DOCSLIB.ORG

France Comparative Politics Test Review Mr

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
France Comparative Politics Test Review Mr FRANCE COMPARATIVE POLITICS TEST REVIEW MR. BAYSDELL 1. The current Prim Minister of France is Francois Fillon. 2. The current President of France is Nicolas Sarzoky. 3. The French President is elected by a direct popular vote. 4. French Parliamentarians may simultaneously hold various regional political offices. 5. France does not posses a permanent seat without veto power on the United Nations Security Council. 6. The Constitutional Council can declare laws in France unconstitutional. 7. A Traditional element of stability in the French Government has been the bureaucracy. 8. A major constitutional innovation of the French Fifth Republic was a strong local governmental structure. 9. Since 1989 the French government wants European integration to proceed faster than does the British government. 10. The principle that basic economic conditions determine political structures underlies Marxism. 11. The French political party that has advanced its political agenda by capitalizing on the racial intolerance accompanying the influx of immigrants is the National Front. 12. The European Union (EU) challenges the sovereignty of member states in Europe because an increasing number of decisions are now being made by the EU instead of being made solely by national government. 13. The right to call referenda most enhances the powers of the French President. 14. In France the national legislature consists of a directly elected National Assembly and an indirectly elected Senate. 15. Unlike their British counterparts, when French Representatives in Parliament are named to cabinet posts they must give up their seats in Parliament. 16. One reason the French Communist Party (FCP) lost support during the 1980s and 1990s was that the Socialist Party was able to attract many voters who in the past had supported the FCP. 17. In Parliamentary democracies, the major parties of the Right and of the Left tend to disagree on the appropriate degree of government involvement in the economy and in solving social problems. 18. In contemporary politics in France and Great Britain the military plays a minor political role. 19. Since becoming the President of France, Jacques Chirac has attempted to decrease the size of the public sector. 20. On direct consequence of ethnic and economic tensions in France in the 1980s and 1990s has been an increase in extreme right-wing parties such as the National Front. 21. Compared to the nature of political power under the French fourth republic the nature of such power under the fifth republic has changed in that Senators, now elected for nine-year terms, have been politically strengthened. 22. In France class distinctions are sustained by an educational system that channels students into career paths on the basis of national examinations. 23. The founder of the Fifth Republic was Charles de Gaulle, who wanted France to gain “grandeur.” 24. Know the first 6 Presidents of the French 5th Republic. 25. France is the most centralized western democracy, as evidenced by: government determinationof legitimate French vocabulary, the use of Paris as a hub for transportation and commerce, the appointment of prefects to oversee city governments, and the funding mechanisms for local government (they are largely supplemented by central government funds) 26. Since 1789, France has had 11 different regimes. 27. The French 3rd and 4th Republics were not stable, largely due to proportional representation. Bureaucrats were left to fill the void formed by fragile coalitions that couldn’t rule 28. The ENA is the Grande Ecole that trains French bureaucrats and the business elite. 29. The Gaullist party was created in the 1950s. 30. The author of the 5th Republic’s constitution, and its 1st prime minister, was Michel Debre. 31. The more powerful house of the French Parliament is the National Assembly. 32. The fact that French cabinet members cannot be members of the legislature results in the presence of more policy experts in the French cabinet than in the British cabinet 33. The French Constitutional Council can limit the National Assembly’s power by advising legislators about the constitutionality of the laws they are considering. They do not have the direct power of judicial review once a law is passed. 34. The role of the government in post-World War II economic growth was seen in large scale economic subsidies to the largest corporations. 35. One of the most important policies enacted in the first years of the Mitterrand presidency was autogestion or decentralization, which allowed local governments to have taxation powers. 36. Mitterrand’s success in creating a competitive Socialist Party (PS) can be attributed in large part to his endorsement of the civil liberty goals and reforms of the protestors of May 1968, and his alliance with the French communist party (PCF). 37. French political culture since 1958: • there is more ideological division than before • there is more alienation now • there is more support for creating a new republic in recent years • anti-clericalism has increased since then • high level of confidence in the President • General belief that politicians were held accountable • Level of civic trust comparable to U.S. 38. The events of May 1968 were a massive protest movement by students, workers, and others. Rapid economic growth after then shut up most of these protestors. 39. The Fifth Republic’s governmental institutions have been weakened since De Gaulle’s presidency by all the following: • strengthening of civil society • presidents since De Gaulle have not commanded the personal respect he did • the power of global and supranational forces • the absence of crises requiring profound changes 40. The 1999 Parity Law amended the constitution in order to guarantee women more places in the legislature. 41. Structural liberalization (moves to rely more on markets) was less thorough in France than in the UK because all governments managed to retain control of many privatized companies. 42. The PCF had led resistance during WW2, and therefore got more votes than typical western European Communist parties. They have lost the most support since 1958. 43. The French electoral system is multi-party, but creates a virtual two-party system through party alliances. 44. The President’s direct, two-ballot election, guarantees a 50% majority, legitimacy, and a national constituency. 45. The practice of state interference in economic affairs is known as dirigisme. 46. The French government’s ability to control the economy has, in recent years, been limited by all the following: • the growing number of high tech entrepreneurial companies • ENA graduates opting not to work in government or large-scale industries • the purchase of French companies by foreign investors • increased regulation by the EU 47. The French presidency has been less "imperial" in the past two decades because of: • Cohabitation • Personalities of recent presidents—not charismatic • Development of catch-all parties • Globalization • EU constraints 48. Know the Prime Ministers who have cohabitated and their Presidents. 49. High unemployment in France have been the rule over the last 25 years. 50. The practice of French public officials holding multiple offices simultaneously means that political leadership is limited to fewer people. 51. In French politics, the iron triangle is formed by the ENA, personal friendships between politicians/bureaucrats/business leaders, and regular job offers to bureaucrats from large businesses. 52. The major foreign policy dilemma for French leaders is how to maintain French leadership in a more integrated Europe. 53. Cohabitation posed a threat to the 5th Republic because it offered the prospect of a repeat of the paralysis of former regimes. It strengthened the 5th Republic because it required compromise and pragmatism, as well as a division of labor for the executive branch. 54. Politicians in France supported the EU because they sought European solutions to French problems. 55. Religion in France is a major issue because Muslim immigrants and their offspring make up 8% of France. ESSAYS: French cohabitation French political culture French foreign policy .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mali: a Neo-Colonial Operation Disguised As an Anti-Terrorist Intervention*
