POL101Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Primitive Communism, Teleology
Document Summary
Relationship between a state/government and its citizens. Taxes: extremely low in the us and high in sweden, not only high and low, many americans are convinced that high taxes are a great evil whereas swedish people are convinced they are good. The rights we have in the west come at a heavy price that has been paid over the 20th century. Historical progress: primitive communism -> slave society -> feudalism -> capitalism -> socialism -> communism is the final stage. Ukuyama;s (teleological) argument: democracy is the highest point of political organization; the end point (teleos) of history. Kaplans argument: democracy isn"t good, hardly widespread, becoming less democratic (not here to stay, 1. Democracy is a set of institutions that do nothing other than translate the will of the majority into government policy. Does nothing but translate will of people into leaders and policy: using thin definition of democracy: regular free and fair elections.
