{"id":133,"date":"2021-08-21T16:34:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-21T20:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/?page_id=133"},"modified":"2022-07-06T11:03:55","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T15:03:55","slug":"liberal-democracy-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/liberal-democracy-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberal Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

PART II<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, we leave the realm of abstraction and look at what happened.\u00a0 After all, why does liberal democracy exist anyway?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We are lucky. We, or at least most of us, (still) enjoy the blessings of living in a\u00a0Liberal Democratic Nation-State<\/strong>.\u00a0 But how did we get here?\u00a0 And what should we do to maintain our good fortune?<\/p>\n

This section of our course is about the making<\/em>\u00a0of the\u00a0Liberal Democratic Nation-State<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0I use the word\u00a0making<\/em><\/strong> quite deliberately.\u00a0 Everything has a history; you and I do as well.\u00a0 To understand anything, we must begin with its roots. The roots of Liberal democracy<\/strong>\u00a0and the invention of the viable institutions to put this idea into practice didn\u2019t come from nowhere.\u00a0 Like you, they have concrete origins and compelling histories.<\/p>\n

In the spirt of the video by\u00a0 Steven Jay Gould (which you watched earlier), I shall argue that there was nothing inevitable about the rise of liberal politics, values, institutions, and ideas in the western world.\u00a0 Nor, for that matter, is there anything inevitable about liberal-democracy\u2019s survival.\u00a0 All things must pass<\/a>.\u00a0 Just ask Roman emperors, medieval princes, and John Stuart Mill.\"\"<\/p>\n

Once we have worked our way through this historical background, I will provide you with some clues for understanding the crisis of liberal democratic politics in the US and Europe today.<\/p>\n

While I proceed through the coming lectures, consider what Warren Buffett has to say about the \u201cOvarian Factor\u201d:\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0What does this article have to do with my arguments? Does it apply equally to all Americans?\u00a0 Does it apply to you? By the way, did you know that federal funding for prostate cancer research [per years of life lost] is nearly 12 times greater than funding for research on ovarian cancer? See here<\/a>. How would Buffett explain the disparity?<\/p>\n

A preview of a coming attraction<\/em>.\u00a0 In a few weeks, we will discuss a provocative film called \u201c13th.\u201d\u00a0HERE<\/a>\u00a0 See positive and negative reviews below.\u00a0 Netflix is currently show \u201c13th\u201d for free on YouTube.\u00a0 Since most good things in life aren\u2019t free, least of all when they are offered by Netflix, I recommend that you watch the film as soon as you can.<\/p>\n

My goal in having you watch this film is to provoke you.\u00a0 You should feel free to come to your own conclusions about its message.\u00a0 I do not agree with all of the claims in the film.\u00a0 As always, be open to anything; think critically come to your own conclusions; be open to changing them later.<\/p>\n

After the fall of Afghanistan: Reading #1<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Also see this video and article about the execution and brutal treatment of women under the Taliban, common practice before 2001.\u00a0 HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Lecture,\u00a0Wednesday,\u00a0 \u00a0September 1<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the advent of a social, political, and economic culture that was conducive to the rise of\u00a0Liberalism.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 Major events in Europe between the fifth and nineteenth centuries\u2013the fall of the Roman empire, the birth of feudalism, and the Industrial Revolution\u2013eventually made the institution of\u00a0Modern Liberalism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0possible, although definitely not inevitable.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0Print and read the following chapter (Chapter 5) by Max Weber, one of the most influential, early social scientists and a pioneer of the theory of \u201cunintended consequences.\u201d \u00a0As you reflect upon the essay by the\u00a0Catholic<\/em>\u00a0priest, Martin Luther\u2013Luther was\u00a0definitely\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0a Protestant!\u2013keep Weber\u2019s theory of political and social change in mind. We can never understand our culture, or ourselves as individuals, without recognizing that those of us who grew up in North America were all raised as \u201cProtestants.\u201d Yes, this is true even of those Americans who self-identify as Catholics, and for that matter, even as atheists.\u00a0 To make sense of this statement, the key point is to understand what I mean by \u201cProtestant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism<\/em>,\u00a0only chapter 5: \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Background<\/em>: Martin Luther, \u201cThe Freedom of a Christian\u201d SKIM<\/a>\u00a0 This is a long essay by an angry Catholic priest. Don\u2019t worry about the details of Luther\u2019s argument (there\u2019s too much you won\u2019t know).\u00a0 Just seek to get a general sense for the content and tone of his argument by glancing through it.<\/p>\n

