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Author: Kevin Vallier Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0190632836 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 257
Book Description
Americans today are far less likely to trust their institutions, and each other, than in decades past. This collapse in social and political trust arguably fuels our increasingly ferocious ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. Many believe that our previously high levels of trust and bipartisanship were a pleasant anomaly and that we now live under the historic norm. Seen this way, politics itself is nothing more than a power struggle between groups with irreconcilable aims: contemporary American politics is war because political life as such is war. Must Politics Be War? argues that our shared liberal democratic institutions have the unique capacity to sustain social and political trust between diverse persons. In succinct, convincing prose, Kevin Vallier argues that constitutional rights and democratic governance prevent any one ideology or faith from dominating all others, thereby protecting each person's freedom to live according to her values and principles. Illiberal arrangements, where one group's ideology or faith reigns, turn those who disagree into unwilling subversives, persons with little reason to trust their regime or to be trustworthy in obeying it. Liberal arrangements, in contrast, incentivize trust and trustworthiness because they allow people with diverse and divergent ends to act with conviction. Those with opposing viewpoints become trustworthy because they can obey the rules of their society without acting against their ideals. Therefore, as Vallier illuminates, a liberal society is one at moral peace with a politics that is not war.
Author: Kevin Vallier Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0190632836 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 257
Book Description
Americans today are far less likely to trust their institutions, and each other, than in decades past. This collapse in social and political trust arguably fuels our increasingly ferocious ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. Many believe that our previously high levels of trust and bipartisanship were a pleasant anomaly and that we now live under the historic norm. Seen this way, politics itself is nothing more than a power struggle between groups with irreconcilable aims: contemporary American politics is war because political life as such is war. Must Politics Be War? argues that our shared liberal democratic institutions have the unique capacity to sustain social and political trust between diverse persons. In succinct, convincing prose, Kevin Vallier argues that constitutional rights and democratic governance prevent any one ideology or faith from dominating all others, thereby protecting each person's freedom to live according to her values and principles. Illiberal arrangements, where one group's ideology or faith reigns, turn those who disagree into unwilling subversives, persons with little reason to trust their regime or to be trustworthy in obeying it. Liberal arrangements, in contrast, incentivize trust and trustworthiness because they allow people with diverse and divergent ends to act with conviction. Those with opposing viewpoints become trustworthy because they can obey the rules of their society without acting against their ideals. Therefore, as Vallier illuminates, a liberal society is one at moral peace with a politics that is not war.
Author: Walter Karp Publisher: ISBN: 9781879957558 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
Politics of War describes the emergence of the United States as a world power between the years 1890 and 1920-our contrivance of the Spanish-American War and our gratuitous entrance into World War I-and by filling in the back story of an era in which mendacious oligarchy organized the country's politics in a manner convenient to its own indolence and greed, Karp offers a clearer understanding of our current political circumstance.
Author: Carl M. Cannon Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers ISBN: 146161421X Category : History Languages : en Pages : 342
Book Description
The Founders wrote in 1776 that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are unalienable American rights. In The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of War, Carl M. Cannon shows how this single phrase is one of almost unbelievable historical power. It was this rich rhetorical vein that New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and President George W. Bush tapped into after 9/11 when they urged Americans to go to ballgames, to shop, to do things that made them happy even in the face of unrivaled horror. From the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism, Americans have lived out this creed. They have been helped in this effort by their elected leaders, who in times of war inevitably hark back to Jefferson's soaring language. If the former Gotham mayor and the current president had perfect pitch in the days after September 11, so too have American presidents and other leaders throughout our nation's history. In this book, Mr. Cannon—a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist—traces the roots of Jefferson's powerful phrase and explores how it has been embraced by wartime presidents for two centuries. Mr. Cannon draws on original research at presidential libraries and interviews with Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, among others. He discussed with the presidents exactly what the phrase means to them. Mr. Cannon charts how Americans' understanding of the pursuit of happiness has changed through the years as the nation itself has changed. In the end, America's political leaders have all come to the same conclusion as its spiritual leaders: True happiness—either for a nation or an individual—does not come from conquest or fortune or even from the attainment of freedom itself. It comes in the pursuit of happiness for the benefit of others. This may be one truth that contemporary liberals and conservatives can agree on. John McCain and Jimmy Carter both envision happiness as a sacrifice to a higher calling, embodied in everything from McCain's time as a prisoner of war to the N
Author: Brooks D. Simpson Publisher: UNC Press Books ISBN: 1469617463 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 360
Book Description
Historians have traditionally drawn distinctions between Ulysses S. Grant's military and political careers. In Let Us Have Peace, Brooks Simpson questions such distinctions and offers a new understanding of this often enigmatic leader. He argues that during the 1860s Grant was both soldier and politician, for military and civil policy were inevitably intertwined during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. According to Simpson, Grant instinctively understood that war was 'politics by other means.' Moreover, he realized that civil wars presented special challenges: reconciliation, not conquest, was the Union's ultimate goal. And in peace, Grant sought to secure what had been won in war, stepping in to assume a more active role in policymaking when the intransigence of white Southerners and the obstructionist behavior of President Andrew Johnson threatened to spoil the fruits of Northern victory.
