S/P/318. Social Darwinism

The paper reviews the ideas of Herbert Spencer about the application of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to the human society comparing his understanding of economic partnership to that of Andrew Carnegie.

P/P/302. Which political system is more democratic?

The paper examines the essential features of democracy describing the main types of political systems, i.e. the parliamentary system and the presidential system with distinct executive and legislative branches. The distribution of power within both systems and their subsequent stability are compared discussing which of the systems offers stronger democracy.

P/P/301. Welfare spending and philanthropy

The paper examines the motives behind philanthropic behaviour reviewing academic approaches to empathy, charity, altruism, self-interest, etc. The practices of ‘welfare spending’ in Western democracies are reviewed discussing the implications of the majority voting rule.

P/P/292. Historical and political insight into democracy

The paper examines the meaning of democracy as a form of government reviewing the history of democratic movements, political attitudes to democracy during the Cold War, the ‘Democratic peace theory’, the economic aspects of present day democracies, the issues of developing countries’ transformation into liberal democracy, etc.

P/P/285. Relationship between policy and intelligence

The paper examines the relationship between policy and intelligence reviewing the links between the British intelligence analysts and political decision-makers. The theoretical framework of the study is reviewed; the structure and mechanisms of the British intelligence assessment system are described; the issues of the balance between intimacy and detachment in JIC (Joint Intelligence Committee) relations with the policy-makers are discussed.

P/P/280. Perfect public policy implementation: myth or reality?

The paper examines the possibility of the perfect implementation of a public policy arguing that people are unpredictable and discussing the factors that affect policy outcomes including the “decision points” in British politics, the reasons for policies’ failure or success, etc. The problems of the British policy-making system are reviewed.

S/P/47. Compare and contrast the assumptions, if any, which classical elitists, pluralists and rational choice theorists bring to the analysis and explanation of politics. Give examples.

The assumptions of classical elitists, pluralists and rational choice theorists differ in many respects. However, in my opinion some of the main assumptions of elitists and rational choice theorists are quite similar. I shall explain this in greater detail during the course of this essay. Firstly I will give a brief description of the various theories. Then I will discuss the differences between the theories using pluralism mainly as a contrast. While the three analyse politics, elitism seems to show the leaders in politics rather than explain politics unlike pluralism and rational choice theory. By using examples I will attempt to demonstrate the universality of the theories and briefly state how they apply outside of politics, hence showing that the three theories have common characteristics.

S/P/45. Which is the most valid theory of the state?

This paper examines the three main theories of state, Elitism, pluralism and Marxism, each of which tries to establish what the nature of the state is. This is done by arguing who has power and why they have it. They also give different accounts of the origins of the state and how it affects society. This paper looks at all three critically and tries to determine which theory is the most valid.

C/P/46. Consideration of Marxist Feminism

This essay considers aspects of Marxist feminism, which was one of the main strands of Feminism in the 1970’s. It considers the character of this school of thought and some of the strengths and weakness of it. It concludes that despite the deep criticism of the school that some combination of Feminist and Marxist thought is still important today.

C/P/45. A Critical Review of Theoretical Approaches to GPE

This is a review of four articles on global political economy and suggests the importance of globalisation, gender and politics in defining international trade and political relations. The articles are based on different aspects of international politics and highlights realist, socialist and feminist approaches to trade, economic and politics. The interrelationships between various concepts of economy and politics are shown and a comparative analysis is drawn between the four chosen articles.

P/P/240. Link between oil resources and democratic development

The paper examines strategic effects of oil discovery seeking to identify whether or not a country rich in oil slows down in developing democracy. The reasons for the emergence of the European democracies are reviewed; the features of renter states are discussed.

P/P/239. Minority governments

The paper examines minority governments (MG) offering definitions of MG, mechanics of forming MG, etc. A review of theories is provided touching on the link between minority governments and electoral systems, political systems that allow MG, MG in European democracies, etc.

P/P/229. Nuclear proliferation: theories and policies

The paper reviews theoretical opinions on the motives behind nuclear proliferation covering the issues of national security, nuclear adversaries, nuclear acquisition, etc. Examples of nuclear policy are given including the cold-war policy of the Soviet Union, South Africa, the policy of the French president Charles de Gaulle, etc.

S/P/37. The Bad Reputation of Interest Groups

In a democratic set up, the representatives of the people, who are elected to form the government, need to be in close touch with the grassroots, receiving proper feedback to enable them to effectively serve the cause for which they have been elected. Helping them in this cause are the various interest groups of people who act as conduits for transmission of the peoples ideas, needs and views. These special interest groups, besides providing information expertise to the candidates and office holders, help in spreading information to the common man and encourage them to use their right to vote. Although these interest groups had started off doing yeoman service to the candidates and the common men, they have, of late, acquired negative characteristics that have tarnished their image. Several factors are responsible for giving a bad name to these interest groups. These factors have been discussed in this article at length. Primarily, the main reason is associated with the disbursement of funds that are raised by the political parties, the special interest groups and the political action committees (PAC). Moreover, although the special interest groups are supposed to show the importance of maintaining actual and perceived impartiality and judicial independence, in practice they do not adhere to these principles as the stakes might be too high to lose their own interests.