Also reflect upon the dirty secret below about the source of fundamental political change:<\/p>\n

Benjamin Ginsberg, \u201cWhy Violence Works.\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 DISCUSSION SECTION:\u00a0Friday, September 3<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion theme<\/em>:\u00a0 What would John Stuart Mill do?<\/p>\n

Should media providers have the right to control the content on their sites.\u00a0 If so, how far should they be allowed to go if we want to preserve liberal democracy?\u00a0 Or, conversely, does the survival of liberal democracy require them to take extreme steps?\"\"<\/p>\n

Dilemmas of liberal democracy in practice<\/em>:\u00a0 In the aftermath of the January 6 assault on the US Capitol building, Twitter banned Donald Trump from posting on its site. Facebook imposed a temporary ban, which was subsequently upheld by FB’s review board (pending another review at a later date).\u00a0 The issue initially arose during the fall 2020 presidential election when Twitter began removing or commenting on Trump’s tweets.\u00a0 The articles below nicely cover the issues involved in a debate between Jack Dorsey and and Mark Zuckerberg about the rights and responsibilities of social media platforms in the US.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwitter hides Trump\u2019s tweet for violating its rules about \u2018glorifying violence.\u2019\u201d\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile Twitter Confronts Trump, Zuckerberg keeps Facebook out of it\u201d\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, and the fight for social media\u2019s soul\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Paragraph Assignment<\/em>:<\/p>\n

On the issue of controlling social media content, who is right: Jack Dorsey or Mark Zuckerberg?<\/p>\n

7. LECTURE:\u00a0\u00a0Monday, September 6<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Today I will talk about a meteoric development that shaped the character of Liberalism<\/strong>\u00a0as we know it today: \u00a0the opening of the boundaries of the political realm to the participation of ever broader sectors of society<\/em>.\u00a0 Importantly, this development took place in different ways and in different countries. \u00a0It is still taking place around the world today, even in the United States.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>: The tumultuous intrusion of the \u201cunwashed and unwanted\u201d into the\u00a0Liberal<\/em><\/strong> arena was unanticipated and, paradoxically, not welcomed by those whose decisions made it possible. In fact, if they knew it was coming, many elites would have done everything they could to prevent the “unwashed” from joining their circles. Yet only they could have made this development possible. \u00a0How do we account for this unforeseen and unforeseeable transformation? Since people in power do not intentionally make decisions that will undermine their interests, I shall argue that a hostile idea, such as Liberalism<\/em><\/strong>, could only have arisen as the\u00a0unintended consequences<\/em> of the decisions of power holders.\u00a0 Weber agrees.<\/p>\n

For one interpretation of the theory of unintended consequences, watch this instructive video:\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIn a democracy it\u2019s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it\u2019s your count that votes!\u201d (McAdams)<\/p>\n

Readings:<\/em>\u00a0 .<\/p>\n

Roger Kingdon,\u00a0America\u00a0the Unusual<\/em>, Chapter 4<\/p>\n

The American \u201cDeclaration of Independence\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

The French National Assembly, \u201cDeclaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

The ideas behind the American Revolution and the French Revolution were different in important ways, although each resulted in liberal democratic institutions. How are these differences reflected in the two founding declarations above? Look closely at what the French Declaration suggests about the role of the state.<\/p>\n

