chapters of the book in order to present the critical ...

It is worth mentioning that human rights issues in China are matters that are constantly under discussions and antagonism between two distinct groups. On one hand, there is the government of China alongside the people who support the policies and agenda pushed by the government. On the contrary, there are the human rights activists and critics of the Chinese rule, who have opposing views concerning the human rights issue. The government of China believes that the existing policies regarding human rights are sufficient enough to enable the citizens to enjoy their rights. However, the critics of the Chinese government ...

Introduction

Who wins and who loses? The one who wins has reflected his or her ability to influence the behavior of others. This is power. As defined by Robert Dahl, a leading political theorist, power is the ability of one to get another to do something he or she would not otherwise do as a result of the will imposed by the other, where adherence is driven by obligation rather than force. Power is dynamic, relative, situational and multidimensional. According to Steve Lukes, there are three dimensions of power. The first dimension of power is intentional and active, and involves ...

The Enlightenment period also referred to as the Age of Reason is used to describe the time in history began with the end of Thirty Years War and to the end of the French Revolution. This period marked a significant radical shift in the government, culture, and politics. The period embraced some philosophies to think as well as explore the world (Best 30).. In global enlightened thinkers were considered to think objectively without prejudice. The period was marked by rationalism, reasoning, and empiricism. The argument was advocated as a means of establishing reliable systems of government, religion, and ...

Summary

Summary Chapter 7 of the book is titled A Multi-theory Approach to Change. This chapter provides the readers with five cases. In the first case, Ken, as associated dean of faculty, is developing an international branch campus in Saudi Arabia. Though it is a first-order change, it requires work at multiple levels. Thus, speaking about the type of change there is no need for the second-order change. As to the context of change, it is necessary to consider the political and economic forces, which stand against Ken’s change. Ken may use his leadership qualities and authority through scientific ...

Abstract

The historic incident of the U.S attack on the Iraqi Ba’arthist troops headed by Saddam Hussein on 1991 and the annexation of the country in 2003 have generated different debates on the actual intention of the stakeholders. Critics in favor of America’s action opine that these incidents were actually moral projects undertaken by America in order to release the Iraqi civilians from the claustrophobic ambiance prevailing in the country because of the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. These critics believe that America took over the ethical duty to organize the law and order of Iraq and establish a democratic ...

Main points:

- This reading expresses the mode ...

Politics maily rely on the element of power. An individual or a group of people must acquire a control over the rest since he, or she has the power over them. The power in politics may be properly understood with proper understanding of the various political notions. Although, there are a number of notions that define political power the most critical ones at the moment are conservatism and feminism. Each of them is unique on the principles that define them as well as the political power that they hold. They have exclusive command on the flow of politics in the different countries ...

An Analysis of the Formulation of California Senate Bill 4

Chapter III: Methodology Overview The purpose of this research has been to focus on the decision making and agenda setting policy concerning the regulation of hydraulic fracturing to drill for petroleum products when California Senate Bill (SB) 4 was passed. Hydraulic fracturing has been used for many years in California, but this is the first time a bill has been passed to regulate the activity. The bill was passed in the assembly first and then moved to the senate where it was passed in the form of SB 4. The factors and actors that worked together to ...

Resource mobilization theory and the political process theory have been developed in the field of sociology, with the aim of explaining the development of the social movements. Resource mobilization theory is one of the major theories in sociology that emerged in 1970's.This theory is an explanation of the developments of the social movements by concentrating on how the movements gain momentum through successfully garnering resources, posing competition with other movements, as well as mobilizing the available resources. The political theory, on the other hand, is a social movement approach that is heavily influenced by the political sociology. These two theories ...

A Political Approach

Introduction The purpose of this literature review is to provide an analysis of the United States’ potential vulnerability to cyber terrorism attacks on its critical infrastructure system. Some experts suggest that the United States is not as vulnerable to cyber attacks and acts of cyber terrorism as many critics believe. American’s direct and indirect involvement in growing uncertainties in the Middle East have sparked new debates and concerns regarding the threats new types of cyber terrorism now pose to the nation’s data and information security (Abdulrahman, 139). Most importantly, this literature review has been conducted on ...

Introduction

The passage from the Republic by Plato is prone to different interpretations. To gain full comprehension of the passage the reader is obliged to delve deep into the platonic debate between Socrates and Glaucon. The trajectory of the argument according to Plato, was that democracies are governments ran by fools. The principal argument in the discussion was that democracies elect courses of action without a coherent understanding of the matter they are handling. The overriding argument was that only those who are fully experienced in statecraft should be allowed to rule. ‘Socrates argued that the cobbler and the medical doctor ...