S/P/36. Compare And Contrast A US Presidential Campaign To A Regular Political Campaign

The President of the United States of America is perhaps the most powerful person on this planet and his actions can affect the whole world. As such only the most capable person is elected to this prestigious and powerful post. In order to win the presidential elections, the candidate must have immense mental stamina and the ability to think quickly. Moreover, the first step towards winning such an election is planning, preparing and executing a poll campaign which is indeed a very complex process and needs a thoroughly competent campaign team. In sharp contrast to the congressional elections, the ambit of the presidential elections is nation-wide and as such it requires a much larger amount of effort, planning and funds. Moreover, a presidential election consists of two stages: getting the party nomination and participating in the elections with the prime aim of winning it. The campaign itself has to be in three stages, which are: securing a base, making a strategy, and ensuring the vote. The most important part of the campaign, however, is the financial aspect, as adequate funds need to be made available to the campaign team to execute the election programs. Moreover it is very important to assign responsibilities to each and every member of the team. Most Americans feel that the election process is too long and not fair and equal in all states. Suggestions have been made that the national primaries should be held on the same day in all the states. Out of the three basic requirements of an electoral process i.e., a candidate, an organization and adequate funds- the most important need is a capable candidate who can take the process through to a successful conclusion.

P/P/211. Human rights across cultures: theoretical review

The paper examines the issues of human rights in the international affairs since the end of World War II reviewing literature on liberal tradition in societies, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the debate around individual vs. cultural autonomy, the minimalist conception of human rights, the ‘law of peoples, reasonable pluralism, etc.

S/P/34. The creation of, and the extent of power held by Hobbes sovereign

This paper details the steps given by Hobbes' in order to justify a sovereign. It then gives a more balanced account of Hobbes' political theory than simply saying he was a justifier of tyrants, showing that Hobbes' own words did endow humans with some (albeit very limited) rights, and the sovereign with some duties. This paper therefore aims to show that Hobbes' political theory was not entirely one sided and thus tries to save his work from the caricature interpretation it often receives.

S/P/31. Give an account and critically consider Taylors idea of recognition

This paper deals with the idea of recognition and what it means to the identity of individuals and groups, especially in liberal, western societies. It particularly concentrates on the idea of recognition elicited in Charles Taylor's seminal essay "The Politics of Recognition," offering first a description of his essay, then a critique of it, and finally an alternative. In this paper the idea is applied in particular to Quebecois separatists and education in multicultural societies.

P/P/208. Political risk management: case study of Bata

The paper analyses political strategies of Bata, a world-wide company operating in diverse political environment. Types of political systems are defined; Batas practices in political risk management in different countries are reviewed with the focus on the Republic of Slovakia.

P/P/196. Comparative method in political science

The paper discusses the application of the comparative method in modern political science reviewing the ideas of by Hague and Harrop, Todd Landman, Richard Merritt and Pennings and Keman. The origins, advantages and disadvantages of comparative politics are compared.

S/P/28. The Taiwanese Lobby in the United States

The essay examines the activities of various Taiwanese lobbies and interest groups present in the United States. The author analyses the structure, goals, activities and aspirations of the major Taiwanese groups working to counter China and promote the islands independence. Their role in the United States is scrutinised from the point of view of Taiwans geopolitical ambitions and US national interests.

P/P/147. Reforming UK voting system

The paper looks at the existing British electoral system focusing on the so-called elective dictatorship and arguing the advantages and disadvantages of alternative voting systems, namely, the system of proportional representation (PR) in electing parliament. The practices of regional assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Europe are briefly reviewed.

S/P/26. How Reasonable was Marx's expectation that the development of human productive powers would destroy the viability of the Capitalist State?

This essay will outline Marx's theory, and propose that it is impossible to accept the emphasis that Marx places upon the determinate capacities of the economy. The essay will outline a number of theoretical considerations and support such conclusions using the developments of Communism in USSR. However, it will not mistakenly regard such political events as the practical application of Marx's theorising, but to show the dangers of Marx's logic and how ideas are influential forces themselves in history, contradicting Marx's teleological assumptions.

S/P/25. To what extent was Schumpeter right to suppose that representative democracy is best explained as a method 'for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people's vote'?