8. LECTURE:\u00a0Wednesday, September 8<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the evolution of\u00a0Political Parties<\/strong>\u00a0in the West: Cadre parties, Mass parties, and Catch-all parties<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0\u00a0Political Parties\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>have been major instruments for including disparate groups of people in the\u00a0modern nation-state, both in\u00a0Liberal<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0societies and, as we shall see later, other types of societies.\u00a0 Today, the catch-all party is the predominant type of party in the\u00a0Liberal<\/em><\/strong> world, but it is increasingly under threat, especially in postcommunist Europe and, oddly, in the US as well.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 Reflect upon the role of catch-all parties in our era of intense polarization.\u00a0 If election to office is dependent on the financial contributions of special interests and the manipulation of voting districts and access to the voting booth, what is the reward for politicians to engage in compromise? And what is to prevent them from introducing even more restrictive policies?<\/p>\n

If the idea of the catch-all party should fail, what type of party will replace it? Or without such parties, will liberal democracy simply fade away?<\/p>\n

Roger Kingdon, \u00a0America\u00a0the Unusual<\/em>, chapter 2<\/p>\n

Michael Kazen, \u201cHow can Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders both be \u2018populist\u2019?\u201d \u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Cas Mudde and Cristobal Kaltwasser,\u00a0Populism<\/em>, Chapters 1 and 5<\/p>\n

What impact will COVID have on populism? Could populist movements become more extreme?\u00a0 What has happened thus far?<\/p>\n

John Lichfield, \u201cThe next epidemic:\u00a0 Resurgent Populism,\u201d April 6, 2020,\u00a0POLITICO<\/em>:\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

9. DISCUSSION SECTION: \u00a0Friday, September 10\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion themes:<\/em>\u00a0 Your discussion today will be focus on my argument about Protestantism and your own engrained attitudes:\u00a0 \u201c<\/em>America\u2019s culture of radical individualism means that we are all Protestants?\u201d\u00a0 Please keep these questions in mind:\u00a0 1) If McAdams is right (and not bonkers), what does he mean by calling American Catholics \u201cProtestants\u201d? Why are even atheists Protestants?; 2)\u00a0 Is the culture of radical individualism that grew out of Protestantism and is epitomized by archetypical American heroes, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (see Pumping Iron<\/a>) and Eminem (see\u00a0Eight Mile<\/a>), a good thing?\u00a0 How Could\u00a0 Buffett\u2019s argument the \u201cOvarian Lottery<\/a>\u201c complicate our expectations of American heroes?<\/p>\n

Reflect about<\/em>:\u00a0 How might Weber\u2019s theory, McAdams\u2019 claims, and your other readings about US history help to account for our country\u2019s disastrously poor response to the Coronavirus?\u00a0 On our remarkable failure to combat a disease that is, by this point, quite manageable, read HERE<\/a>.\u00a0 Focus on the aspects of the article that relate to the distinctiveness of American culture.\u00a0 Try to strip away the partisan politics, and look at what’s underneath.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 Please identify one realistic antidote to the excesses of US radical individualism.\u00a0 Choose a concrete topic and state your response.\u00a0 When we read your paragraph, we should be able to understand exactly how you are justifying your argument.<\/p>\n

Optional Discussion Topic:\u00a0 If you really want to move onto dangerous territory in considering the American concept of\u00a0 radical individualism, consider the issue of gun control and the passionate controversies it unleashes.<\/p>\n

Readings:<\/p>\n

Francisco Cantu, “Our gun myths have held America hostage for too long”\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Clarence Thomas, author of the majority opinion, U. S. Supreme Court, June 23, 2022, regarding “NEW YORK STATE RIFLE & PISTOL ASSOCIATION, INC., ET AL. v. BRUEN, SUPERINTENDENT OF NEW YORK STATE POLICE, ET AL:<\/p>\n

“New York\u2019s proper-cause requirement violates the Fourteenth Amendment by preventing law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense.”<\/p>\n

10. LECTURE:\u00a0Monday, September 13<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, I will lecture about one of the two most important challenges to liberal democracy in the twentieth century:\u00a0Fascism.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0The other major challenger was\u00a0Leninism<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

On the subject of\u00a0Fascism<\/em><\/strong>, read both Benito Mussolini\u2019s prognostications on a modern alternative to\u00a0liberal democracy<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>as well as the testimonies of a few of the millions of people who fell in love with this alternative. Then, reflect upon the significance of the recent popularity of hard-core Right-wing movements in Europe and the US. Could\u00a0Fascism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0be lurking in our future?<\/p>\n

