Political Science Assignment
Each question needs an answer of at least 250 words.
1. What is your definition of a democratic political system? What are the minimal conditions necessary for a country to be classified as a democracy? If you opt for the definition used in the chapter "Political Institutions II: Institutional Arrangements," explain which elements of the definition are the most essential and the least essential for democracy.
2. Do you agree with those who contend that capitalism is so individualistic that it fails to protect the collective good?
3. In a sense, all political systems are elitist because a few govern and many are governed. Does this observation seem accurate? Is it a persuasive basis for confirming the validity of the elite approach?
4. Many people in Western societies have been socialized to believe that change is associated with progress and is generally a good thing. However, the ideology of conservatism (as outlined in Chapter 2) does not make this assumption. What are the conservative's views about change? More broadly, can you specify types of change that would necessarily be positive for a given political system?
5. Is globalization likely to change the distribution of power among states and other transnational actors in significant ways? Who is likely to benefit most from globalization?
6. Summarize the key elements of a three-way debate among an absolute pacifist, a committed revolutionary, and yourself regarding the conditions under which political violence is justifiable.
7. How should the desirable level of distribution of prosperity among citizens in a society be determined? Should the state do anything to ensure that prosperity is distributed more equally among its citizens? What actions by the state are appropriate and might be effective?
8. Assess the claim that the label "Third World" has no meaning, either analytical or political, in the globalized, post-cold war world.
9. Develop an argument for including any of the NICs in the group of more developed countries considered in Chapter 13(Iraq, Egypt, China, Swaziland, Pakistan, Ghana, Phillippines, Vietnam, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya).
10. Is there any element in the NIC development strategy that seems particularly difficult to implement in countries outside Asia?