Globalization offers extraordinary opportunities to the countries related with economic and social development. Over the past few decades the globalization become cultural, economic, political and social phenomena that impacted the whole world, and improved trade between the countries by eliminating trade boundaries between the countries. Globalization facilitated the economic development of developing countries and extended financial benefits to the developed nations. Despite of various benefits the globalization was criticized by some experts due to the challenges associated with it such as financial crises, inequality among societies, poverty, and exclusion. Least developed and developing countries face obstacles while participating in ...

Secularism is removing any religious rituals, beliefs and practices from the community’s way of life. It is a topic that has manifested thorough history in an objective and a subjective sense. In the objective sense, there has been the exclusion of religious ceremonies, institutions and offices from the life of the public. On the basis of subjective manifestation, there has been the disappearance of religious imagery, feelings and thoughts from the way people understand earthly things. On the basis of objective manifestation, many nations are highly secularized as even the Islamic states are ruled by the elites who have abandoned ...

The enlightenment thinkers espoused the use of logic and reason over tradition, religion, culture and logic. The aim of enlightenment thinkers was to give a logical foundation to a philosophy. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a prominent intellectual figure during the age of enlightenment. He is mostly recognized as a political theorist and philosopher. Rousseau’s first philosophical work won him a prize from the Academy of Dijon. This work was a critique on the fundamental propositions of the enlightenment. He questioned the nature of human inequality, whether it was “natural”. Rousseau argued that the advancement of science and art led to a digression of human morality, instead ...

Elitism from perspective of pluralism and behavioralism

Elitism theory assumes that the country is run by a ruling class that has the social and economic weight, the knowledge and experience, and the power to make decisions and set policy and this is preferred because the public is not capable of making decisions about policy. Pluralism faults elitism theory for ignoring the impact of interest groups and institutional influence on power. Dahl recognized the dilemma of a society run by elitist from a pluralism point of view; elitists remove the incentive for people with the least power to undertake political activity. Pluralism states that citizens do have an indirect impact ...

Impact of Ancient Roman Politics on Today’s Ideology

An ideology is a scheme of thoughts that seeks to clarify reality. Ideologies are created on the grounds that the truth is frequently excessively unpredictable to be caught on. They likewise, quite often, reflect an inclination and serve the diversions of a specific gathering. A few ideologies are overall grounded while others are totally separated from reality and must be clarified regarding the enthusiastic and mental inspirations of its disciples. Ideologies tend either to over-rearrange reality or to totally mutilate it. Nonetheless, it is in some cases helpful to talk for the most part in ideological terms keeping in mind the ...

Introduction

The idea of European unification are rooted in the deep past, contemporary same integration trends originate in the events of the first post-war years, and the emergence of a united Europe is by far the most ambitious social process of the second half of the twentieth century. Study of its history, revealing its laws and assessing the possible effects of the subject of hundreds of scientific papers, but these topics are still relevant, as today one can hardly argue that the contradictions at all stages of development accompanying the European Union overcome and difficulties encountered on his way, leaving only ...

Sociology as an academic discipline has developed from sociological views and concepts proposed by scholars and thinkers form different social and professional backgrounds. Sociology is the study of social organisation structure, social institutions and human behaviours. Various scholars have made a tremendous contribution in enriching the discipline. Besides assisting in understanding the discipline, some scholars and theorists have made a significant impact in facilitating the understanding of modern society. The paper explores the work of Karl Marx, a prominent social theorist whose concepts have informed the field of sociology and the modern society accordingly (Avineri, 1988). The first reason why I ...

Three Gorges Dam built on the Yangtze River in China, is the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. This is based on its power generating capacity, and the floor it covers. It is 1.3 miles wide and 600 feet high with a reservoir stretch of 405 square miles. The building of this dam has been controversial given the consequences it has had to the immediate society where it is located, and the benefits it has accrued to the nation (Shaw, 2010). It is a professional expectation that all aspects of engineering must be aimed at the protection of the public in health, ...

Kymlicka explains liberalism as a theory that describes the relationship between individuals, groups, and the society. Will gives the liberal views, the importance and value of the culture in the community. Disintegration of Yugoslavia led to violent ethnic conflicts in the world. Since that time, there has been the need to enhance stability and cohesion in the multiethnic states. “The main challenge to this has been meeting the demands of national minorities, and finding the means of accommodating mass immigration”. Kymlicka brings up an argument that favors the survival of the minority groups according to the liberal theories. However, Kymlicka’ ...