Major Reading<\/em>: Benito Mussolini, \u201cThe Doctrine of Fascism\u201d \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a>\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry about all the details, just concentrate on distilling the major features of his argument. Also, ask yourself why his vision might be appealing. Indeed, even today.<\/p>\n

Question<\/em>: Is there good or bad news looming on the contemporary horizon?<\/p>\n

Dan Holleran, \u201cThe Opportunistic Rise of Europe\u2019s Far Right,\u201d\u00a0The New Republic<\/em>, February 16, 2018\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a debate about the potential for a resurgence of fascism:<\/p>\n

Timothy Snyder is worried (Guardian<\/em>, October 30, 2018)\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Thomas Meaney is not as worried (New Statesman<\/em>, September 12, 2018)\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Who is right? Snyder or Meaney?<\/p>\n

If you like, feel free to read about the controversy surrounding Tucker Carlson’s one hour interview of Curtis Yarvin (a.k.a. “Mencius Moldbug”) whom conservative columnist, Andrew Sullivan, has called an advocate of “twenty-first century fascism<\/a>.” For the controversy over Carlson’s interview, see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Surf the web about Yarvin and decide for yourself whether he is right in insisting that his views have been misrepresented.<\/p>\n

I looked up a couple of the quotes cited in the Media Matters article and I found them!\u00a0 Both sets of remarks are long and may drive you crazy, I’d advise against reading them in their entirety (at least for now).\u00a0 The first post, which includes Yarvin’s observations on slavery, is HERE<\/a> (pan down the page until you get to slavery). The second, which seems to be a defense of the Norwegian mass murder Anders Breivik, is HERE<\/a> (See the first section of his post)<\/p>\n

For Carlson’s entire interview, see HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Feel free to watch the interview. However, it’s very long and the articles will give you shorter and, I think,\u00a0 largely accurate summaries. To get a taste, I recommend listening to the first three minutes, around .56 minutes, and around 109.30\u00a0 into the interview.<\/p>\n

Based on what you find here and in your own search, do you think Carlson should have given Yarvin a platform to express his views, even if Yarvin seems to be on fairly good behavior?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

11. LECTURE: Wednesday, September 15<\/strong><\/p>\n

The advent of\u00a0Fascism\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>in Europe in the first half of the twentieth century was a searing challenge to the values and institutions of Liberalism<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0Liberalism<\/em><\/strong>\u2018s victorious response to\u00a0Fascism\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>was the\u00a0Welfare State<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Today, all\u00a0Liberal\u00a0Democratic<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0states are\u00a0Welfare\u00a0States<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0in one respect or another.<\/p>\n

\"\"Keep this in mind<\/em>:\u00a0 Because we live in a liberal-democratic polity, we naturally assume that the\u00a0Liberal\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>idea will be instantly appealing to all people.\u00a0 Yet,\u00a0Liberalism<\/em><\/strong>\u2018s victory over\u00a0Fascism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0more than a half-century ago was far from certain.\u00a0 The good news is that\u00a0Liberal Democracy<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0won.\u00a0 Yet its triumph was facilitated by the convenient conjunction of two factors:\u00a0 the Allied powers\u2019 (sometimes slight) military advantage and, as I shall suggest today the West\u2019s acceptance of the idea of the\u00a0Liberal Welfare State<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

During Barak Obama\u2019s and Donald Trump\u2019s presidencies and the presidential campaign of 2020, critics frequently equated support for the policies of the Liberal Welfare State<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0with\u00a0Socialism.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Indeed, the rise of politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez provided critics with the opportunity to warn about the threat of radical socialism.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>However, the equation of all forms of\u00a0socialism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0would be inaccurate and downright ahistorical.\u00a0Fascism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0was a\u00a0socialist<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0system of government. So was another political identity that we will consider in a couple weeks,\u00a0Leninism<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Whatever one thinks of their policies, Sanders and AOC have little in common with extreme forms of socialism.\u00a0 They call themselves \u201cdemocratic socialists,\u201d a strong-state version of liberal democracy that is virtually identical to the current policies of Social Democratic and labor parties throughout Europe.<\/p>\n

