After reading a handful of responses to the second weekly assignment for GOVT 2305 I've concluded that I should have spend a bit more time on ideology, so I'll post a few items illustrating the main concepts of the four I asked you to consider: conservatism, liberalism, libertarianism and socialism. I asked you to think of the ways that people who identified with each would process the events in Ferguson and determine what the underlying problem was and what solutions might exist to combat it.I'll post a few recent stories that illustrate how the concepts are used, but remembers that sufficient information to answer this question is in the class notes - notably sections 2 and 3. I try to be helpful that way.
Here's some of what I was looking for, an understanding that each viewpoint rests on an underlying value which guides adherents in figuring out what to think about certain event - like the shooting in Ferguson. It helps explain the public policy process because it influences what is and is not likely to come to the public agenda, and if it does, how it will be framed.
This is very loose and can be easily challenged, but one way to determine what principle value underlies each of the ideologies I asked you reference:
- libertarianism - liberty
- conservatism - traditionalism
- liberalism - equality balanced by liberty
- socialism - equality
This is meant to be simplistic. Exceptions and modification exist, and some of these overlap, but using this as a guideline it's easy to see that a libertarian might prioritize militarized police forces as a primary instigator of this conflict - or at least a major concern revealed by the event. A conservative night not even see much of a problem here at all. Police are there to enforce traditional relationships and impose law and order and they may be more willing to see things the way that justifies police activity.
Both liberalism and socialism prioritize equality as a principle value and would likely look at any inequities that exist between the people of Ferguson and the broader society. Differences along racial lines would likely predominate, but class distinctions would as well. This would also include analysis of law enforcement tactics. Are minority populations treated the same as white folks? If not - and evidence suggests they are not - is that a driving force behind the conflict we see on display? These groups would likely agree. The difference between the socialist and the liberal would be the degree to which they would want to upend existing arrangements in order to address this inequality. The socialist would likely favor a radical redistribution of wealth where the liberal would temper that with an acknowledgement of individual property rights.
I'll post more - but these are concepts that are important to internalize and understand.
And yes they will be on the final.