Political theory can be defined as an orientation that typifies the thinking of a nation. Various theories have been advanced to try and explain why states behave and act in a manner which they do with regards to their political relations others at international levels. This submission seeks to briefly but critically analyse some of the theories of international politics and will then seek to give an explanation as to why there is more than one theory of international politics. Classical realism theory is a political theory that avers that all states of the world are more concern with power more ...

Material Inequality and Political Theory

Defining inequality and determining factors to assume equality and justice remains to be a vague concept as factors like social class, talent, and needs would often influence how people define these terms. According to Fleischacker (2005), adding to the confusion of defining inequality and means to attain 'just distribution' of goods, services, and rights are several definitions and theories established to try and attain 'just distribution'. With the presence of several theories and definitions to attempt explaining how just distribution can be done, concerns on how it would impact society is raised since political theories vary in concentration and how ...

On December 10, 1942, Edward Raczynski of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Polish government-in-exile sent a note to the Allies concerning the Nazi’s extermination of Jews in German-occupied Poland (Finch 30). Seven days later, the United Nations issued a joint declaration describing the events of the Holocaust, including the so-called Nuremberg Laws. These laws were announced at the annual Nazi Party Rally in Nuremberg in September 15, 1935. Their effect and intent were predominantly anti-semitic, making widespread discrimination against Jews legally binding. Some examples of these regulations were the closure of all Jewish-owned businesses, the restriction of ...

Classical Chinese Philosophers

Human nature and the Related Debate amongst Classical Chinese Philosophers Confucianism, a 2500 year old Chinese philosophical and religious tradition that extends to the distant corners of East Asia, is believed to have been formed by Confucius who claimed that he is not the creator but the transmitter of ancient traditions and values. Born Kong Qiu in 551 BC in eastern China, Confucius made it his life’s mission to restore the political and social harmony of the contemporary Zhou dynasty that had been disintegrating over the course of the past two hundred years. He wanted to achieve his ...

The recent years have seen the advent of many crusaders of sexuality and gender related issues, with many scholars basing most of their work on feminism. This is because of the modern realization that the roles that each and everyone plays in the society that we live have been ‘constructed’ through our interaction with others and society at large. 21st century scholars realize that the world is moving away from the traditional norms, and is moving towards a more inclusive setting where everyone realizes the roles played by the next individual. This paper seeks to explore the works of ...

Think Tank Essay 1

The questions in intergenerational justice tend to focus on the roles that should be played by members within each generation in order to ensure equitable and fair distribution of resources and justice. In many cases, the common arguments founded on individualism and self-reliance tends to support the younger generation from being subjected to responsibilities by members of the older generation. The argument specifically disengages the older generation from the younger generation in terms of allocating roles and responsibilities. The argument supports the idea that the older generation should not burden the young generations, and should ...

1. In Plato’s Republic, Thrasymachus presents several arguments in favor of the position that Might makes right. Explain three of his arguments. Do they explain how things are in the real world, how they ought to be or both? Explain. Regardless of which option you choose, which of the three options would represent the strongest ethical position? Thrasymachus believes that justice does not really exist at all, except in the minds of naïve idealists like Socrates, and that only power matters. In other words, he is a classical realist and cynical supporter of power politics, which may ...

Summary of text

In Eberle and Cuneo's "Religion and Political Theory," the authors seek to explore the role of religion in an increasingly liberal democratic, secular political world. At the same time, religion seems to be increasing in scope and influence in the political spectrum, with religious pluralism instead of strict atheism driving political decisions. The relationship between three distinct groups in the political world is explored - the standard view of politics, the liberal perspective, and the advocates of a philosophy known as New Traditionalism.

In the standard view of politics, religion drives many political decisions. According to political theorists, "religious reasons ...

In the history of political thought and democracy building, there is an inconsistency between citizen’s voting for a candidate or party and his/hers final satisfaction with a progress of the chosen candidate or party. In practice, this inconsistency corresponds to a continuous criticism of ruling government and desire to change it for the former one or an entirely different. In political theory, this phenomenon gained its implementation in a concept of political efficacy. The essence of the term “political efficacy” refers to citizens’ perception of their influence on government and how much trust in authorities and policies they have. In the context ...