Assignments<\/em>:<\/p>\n

On the subject of the\u00a0Welfare State<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0read:<\/p>\n

Kingdon:\u00a0America\u00a0the Unusual<\/em>, Chapter 1 and Chapter 3<\/p>\n

Pew Foundation: \u00a0\u201cFive Ways in Which Americans and Europeans are Different\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Comparing Welfare States\u00a0\u00a0SKIM<\/a>\u00a0 This page will give you a sense for the diverse types of liberal welfare states.<\/p>\n

What might path dependency have to do with it? Comparative policies on public funding for maternity leave and child care and early childhood education:\u00a0READ<\/a>\u00a0 The theory of path dependency is an important component of this course.<\/p>\n

And, \u201cGoing Dutch\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a>.\u00a0 One person\u2019s account of the Welfare State in action!\u00a0 If you don\u2019t think this is accurate, visit Holland or any other European country and find out if it is true.\u00a0 It\u2019s that simple. I have spent a good amount of my life living in Germany, and I have consistently been amazed at the benefits of a social-democratic welfare state.<\/p>\n

12. DISCUSSION SECTION:\u00a0 Friday, September 17<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion Topic: Are liberal \"\"democratic institutions in the United States and Europe strong enough to survive the rise of populist extremism? Indeed, now that you have read Mussolini, could the US even be on the verge of embracing something like Fascism?<\/em><\/p>\n

For today\u2019s section, read the chapters and articles below.<\/p>\n

Cas Mudde and Cristobal Kaltwasser,\u00a0Populism<\/em>, chapters 3 and 4.<\/p>\n

David Brooks, \u201cHow Democracies Perish,\u201d\u00a0\u00a0New York Times<\/em>, January 11, 2018\u00a0READ<\/a>.\u00a0 One American conservative criticizes another American conservative.\u00a0 Based on this reading, who is right, Brooks or Deneen (Notre Dame)?<\/p>\n

Peter Wehner, \u201cThe Democratic Party is Radicalizing,\u201d\u00a0The Atlantic<\/em>\u00a0 (a critical assessment of populist trends in the Democratic Party)\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Paragraph topic<\/em>: \u201cWill populism eventually lead to the demise of liberal democracy and its replacement by a political system that is much more dogmatic and authoritarian?\u201d\u00a0 If yes, why? If no, why not?\u00a0 You may only take one\u00a0 side.<\/p>\n

Your response to this question should take the form of an introductory paragraph to a longer, hypothetical essay<\/span>.<\/p>\n

I have two goals in making this assignment:\u00a0 I want you to think about the possibility that radical forms of \u201cpopulism\u201d might lead to the end of \u201cliberal democracy.\u201d And I want to challenge you to write a great <\/em>introductory paragraph.\u00a0 Introductory paragraphs should typically do the following things: 1) state the issue; 2) state both your your argument and the argument that is likely to be raised against you; and, 3) provide the reader with a sense of how you will proceed.<\/p>\n

I am asking you to write this paragraph in order to prepare yourself for writing your first essay.<\/p>\n

Remember: One of my major goals in our course is to teach you how to persuade. Regardless of your field of study, if you know how to make persuasive arguments when you leave Notre Dame, you will have an enormous advantage over people who do not have this skill (which is most people).<\/p>\n


\nYour first REFLECTIVE ESSAY ASSIGNMENT is HERE<\/a>
\nYou have one week to complete it.<\/strong><\/p>\n


\nREMINDER: REQUIRED FILM:\u00a0 \u201c13th\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Please watch this film before Monday\u2019s lecture.\u00a0 At the moment, Netflix is showing it for free on YouTube.\u00a0\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Some critics like \u201c13th\u201d a lot.\u00a0 See \u2018Thumbs Up\u2019\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Others don\u2019t like it at all.\u00a0 See \u2018Thumbs Down\u2019\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Please feel free to come to your own conclusions about the film. My goal in asking you to watch the film is to provoke you to think and talk about America\u2019s problem with race.<\/p>\n

