PLAN FOR THE DAY

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PLAN FOR THE DAY

• Admin Stuff
• Classical Democracy
• Schumpeter vs. Rousseau
• Another Theory
• Dahl
• Extra Credit Sign Up

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ADMINISTRIVIA

• EXAM ON WEDNESDAY!!!
• From Matthews Lecture
• Describe the impact the English political system
  had on the development of the US Constitution
• Describe the effect feudalism had on the
  development of minority rights.
• Technical Challenges
• No ftp Capability until Monday Morning
• Web Site is Now Up
• psweb.sbs.ohio-state.edu/grads/dperkins
• Syllabus
• Study guides
• Powerpoint files
• Some useful links
• Questions of an Administrative Nature?

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CLASSICAL THEORY

• According to Schumpeter
• There Exists a Common Good
• Can be explained to all people
• All policies can be judged as to the extent it is
  in accordance with Common Good
• People, acting in unison, can and will pursue
  actions based on Common Good
• Day to day operations can be delegated to a
  committee
• Is This an Accurate Summary of Rousseau?

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SCHUMPETERS CRITIQUEThe Common Good and the
Will of the People

• No Such Thing as a Uniquely Determined Common
  Good that All People could Agree on or be Made to
  Agree on by the Force of Rational Argument.
• Not just because of anti-social or selfish
  concerns
• The common good is bound to vary across
  identities BECAUSE VALUES VARY AND VALUES ARE NOT
  LOGICAL
• How might Rousseau Respond?

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SCHUMPETERS CRITIQUE The Common Good and the
Will of the People

• Even if All Agreed on the Common Good and All
  Possessed the Virtue to Pursue it
• They Might Disagree on the Most Prudent Means!
• (Do these three things sound familiar
• Moral Understanding
• Virtue
• Technical Knowledge?)
• Can you think of Examples?
• How Might Rousseau Respond?
• (Sympathy is one of the best learning methods)

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SCHUMPETERS CRITIQUE The Will of the People
and Individual Volition

• Even if There is Some Will of the People Based
  on Public Opinion or Vote Count
• There is Nothing that Sanctifies that Decision or
  Makes it Good in Any Moral Sense
• Methodological Individualism a Good group
  decision would require a collection of Good
  individual decisions, THIS IS UNREALISTIC
• Even if Individuals were enlightened, their
  aggregate decision MAY NOT BE
• Government For the People By the People Might not
  obtain under Classical Democracy

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SCHUMPETERS CRITIQUE Human Nature in Politics

• To Summarize People are Irresponsible Malleable
  Idiots and are EVEN WORSE WHEN IN COMMITTEE
• Especially when it comes to politics
• People do not take the trouble to study
• Their cognitive shortcuts are fallible
• They tend to yield to extrarational or
  irrational prejudice and impulse. (262)
• They are easily fooled
• Is He Right?

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SCHUMPETERS CRITIQUE REASONS FOR THE SURVIVAL
OF THE CLASSICAL DOCTRINE

• Hidden Assumptions
• Specifically Protestant Morality
• The Training of Emile
• It is a Useful Political Formula
• There is Some Evidence in Support of it
• Politicians Like to Flatter the Masses
• So Why Bother Reading Rousseau?

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ANOTHER THEORY OF DEMOCRACY

• Must forget the nonsense about there being a
  Will of the People and it being the job of
  representatives to carry it out.
• The Democratic Method is that institutional
  arrangement for arriving at political decision in
  which individuals acquire the power to decide by
  means of a competitive struggle for the peoples
  vote. (269)

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SCHUMPTERS IDEAL

• Leaders Compete to Rule
• Recognizes the need for LEADERSHIP
• Among other things, leaders tell (and give)
  people what is best for them
• So it incorporates many elements of the
  guardianship
• But Also Responds to the Will of Groups
• Politicians have incentives to find and use these
• So it incorporates many elements of classical
  democracy
• Leaves more room for Individual Freedom
• If all are free to compete, must be some freedoms
• People help select leaders, but more importantly,
  THEY ALSO CAN EVICT LEADERS
• Rules can be created that protect minorities
• Unlike the straight majority rule of Rousseau

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DEMOCRATIC KNOWLEDGE DAHL THE GENERAL GOOD

• The general good of a city or a nation can always
  be decomposed into what is good for the persons
  in the community or nation who are affected by
  it. The general good is not something different
  from the interests or the good of the persons who
  compose the collectivity or are affected by it.
  (page 72)
• Where would you put Dahl in relation to Rousseau
  and Schumpeter?
• Which one do you prefer?

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EXAM ON WEDNESDAY!

• Questions?