Western-style Democracy and non-Western religions - the case of Islam
Thesis - 5 pages - Political science
"Is Western-style democracy compatible with non-Western religions? Discuss primarily the question of the Islamic religion." Although the suggestion that certain religious traditions were more suitable for democracy came under increasing attack from the early 1980s onwards,...
"Adenauer's pursuit of Western integration consolidated democracy in the West at the cost of the East." Comment
Essay - 7 pages - Political science
According to the newspaper die Frankfurte Allgemeine Zeitung, the number of the unemployed people in Germany has decreased by 25.000 in November, reaching the stage of 4.531.000 jobless persons. The Federal Minister of the Economy, Michael Glos (CSU) spoke in the Bundestag „vom ersten...
Deliberative democracy is theoretically plausible and institutionally impracticable
Essay - 5 pages - Political science
What we mean today when referring to 'democracy' is, according to some scholars, 'a way of organising the state that has come to be narrowly identified with territorially based competitive elections of political leadership for legislative and executive offices' . The...
The party of European socialists and the identity of European social democracy
Essay - 9 pages - Political science
The question wether there is currently something that can be called the crisis of social-democracy is arguable: after all, social-democractic and socialist parties are still the counterpart of Conservatives and Christian-democrats, sharing alternaltively government responsibilities at...
What is representative democracy? Is it aim to restrict or to promote popular rule?
Thesis - 4 pages - Political science
One may accept, as Dahl did, that representative democracy is a means to democratize a government. Yet, representative democracy is far from being a true democracy, both restricting and promoting popular rule. The concept of representative democracy derived from the...
Lincoln's Reasoning
Essay - 2 pages - Political science
Abraham Lincoln's presidency was a defining crucible in the evolution of the American nation's conception of democracy, as the burning issue of slavery precipitated an existential crisis that challenged the very foundations on which the republic was built. And so the debate on the...
In your opinion, should there be limits to freedom of the press?
Essay - 1 pages - Philosophy
One of the pillars of democracies, freedom of the press is a fundamental right guaranteed by the 1st amendment to the US Constitution. It ensures people are properly informed, as when the Washington Post revealed the Watergate scandal which led to the resignation of President Nixon in 1974. Yet...
Voting, determinism and free will: How do voters choose?
Essay - 4 pages - Political science
In a democracy, elections are, for voters, the means to express their own ideology. Therefore, to understand the reason behind the voter's choice, we will first focus on the social forces that shape one's ideology. One's ideology is defined by Ian Budge. It is a relatively...
India: Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala
Essay - 5 pages - Constitutional law
Perhaps the most recognized constitutional decision within the Supreme Court of India reflects on the case of Kesavananda Bharati against the State of Kerala. While the Supreme Court ruled that there was no implied limitation on Parliament's powers on amendments to the Constitution, the...
Representation and governance in international organizations - Rapkin, Strand and Trevathan (2016) - Can international organizations be representative and democratic?
Text commentary - 7 pages - Political science
Due to all the problems associated with globalization, economic or financial crisis, and climates, the importance of international organizations such as the United Nations, or the IMF, has never been greater. As its name suggests, an international organization is made up of a collection of States...
The Republic of Germany and the German political system after World War II
Course material - 5 pages - Political science
Our conception of the Federal Republic of Germany is very different from what it was only 15 years ago. Throughout much of its history, Germany was under the leadership of dictators and was never very comfortable with democracy. Germany's first experience with democracy occurred...
The United States and the World: A New World Order?
Course material - 7 pages - Political science
We remember George Bush's optimism in 1990: he had announced "A New World Order", resting on the promotion of liberal democracy and free enterprise everywhere, resting on the UN (at last again effective due to the end of the Cold War) and on American benevolent hegemony. One could have...
The United States and the World: The Sources and Tools of American Foreign Policy
Course material - 8 pages - Modern history
There is undoubtedly an American exceptionalism: the US considers itself since the 18th century to be different from Europe. It has seen itself from the beginning as a universal model: the “American way of life” (linking most strongly liberal democracy and free enterprise, two...
Political Inaction
Essay - 1 pages - Political science
Democracy allows people to make choices. We can see it for instance nowadays with the choice of being vaccinated against coronavirus. In France, there is the possibility for a group of citizens supported by senators to make a referendum. Hugo Clement, a journalist, decided to use this...
Does Being « Politically » Represented Necessarily Means Being Represented by Actors Who Directly Have a Position in the Institutional Realm?
Case study - 5 pages - Political science
In a society in which our interests may be represented by a variety of actors (NGO, patries, citizens, social media influencers, politicians...), the necessity of elections depends on the power of these actors to effectively defend our interests. In other words, if we define representation...
