Liberalism And Conservatism Essays - Political Ideologies

Liberalism And Conservatism Essays - Political Ideologies Liberalism And Conservatism Barry Whiteside Professor Whiteclay English 101 6:30 3 October 2000 Liberalism and Conservatism Liberalism and conservatism have been political ideas and thoughts from the very birth of our democracy. Their views and points of the governments role in a democratic society have changed over the years, but the basic ideas and principles have remained the same. There are many different degrees of liberalism and conservatism as almost anyone can be labeled. Some individuals are radical and extreme while others stand on more of a neutral territory, but the debates between the understood ideas of each group have continued throughout the history of the United States. We will take liberalisms Gary Doore and conservatisms Irving Kristol as modern day examples and compare and contrast the political ways of thinking of each individual. Conservatism is comprised of religion, nationalism, and economic growth. Among these, Irving Kristol believes religion is most important (18). Why? Obviously, religion doesnt teach people to do wrong. In fact, as most of us know, religion sternly instills good values and morals in a person at an early age. These ideas are what tell people right from wrong, good from bad. Religion motivates people to succeed in life not in materialistic aspects, but in law abiding, respectful aspects. Respect for God, life and other human beings. So how can this be bad for a society? It cant and thats why conservatives think it is most important in the function of a government (18-19) If America could live up to the religious standard, crime would be nonexistent. Of course, this is impossible, but it is the idea that drives conservative thinkers. Kristol points out that recent liberal attempts to slow down and decrease the crime rate have not worked (20). Additionally with each liberal programs failure, more and more American people discredit and distrust the government. Overall, the common conservative consensus is that religious ideals should replace big business-like government and the spending that comes with it. (20-21) Liberty, rights, justice and equality are ideals liberalists such as Gary Doore view as the most important aspects in the democracy of America (24). They also feel America has recently drawn away from these ideals and is therefore not as democratic as it once was or can be in the future. Doore believes there is especially room for democratization in the workplace (28). In fact, he points out that it is the lack of freedom of expression and the restrictive environment of the workplace that has led to this situation. More ideas and innovations would come from corporations if they would allow more freedom to its employees. Not only would workers benefit, but the company they work for would also. (28) Another cause for the break down of democracy in America stems from the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George Bush (Doore 26). Because of the Cold War era and the insecurities it brought to the American people, the administrations thought it was necessary to tighten down and take control. To do this they called for more powers to the executive branch. As a result, Doore and other liberals began to see more of an authoritarian government take shape, and the term imperial presidency was created. The situations went as far as banning newspapers and magazines from Cuba, North Vietnam, and Albania (27). These limits, as well as the restrictive environment of the workplace are what liberals feel are most responsible for the decay of democracy that has taken place over the past few decades. Both Doore and Kristol bring up interesting arguments, but they go too far. Kristol was quick to point out that liberal programs have not slowed down the crime rate at all, but the recent attempts by Clinton and his liberal programs have done just that, so their numbers claim. And how about the deficit? Also, a large turnaround. Who or what is responsible for that though? Clinton definitely takes credit for more than he deserves. Doore states that the administrations of Reagan and Bush created somewhat of an authoritarian government. It did go too far, but some of the actions they took were necessary to control the insecurities the Cold War brought forth. It also helped in ending that period. When Doore wrote

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions These resolutions were written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts. These resolutions were the first attempts by states rights advocates to impose the rule of nullification. In their version, they argued that since the government was created as a compact of the states, they had the right to ‘nullify’ laws that they felt exceeded the granted power of the Federal government. Four Measures of the Alien and Sedition Acts The Alien and Sedition acts were passed while  John Adams  was serving as Americas second president. Their purpose was to fight against criticisms people were making against the government and more specifically the Federalists.  The Acts consist of four measures designed to limit immigration and free speech. They include: The Naturalization Act  - This act increased the residency time for individuals applying for U.S. citizenship. Immigrants would have to live in the US for 14 years in order to be eligible for citizenship. Previous to this, the requirement was 5 years. The reason for this act was that America was in danger of going to war with France. This would give the president the ability to better deal with suspicious foreign nationals.  The Alien Act  - Following the passage of the Naturalization Act, the Alien Act continued to give more power to the presidency over foreign nationals living in the U.S. The president was given the ability to deport aliens during peacetime.The Alien Enemy Act  - A little less than a month later, President Adams signed this Act into law. The purpose of the Alien Enemy Act was to give the president the ability to expel or imprison aliens during times of declared war if those aliens had ties to Americas enemies.  The  Sedition Act  - The final act, pass ed on July 14, 1798, was the most controversial. Any conspiracy against the government including riots and interference with officers would result in a high misdemeanor. This went so far as to stop people from speaking in a false, scandalous and malicious manner against the government.  Newspaper, pamphlet and broadside publishers who printed articles aimed primarily at his administration were the intended targets. The backlash to these acts was probably the main reason why  John Adams  was not elected to a second term as president. The Virginia Resolutions, authored by James Madison, argued that Congress was overstepping their bounds and using a power not delegated to them by the Constitution. The Kentucky Resolutions, authored by Thomas Jefferson, argued that states had the power of nullification, the ability to nullify federal laws. This would later be argued by John C. Calhoun and the southern states as the Civil War neared. However, when the topic came up again in 1830, Madison argued against this idea of nullification.   In the end, Jefferson was able to use the reaction to these acts to ride to the presidency, defeating John Adams in the process.