Essays and Research Papers on Political Theory

A 10 page discussion of the history of political parties in American government. Trading their history from the ideologies which prevailed during the construction of the Constitution itself, the author emphasizes that although we have essentially settled on a two party system, this scenario has been relatively frequently challenged. Never-the-less, there are numerous ...

a 5 page essay on the uniqueness of the American system of democracy. No where else in the world has one document played such a pivotal role in government throughout a nation's history. France, for example, has had no less then 11 constitutions since disposing of its monarchy. The writer argues that the longevity of ...

A 2 page comprehensive analysis of the ideas that underlie John Locke's definition of Property in his Essay on Civil Government. A good reference for those studying U.S. Constitutional History. No Bibliography.

A complex, 10 page political discussion of what makes democracy work-- based on available readings. Essay includes a thorough history of political though and social theory bringing readers all the way from classic Athenian models to the present. Discussions of labor, individual freedom, and welfare are scattered throughout this well-organized treatise. Bibliography lists 8+ sources.

A 5 page paper discussing Karl Marx and how modern history and historians discredit his predictions for the development of the revolution throughout the world. Bibliography lists five sources.

A 5 page fictional dialogue between Karl Marx and Frederick Douglass from the viewpoint of their writings, including Douglass' Independence Day speech and his speech to the Anti-Slavery Association in 1883, and Marx's Communist Manifesto and History.

A 5 page fictional dialogue between Niccolo Machiavelli, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Friedriche Nietzsche, from the viewpoint of their histories and writings. These 4 men were responsible for many long held political philosophies.

Political theorist Ruth Lane considers the nature of the subdiscipline of comparative politics and provides a comprehensive analysis of political systems. Lane discusses comparative politics as an art through the specific view of the complexity of political development and the demonstration of the link between political design and history. This 5 page paper demonstrates ...

A 5 page review of the stability and instability of the United States’ two-party political system. Offers three factors as an explanations for the continuity of this system over time. these factors are economic, societal and issue-related. Draws heavily on the authors James L. Sundquist and Thomas Ferguson to explain these factors. ...

A 5 page discussion of the opinions voiced by Herbert Aptheker in his 1967 book 'The Nature of Democracy, Freedom and Revolution.' The writer argues that by contrasting Marxist philosophy against 'bourgeois' democracy and revolution, Aptheker offers a perspective on history and political philosophy that is truly intriguing, if somewhat dated in his conclusions. No ...

8 pages in length. The writer discusses the various notions and applications of democracy as they have existed throughout history, including references to Alexis de Tocqueville, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln, Lauren Berlant and Frederick Douglass. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page discussion of the similarities between John Locke's philosophy of government and that of Immanuel Kant. Notes that each had very definitive ideas of individual rights and the relation of those rights to law and government. Contends that in practically every respect John Locke's idea of government can be demonstrated to ...

A 6 page discussion of the importance of political alliances between countries. Uses the United Nations as an example of the most complex of political alliances in existence and as one of the most effective in peace keeping. Contends that while political alliances have undergone a series of changes throughout history as well ...

A 6 page analysis of the book by Robert N. Bellah, et al (1985). In the 1830s, the French scholar Alexis de Tocqueville recorded his insightful observations pertaining to the American character. This work relates to Tocqueville's Democracy in America and gives it a modern context, based on the authors' sociological research that shows how ...

A 5 page paper discussing and comparing theories of Henry David Thoreau and Thomas Jefferson as they relate to government's importance to the individual citizen. No additional sources cited.

An 8 page paper discussing the future of America's political parties. An old saying that holds too true is that the Democrats institute the social programs and the Republicans work them into the budget. In looking back over the decades of only this century, that rule of thumb appears to be irrefutable. ...

A 6 page analysis of U.S. party politics, party switching, and elections from 1980-98 - within the context of Anthony Down's 'Economic Theory of Democracy' (1957). Bibliography lists 4 sources.

In 5 pages the writer discusses whether political parties matter. It is ultimately argued that political parties do, in fact, still represent significant importance in the United States. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page comparison of the theories of the factors which cause political change as proposed by Thomas Ferguson in 1995 and James Sundquist in 1973 (first edition). Concludes that Sundquist's 'conflict' explanation is superior to Ferguson's 'investment' explanation even though the first was proposed over two decades previous to the last. Bibliography ...

This 10 page report discusses American political cartoons and the commentary they make regarding events taking place in the public arena. Of course a cartoon is supposed to be a light touch. It does not exactly accuse. But in many ways, it is far more powerful than any accusation because it has the power of social sanction. Cartoonists are simply using ...

A 5 page paper which examines John Stuart Mill's concept of an ideal marriage, and his description of what a good marriage should be like, as considered in "The Subjection of Women."

5 pages in length. Probably the most important piece of any government puzzle is that of the political parties. According to most polls, however, they are widely felt to be in decline today. It is important to understand the role as well as to explore the health of political parties not only in the United States ...

This 27 page paper provides an overview of over 10 public health essays, each one answering specific questions regarding public health action. Bibliography lists 18 sources.

A 3 page essay discussing John Locke's perceptions and philosophy regarding human ideas as the primary and the difference to ideas of the secondary qualities. No additional sources cited.

This 47 page paper provides twelve distinct essays. The paper is divided rather evenly to address the following questions provided by a student: What are the functions that a good theory should fulfill? According to the criteria set out by James Rosenau in thinking theory thoroughly, would you describe yourself as a theoretical ...