Schumpeter (1952) regarded representative democracy as merely the means for acquiring political leaders who, once in power, would act autonomously of the 'masses.' Schumpeter's thought has been challenged on a number of accounts, particularly his disregard of the relevance of frequent elections. This essay will present Schumpeter's theory of democracy, criticisms of his theory and the alternatives, advocating that neither the "classical doctrine" of democracy or Schumpeter's minimalist conception of democracy is satisfactory in explaining the dynamics of representative democracy. Rather, this essay will propose that politicians are likely to adapt their objectives and proposals in order to be elected, and if they succeed, they will maintain an autonomy, which is, however, merely a partial autonomy, constrained by the desire to be re-elected.

S/P/24. Could peaceful relations between states be secured on the basis of reason and universal moral law?

This essay takes Kant's theory as a starting point from the end of Hobbes' theory of the state. It explores Kant's theory in detail, and critique's his theory from a realist perspective, noting the position states are in the international state of nature. It uses the war against Serbia to support such claims, and proposes that there is, in politics (in Weber's terms) an 'irreconcilable clash of values.'

S/P/22. Are representation and the separation of powers the "republican remedy for the diseases most incident to republican government" that Madison supposed?

This essay explores Madison's thoughts as presented in the Federalist Papers in relation to representation and the separation of powers. The essay evaluates Madison's proposals, explores the problem of minorities in representative democracies, pluralist thought and elitist/ Marxist critiques, the contradictory interpretations of the judiciary, and outlines different forms of representative democracy.

P/P/143. Finding solutions to policy problems

The paper deals with the issues of public policy concentrating on the rational and incremental theories of policy-making. Both approaches are defined and compared at the descriptive and prescriptive levels; their strengths and weaknesses are outlined. Conclusions are made about the value of these methods for finding solutions to policy problems.

P/P/135. Anarchy and the functions of state

The paper seeks to find a philosophical, social and political definition to the concepts of "anarchy" and "anarchist". The views of political anarchists about the functions of "state" are discussed focusing on liberty, equality and solidarity. The weak points of anarchism are outlined.

S/P/18. Does the degree of satisfaction with the democratic process have an affect on whether a person casts a ballot or not? (Great Britain and Germany)

This assignment looks at whether the "Degree of satisfaction with the democratic process" has any bearing upon "Whether a person casts a ballot or not". It looks at data from Great Britain and Germany. This is a Political Science paper with statistical and graphical representations of data using the highly sophisticated software package: SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences.) Everything is complete and included within this paper/assignment (the graphs etc and my analyses).

P/P/104. Packaging politics and its effect on democracy

The paper investigates the ápackaging of politics, or political marketing that promotes the features of modern politics and voting behaviour in the media. Focusing on the growth of political news and image management the author contends that politicians seek to dominate the press, radio and television. The paper offers a survey of views on the communication of political messages and its impacts on public opinion and democracy.

P/P/85. Capitalism and Democracy

The essay critically discusses whether capitalism and democracy are compatible in relation to two theories of democracy

P/P/86. Italy and France: Decline of the Communism

Essay critically discusses the reasons and account for the decline of communism in Italy and France since the 1970s

P/P/82. Liberal Democracy as a Hybrid Form of Government

Liberal democracy is sometimes described as a hybrid form of government. The paper discusses the meaning of this description and what its implications for contemporary politics are

P/P/76. Bulgaria and Romania: An event of 1989

The paper discusses whether the events of 1989 in Bulgaria and Romania constituted revolutions or palace coups.

P/P/69. Marx's Intellectual Formation and Left Hegelia writers

The paper discusses how far a desire to explain Marx's intellectual formation obscures the broader significance of the Left Hegelia writers

P/P/67.Liberalism and Frankfurt School

The paper critically discusses whether the liberalism was part of the problem or part of the solution for the Frankfurt School

P/P/65. Why do women and children always suffer in war?

This essay aims to analyse why women and children do always suffer in war. Essay investigates how women and children come to suffer in war in more obvious ways, along with an appreciation of contemporary trends and discusses the prevailing issues of child soldiers and women soldiers, and how they fit into the traditional gender roles. Essay concludes with the by assessing whether the dominance of men within the military and within actual acts of war, and the subsequent relegation of women and children to the private realm, will sustain throughout the twenty-first century.

P/P/60. ASSESS THE EXTENT TO WHICH HIRST'S THESIS ON "ASSOCIATIVE DEMOCRACY" FLESHES OUT THE CIVIL SOCIETY DEBATE

This essay is looking at the raising of new forms of economic and social governance; concept of "Associative Democracy" and whether "Associative Democracy" can be a tool of analysis for reconstructing relations between state and Civil Society

P/P/63. 'The myth was as powerful as the reality.' Discuss this comment on the Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day

This essay is discussing the comment on the Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day: 'The myth was as powerful as the reality'. Essay is referring to various sources including historical events.

P/P/62. To what extent did the Reformation increase the power of monarchs? England 1534-1553 and France 1515-1559

This essay analyses to what extent the Reformation increased the power of monarchs in England 1534-1553 and in France 1515-1559.

Page 1>Page 3>Page 4>