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 HISTORY AND TRADITIONS WHAT ARE AMERICA S CLASSICAL LIBERAL VALUES INDIVIDUALISM FREEDOM CAPITALISM EQUALITY RULE OF LAW DEMOCRACY DIVERSITY CONSERVING LIBERALISM CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN GEOGRAPHY AND NATURAL RESOURCES UNEVEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RACISM ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS STATE REPRESSION AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT A MAZE OF CONTRADICTIONS Capitalist v Anticapitalist Pragmatic v Absolutist Optimistic v Pessimistic Materialist v Idealist Individualist v Conformist Freedom v Equality Oriented Global v Insular 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 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 GVPT 170 American Government and Politics in a Global Era THE UNIFINISHED REVOLUTION NATIONBUILDING AND THE U S CONSTITUTION February 1 2006 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 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 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 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 AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT 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 GVPT 170 American Government and Politics in a Global Era Analyzing American Political Beliefs February 6 2006 CENTRAL THEMES HAMILTONIAN V JEFFERSONIAN MODELS OF POLITICAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURAL V SUBSTANTIVE DEMOCRACY Hamiltonian Model of Political Development Manufacturing based economy Activist government Elite orientation Expansion of the national government Jeffersonian Model of Political Development Agriculturally based economy Importance of the small farmer Confidence in the ordinary citizen State and local governmental control AMERICAN POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FROM FDR TO CLINTON CONSENSUS Hamiltonian public needs best met in context of a healthy business climate Jeffersonian Ordinary citizen s needs take precedence in a good society PROCEDURAL V SUBSTANTIVE DEMOCRACY 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 INDIVIDUALISM A FUNDAMENTAL AMERICAN BELIEF Very deep cultural commitment Individual as the starting point Some limits placed Contentious Contradictory Continuing subject of disagreement 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 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 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