political philosophy
10 articles
Authoritarianism: Types, Mechanisms of Control, and Democratic Backsliding
Authoritarianism describes regimes that concentrate power and suppress opposition. Learn Linz's regime typology, competitive authoritarianism, Freedom House data on democratic decline, mechanisms of control, and case studies of backsliding.
Checks and Balances: How Each Branch Constrains the Others
Checks and balances are the mutual constraints each branch of government holds over the others. Learn the specific mechanisms of the U.S. system, key constitutional cases, parliamentary equivalents, and how norms sustain formal rules.
Civil Society: NGOs, Associations, and the Space Between State and Market
Civil society encompasses the voluntary associations, NGOs, and public institutions that operate between the state and the market. Learn Tocqueville's observation, Gramsci's hegemony theory, Habermas's public sphere, and the global shrinking of civic space.
Electoral Systems Compared: First-Past-the-Post, Proportional, and Mixed
Electoral systems determine how votes translate into seats. This guide compares FPTP, proportional representation, STV, and mixed-member systems, covering Duverger's Law, gerrymandering, gender quotas, and real-world case studies.
Federalism vs. Unitary States: How Power Is Divided Within Nations
Federalism distributes sovereignty between national and subnational governments; unitary states concentrate it centrally. Learn U.S. dual sovereignty, German cooperative federalism, UK devolution, fiscal federalism, and the advantages and pitfalls of each model.
Liberalism vs. Conservatism: Core Principles and Historical Roots
Liberalism and conservatism trace distinct intellectual lineages through Locke, Mill, Rawls and Burke, Oakeshott, Hayek. This article compares their organizing values, economic policy positions, and how both traditions evolved in American and European politics.
Libertarianism: Individual Freedom, Limited Government, and the Non-Aggression Principle
Libertarianism holds that individual liberty is the paramount political value, grounded in the non-aggression principle. Learn about Nozick's minimal state, Hayek's spontaneous order, Rothbard's anarcho-capitalism, and critiques of libertarian theory.
Rousseau's Political Philosophy: The General Will and Social Contract
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's political philosophy centered on popular sovereignty, the general will, and the social contract. Learn how his ideas shaped the French Revolution, influenced Kant, and remain relevant to participatory democracy.
Separation of Powers: Montesquieu's Idea and Its Global Variations
Montesquieu's De l'Esprit des Lois established the theoretical basis for separating legislative, executive, and judicial powers. Learn how presidential, parliamentary, and semi-presidential systems implement and modify this principle globally.
Social Democracy: Mixed Economy, Welfare State, and Market Regulation
Social democracy combines market economies with comprehensive welfare states and labor protections. Learn how the Nordic model works, Esping-Andersen's welfare regimes, the Third Way revision, and contemporary debates about inequality and automation.