Proportional Representation, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Constitution
Speech - 2 pages - Political science
As a delegate from the great state of Virginia, a state with one of the largest populations in the Union, I find myself compelled to voice strong opposition to certain provisions of the newly proposed Constitution. Our gathering in Philadelphia, intended to create a more robust and effective...
U.S.-India Relations: An Evolving Foreign Policy Landscape
Case study - 5 pages - International relations
The United States and India have developed a complex and dynamic relationship that has significantly evolved over the past century, establishing itself as a central element of U.S. foreign policy in Asia. India's importance to the United States is greatly reflected in the National Security...
What Happened to Our Constitution: Executive Agreements
Course material - 3 pages - Constitutional law
The US Constitution creates a system of checks and balances between the three branches of the government. Thus, no branch would have a chance of becoming too powerful. Nevertheless, in the last several years, questions have been raised, especially with regard to the surrender of legislative power...
Testing a Hypothesis - Consequences of a Rise of Populism
Practical guide - 3 pages - Sociology & social sciences
To rigorously investigate whether party systems experiencing a rise of populism exhibit a shift towards polarization along cultural and identity lines rather than traditional economic divisions, a comprehensive research program utilizing a multi-method approach would be most appropriate....
History, Culture and Society: Spain From the Ancient Age to 2023
Course material - 31 pages - Culture, religion & civilization
The document covers, in the form of revision sheets, key events in History from the Ancient Age to the year 2023. Excerpt: "Under the reign of Philip II (1556-1598), Spain was the first world power. When the king of Portugal died without descendants, Philip defeated the other candidates and was...
Contemporary Spanish history
Course material - 19 pages - Modern history
Valencia Decree (May 1814): Abolished the Cadiz Constitution, reinstated absolutism, and nullified prior reforms. It's the return of the Inquisition, the restoration of feudal systems, and harsh measures against liberals and afrancesados, leading to imprisonment, exile, and executions....
Short Summary of Constitutional Law
Worksheets - 4 pages - Constitutional law
Definition of Constitutional Law: Set of norms contained in the Constitution that define the legal identity, territorial and administrative organization of the State, the rights and duties of citizens, and the relationships between citizens and power holders. (...)
Global overview of the death penalty around the world and reasons to abolish it
Dissertation - 13 pages - Criminal law
As far back as the Old Testament, the death penalty has been established to punish offenses. Nowadays the death penalty, also called capital punishement, defines the execution of an offender who has committed an infringment.This sanction is applied by a recognized instituion after a trial....
The Possible Geopolitical Consequences of Further Enlargements of the EU
Course material - 6 pages - Political science
The big enlargement of the EU in 2004 and the last one in 2007 to Bulgaria and Romania have been greeted with skepticism or even hostile reactions in large sectors of European public opinion. This situation, which probably contributed to the failure of the Constitutional Treaty in France and the...
Towards a "Europe-puissance" or towards a free trade zone?
Course material - 8 pages - International relations
The development of the European Union, along the line of constant progress towards more integration, which more or less prevailed since 1950, appeared to stop suddenly in May 2005 with the French "No" to the so-called Constitutional Treaty. That problem has been solved, at least for now, with the...
The United States and the World: Bush's Second Term and Current Trends in the US Foreign Policy Establishment
Course material - 9 pages - Political life and election
After Bush's re-election in November 2004, there were some doubts about the kind of policy he would now follow, after the occupation of Iraq had revealed itself as a much more difficult undertaking than what the Administration had contemplated. Many felt at the time the President would vastly...
The United States and the end of the Cold War (1989-1990)
Course material - 4 pages - Modern history
President George H. Bush was elected in November 1988. He had to steer the end of the Cold War, 1989-1990. His team was different from Reagan's, although he had been his vice-president: there were no neo-conservatives; the new Administration was more adept of Kissinger's prudent line....
The role of mobs in colonial society and The American revolution
Essay - 2 pages - Modern history
When thinking of the American Revolution, most people today think of George Washington's solidarity with the troops at Valley Forge, Thomas Paine's call for liberty and independence and Paul Revere's ride to warn the townspeople of Boston of the incoming British invasion. While these...
The Wilsonian tradition and its limits (1914-1945)
Course material - 6 pages - Modern history
President Wilson (1913-1920) renounced isolationism, which was the American tradition since Monroe: in agreement with his progressive agenda, he believed the US had to act abroad. He promoted a new internationalist doctrine. But he failed to convince either the foreign partners of the US, or, at...
Infringements of fundamental rights and freedoms
Essay - 2 pages - Sociology & social sciences
Fundamental freedoms organize the collective consciousness, by strengthening the protection of individuals against threats related to the functioning of our contemporary societies and give the holders of these prerogatives a power of self-determination in their action and thought.