Author: Dan Reiter Publisher: Princeton University Press ISBN: 9781400824458 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 304
Book Description
Why do democracies win wars? This is a critical question in the study of international relations, as a traditional view--expressed most famously by Alexis de Tocqueville--has been that democracies are inferior in crafting foreign policy and fighting wars. In Democracies at War, the first major study of its kind, Dan Reiter and Allan Stam come to a very different conclusion. Democracies tend to win the wars they fight--specifically, about eighty percent of the time. Complementing their wide-ranging case-study analysis, the authors apply innovative statistical tests and new hypotheses. In unusually clear prose, they pinpoint two reasons for democracies' success at war. First, as elected leaders understand that losing a war can spell domestic political backlash, democracies start only those wars they are likely to win. Secondly, the emphasis on individuality within democratic societies means that their soldiers fight with greater initiative and superior leadership. Surprisingly, Reiter and Stam find that it is neither economic muscle nor bandwagoning between democratic powers that enables democracies to win wars. They also show that, given societal consent, democracies are willing to initiate wars of empire or genocide. On the whole, they find, democracies' dependence on public consent makes for more, rather than less, effective foreign policy. Taking a fresh approach to a question that has long merited such a study, this book yields crucial insights on security policy, the causes of war, and the interplay between domestic politics and international relations.
Author: MR Gary J. Gagliardi Publisher: ISBN: 9781929194728 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 228
Book Description
Two books in one. This book contains the complete award-winning translation of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" plus its line-by-line adaptation, "The Art of Politics," applying Sun Tzu's proven principles to winning campaigns. The two versions, the original text and its application to politics, are shown side-by-side, line-by-line. The purpose of this book is to introduce those involved in political campaigns to the strategic principles of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and their use in politics. In Sun Tzu's view, success goes not to the most aggressive but to those who best understand their situation and what their alternatives really are. When you have mastered Sun Tzu's system of strategy, you will be able to almost instantly analyze political situations, spot political opportunities, and make the appropriate decisions. This book addresses a range of challenges, including evaluating your supporters and voters, planning a campaign, adjusting to the local voters' specific needs, diagnosing a voter's behavior, and so on. Sample Text (Chapter One, Stanzas 1-2) "Sun Tzu said: This is war. It is the most important skill in the nation. It is the basis of life and death. It is the philosophy of survival or destruction. You must know it well." The campaigner hears: This is politics. It is the most valuable skill in any nation. It is the source of a nation's wealth or poverty. It is a course to success or disaster. You must study politics seriously. "Your skill comes from five factors. Study these factors when you plan war. You must insist on knowing your situation. 1. Discuss philosophy. 2. Discuss the climate. 3. Discuss the ground. 4. Discuss leadership. 5. Discuss military methods." Using five factors determines your political success. Consider all these factors when you analyze a given political race. You use them to know your political position: 1. Talk about your political philosophy. 2. Talk about the changing political trends. 3. Talk about the politics of the geographical area. 4. Talk about each politician's talents. 5. And talk about your campaign process. Table of Contents Art of War Art of Politics Foreword: Using Strategy in Politics 9 Introduction: Sun Tzu's Basic Concepts 17 1 Analysis 24 Your Political Position 26 2 Going to War 38 Picking a Campaign 40 3 Planning an Attack 50 Your Political Ground 52 4 Positioning 62 Positions on Issues 64 5 Momentum 74 Creative Campaigning 76 6 Weakness and Strength 86 Your Voters' Needs 88 7 Armed Conflict 102 Contacting Voters 104 8 Adaptability 116 Campaign Adjustments 118 9 Armed March 126 Moving the Campaign Forward 128 10 Field Position 146 Campaign Positions 148 11 Types of Terrain 164 Campaign Stages 166 12 Attacking with Fire 190 Firestorms of Controversy 192 13 Using Spies 202 Political Intelligence 204 Glossary of Terms in The Art of War 216 Index of Topics in The Art of War 220 About the Authors
Author: G. John Ikenberry Publisher: Princeton University Press ISBN: 140088084X Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 332
Book Description
The end of the Cold War was a "big bang" reminiscent of earlier moments after major wars, such as the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the end of the world wars in 1919 and 1945. But what do states that win wars do with their newfound power, and how do they use it to build order? In After Victory, John Ikenberry examines postwar settlements in modern history, arguing that powerful countries do seek to build stable and cooperative relations, but the type of order that emerges hinges on their ability to make commitments and restrain power. He explains that only with the spread of democracy in the twentieth century and the innovative use of international institutions—both linked to the emergence of the United States as a world power—has order been created that goes beyond balance of power politics to exhibit "constitutional" characteristics. Blending comparative politics with international relations, and history with theory, After Victory will be of interest to anyone concerned with the organization of world order, the role of institutions in world politics, and the lessons of past postwar settlements for today.