Kategoria BISAC: Political Science >> Political Ideologies - General

The Safavid dynasty originated as a fledgling apocalyptic mystical movement based in Iranian Azarbaijan, and grew into a large, cosmopolitan Irano-Islamic empire stretching from Baghdad to Herat. Here Colin Mitchell examines how the Safavid state introduced and moulded a unique and vibrant political discourse which reflected the social and religious heterogeneity of sixteenth-century Iran. Beginning with the millenarian-minded Shah Isma'il and concluding with the autocrat par excellence, Shah 'Abbas, Mitchell explores the phenomenon of state-sponsored rhetoric. He focuses on the large...

Cultural hegemony theory is a branch of political sociology that concerns the way in which political sociology is transmitted. "Democracy Upside Down" weaves together, for the first time, the central arguments and the most important threads of empirical work on the theory of cultural hegemony in the U.S. Whereas most research on political socialization concludes that it is unclear exactly where the most cogent influences on political learning lie, this volume focuses upon the top-down process of political learning: the extent to which elites can impose their ideology on masses by...

The first truly empirical examination of American conservatism, this book provides an important counterweight in a debate which has been, until now, heavily dominated by ideological conservatives. Arguing that many of the social, political, and economic underpinnings of conservative dogma do not stand the test of close scrutiny, Vedlitz clearly articulates the underlying assumptions of conservative policy and evaluates their validity for American politics and society. A book for both liberals and conservatives alike, "Conservative Mythology and Public Policy in America" offers a timely...

This collection of original essays focuses on the relationship of social scientists to the state and public policy in the industrialized democracies. The comparative approach of this book provides the basis for broader generalization about the linkages between social science and social scientist and the modern state and political power. Social Scientists, Policy, and the State brings fresh analysis to specific issues that are important to a more general understanding of these linkages.

Part I examines the ways in which social scientists participate in the policy-making process. Part II...

Its existence is a reality of everyday life, yet the notion of the state is not well understood. How did the state originate and what is the source of its authority? This is the primary focus of Martin Sicker's "Genesis of the State." Sicker does not consider this as just another academic question: The citizen's moral obligation to obey the state is intimately related to the legitimacy of the state's authority and the latter depends largely on its sources. This work examines several major approaches to the question of the genesis of political authority that are reflected in the works of a...

Direct democracy is on the rise in America, according to recent research on referendum, initiative, and recall. This book presents a qualitative analysis of America's current trend toward populism. By tracing the intellectual origins of present populist movements, Michael P. Federici explores the extent to which such movements complement the American Constitutional tradition. In particular, he analyzes post-World War II, right-wing populism--its emergence, characteristics, and historical roots. Throughout this work, Federici reflects on the meaning of democracy; he warns that right-wing...

PC or Political Correctness has received bad press, according to Choi and Murphy. Indeed, the body of ideas and concepts embodied in PC have been trivialized by conservatives seeking to defend their own positions and by a press catering to a public put off by philosophical discussions. Choi and Murphy seek to analyze the key facets of the debate over PC.

Starting with an examination of the key concepts of PC, Choi and Murphy review the essentials of neo-conservative social philosophy and the Postmodern Alternative as well as neo-conservative critiques of postmodernism. By providing a...

This study examines the development of Marxist-Leninist ideology in the U.S.S.R. from its origins to the collapse of the Soviet regime. Alfred Evans argues that Soviet Marxism-Leninism was subject to significant adaptation under various leaders, contrary to the widespread impression that official Soviet ideology remained static after Stalin. While taking account of scholarly literature on each of the periods covered, the work is significant for being based principally on an analysis of primary (Soviet) sources. Evans' integrated analysis of changes in ideology during the post-Stalin...

Few subjects in contemporary philosophical and political debate are more cloaked in ambiguity than the issue of coercion -- whether on an individual or global scale or in areas as diverse as family relations, employment, and international finance. In this first full-length treatment of the topic, Professor Rosenbaum carefully reviews previous thinking on this question and develops a persuasive original theory focusing on the conceptual relationship between human social autonomy and coercion.

City of the Right examines the writings of some of today's most influential conservative thinkers. Irving Kristol, William F. Buckley, Edward C. Banfield, Milton Friedman, and novelist Ayn Rand receive extended consideration. Topics discussed range from authority, law and order, and traditional value systems to social welfare programs and the plight of the poor.

This "Dictionary" comprehensively surveys major twentieth-century neo-Marxian (non-orthodox) thinkers and activists throughout the world. This thorough research aid contains over 200 biographical essays which include pertinent biographical details; a summary of the entrant's significant and unique contributions to neo-Marxian theory and practice; and a bibliography of relevant primary and secondary works. The essays are prepared by a wide range of qualified and internationally recognized Marxian scholars. Special emphasis is placed on terms, concepts, and perspectives associated with each...

Douglas N. Walton considers the question of whether the conventions of informal conversation can be articulated more precisely than they are at present. Specifically, he addresses the problem of the fallacy of ad hominem argumentation as it occurs in natural settings. Can rules be formulated to determine if criticisms of apparent hypocrisy in an argument are defensible or refutable? Walton suggests that they can, and ultimately defends the thesis that ad hominem reasoning is not fallacious per se. He carries his analysis to the core of action--theoretic reasoning--by examining a number of...