13. LECTURE:\u00a0Monday, September 20<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the inherently contradictory and conflict-ridden characteristics of\u00a0Liberalism<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0Liberalism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 can\u2019t live up to its name\u00a0unless it has certain\u00a0essential<\/em>\u00a0features. I have already outlined four characteristics. \u00a0Yet by nature,\u00a0Liberalism<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 is unstable.\u00a0The\u00a0Liberal-democratic<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0character of our government today is not necessarily the same as it will be tomorrow; it is certainly not the same as it was yesterday (especially in the current political climate!).\u00a0 Still, this capacity for change can be a very good thing.\u00a0 Indeed, if such\u00a0Liberal-democratic<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0bastions as Iceland, Monaco, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Andorra, and the U.S. didn\u2019t change over time, they wouldn\u2019t be\u00a0Liberal<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 at all.<\/p>\n

Liberal democracy<\/strong>\u00a0is not only inherently conflictual. Regrettably, the features that make this political identity great can also be the source of its unraveling. \u00a0In certain circumstances, good causes can be transformed into ugly sources of unrest and instability.\u00a0 We can see this in the U.S. and Europe today.<\/p>\n

Reading assignments\u00a0<\/em>(most of them are short):<\/p>\n

America is one darn complicated country<\/strong><\/p>\n

Suzy Hansen, \u201cUnlearning the Myth of American Innocence\u201d\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a>\u00a0 As you read this article, ask yourself what implications it has for our long engagement in Afghanistan and then our hasty retreat.<\/p>\n

The Good\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kingdon,\u00a0\u00a0America\u00a0the Unusual<\/em>, ch. 5<\/p>\n

Chris \u00a0McGreal, \u201cThe S-word: How Young Americans Fell in Love with Socialism\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Firing Line (1971): “Is American hospitable to the Negro? ” Jesse Jackson debates conservative talk-show host William F. Buckley about the promise and challenges of addressing inequality in the United States:\u00a0 WATCH AND TAKE NOTES<\/a><\/p>\n

What does Notre Dame have to do with it? \u00a0Read about Notre Dame students battling the Ku Klux Klan: \u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026the Bad, and the Ugly<\/strong><\/p>\n

Richard Fausset, \u201cA Voice of Hate in America\u201d:\u00a0READ<\/a>\u00a0 This article was widely criticized for supposedly humanizing fascism and extremism.\u00a0 Do you think this is a fair criticism?<\/p>\n

Consider this<\/em>:\u00a0\u00a0Under what circumstances would you\u00a0resort to\u00a0violence<\/em>\u00a0to protect\u00a0Liberal Democracy?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Or do you think the preservation of\u00a0Liberal Democracy<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0isn\u2019t worth the risk of violence?\u00a0 If so, why?<\/p>\n

14. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION:\u00a0Wednesday, September 22<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I have undoubtedly made some controversial observations up to now (I hope so). Today, we will leap into more controversy by having a class discussion about the film, \u201c13th,\u201d and its message about liberal democracy in practice.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Notre Dame students kneel as the National Anthem plays during a November 10, 2018, football game.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On a related note, is kneeling during the National Anthem a bad thing? “Kneeling at Our Lady\u2019s University: READ<\/a><\/p>\n

15. NO DISCUSSION SECTION:\u00a0Friday, September 24<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Your\u00a0Reflective Essay<\/strong>\u00a0will be due on this date.\u00a0 There will be no discussion section since you have been writing your essay.<\/p>\n

It is your responsibility to make sure that your TA receives your essay on time. Your TA will clarify when and how you are to turn it in. Your essay should have a title and be double-spaced. \u00a0See the link to the assignment above for all of the other specifications. \u00a0Be sure to put your name on your essay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART II Today, we leave the realm of abstraction and look at what happened.\u00a0 After all, why does liberal democracy exist anyway? We are lucky. We, or at least most of us, (still) enjoy the blessings of living in a\u00a0Liberal Democratic Nation-State.\u00a0 But how did we get here?\u00a0 And what should we do to maintain … Continue reading “Liberal Democracy”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-133","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133"}],"version-history":[{"count":66,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":974,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/133\/revisions\/974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}