    Mali: A Neo-Colonial Operation Disguised as an Anti-Terrorist Intervention* Translated by Dan La Botz In mid-January of this year France invaded Mali, a former French colony that sits in the middle of what was once the enormous French empire in Africa that stretched from Algeria to the Congo and from the Ivory Coast to the Sudan. The French government argued that its invasion of its former colony was an anti-terrorist and humanitarian intervention to prevent radical Salafist Muslims from taking the capital of Bamako and succeeding in taking control of the country. Critics have suggested that France had other motivations, above all maintaining its powerful influence in the region in order to prevent European competitors, the United States, or the Chinese from muscling in, but also because of its specific interests in resources such as uranium. The situation is very complex, in part because of a historic division and even antagonism between the Tuaregs, a Berber people in the North of Mali, and the black African population in the South, but also because, in addition to the various Islamist groups, there are also numerous organizations of traffickers in drugs and other contraband. In this article, Jean Batou unravels the complexity of the situation to lay bare the central social struggles taking place. – Editors Looking back on events, it’s important to point out the real ins-and-outs of the French military intervention in Mali, launched officially on January 11 on the pretext of preventing a column of Salafist pick-up trucks from swooping down on the city of Mopti and the nearby Sévaré airport (640 km north of Bamako), and thus supposedly opening the way to Bamako, the capital and the country’s largest city.
    [Show full text]
  • The Protean Nature of the Fifth Republic Institutions (Duverger)
    University of Warwick institutional repository: http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap This paper is made available online in accordance with publisher policies. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item and our policy information available from the repository home page for further information. To see the final version of this paper please visit the publisher’s website. Access to the published version may require a subscription. Author(s): Ben Clift Article Title: The Fifth Republic at Fifty: The Changing Face of French Politics and Political Economy Year of publication: 2008 Link to published article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09639480802413322 Publisher statement: This is an electronic version of an article published in Clift, B. (2008). The Fifth Republic at Fifty: The Changing Face of French Politics and Political Economy. Modern & Contemporary France, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 383-.398. Modern & Contemporary France is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cmcf20/16/4 Modern and Contemporary France Special Issue - Introduction Dr. Ben Clift Senior Lecturer in Political Economy, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK Email: [email protected] web: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/staff/clift/ The Fifth Republic at Fifty: The Changing Face of French Politics and Political Economy. At its inception, a time of great political upheaval in France, it was uncertain whether the new regime would last five years, let alone fifty. The longevity of the regime is due in part to its flexibility and adaptability, which is a theme explored both below and in all of the contributions to this special issue.
    [Show full text]
  • Get Ready— TASC Test Readiness Assessment
    Get Ready— TASC Test Readiness Assessment Prepare Learners with the TASC Test Readiness Assessment Content Areas The TASC Test Readiness Assessment is structured around the five content areas assessed by the TASC test: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Like the TASC test, content is aligned to the College and Career Readiness Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. The Readiness Assessment questions mirror those on the TASC test, so examinees can get an accurate prediction of their expected performance on the actual test. Designed to mimic the TASC test, the Readiness Assessment What is the TASC Test? contains the same types of question formats that The TASC Test Assessing Secondary Completion™ are used on the official TASC test. All subtests are is a state-of-the-art, affordable national high school composed primarily of multiple-choice questions, equivalency assessment that assesses five subject the mathematics test includes gridded response questions, areas: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and the Writing test contains a written essay question and Social Studies. It measures examinees’ levels of that requires examinees to write a persuasive essay achievement relative to that of graduating high school after reading two informational passages. seniors, and readiness for college and the workforce, • Like the TASC test, the multiple-choice questions as outlined by the College and Career Readiness on the Readiness Assessment require examinees to Standards. select the best answer from among four possible answer choices. Why take the Readiness Assessment? • The gridded-response questions require examinees By completing the Readiness Assessment, examinees to calculate a numerical response to the question receive a percentage score that indicates the likelihood and record it in a gridded-response area.
    [Show full text]
  • Test Scores Explanation for Parents and Teachers: Youtube Video Script by Lara Langelett July 2019 1
    Test Scores Explanation for Parents and Teachers: YouTube Video Script By Lara Langelett July 2019 1 Introduction: Hello Families and Teachers. My name is Lara Langelett and I would like to teach you about how to read your child’s or student’s test scores. The purpose of this video message is to give you a better understanding of standardized test scores and to be able to apply it to all normed assessment tools. First I will give a definition of what the bell curve is by using a familiar example. Then I will explain the difference between a percentile rank and percentage. Next, I will explain Normed-Referenced Standard test scores. In addition, the MAPs percentile rank and the RIT scores will be explained. Finally, I will explain IQ scores on the bell curve. 2 Slide 1: Let’s get started: here is a bell curve; it is shaped like a bell. 3 Slide 2: To understand the Bell Curve, we will look at a familiar example of basketball players in the U.S.A. Everyone, on this day, who plays basketball fits into this bell curve around the United States. I’m going to emphasis “on this day” as this is important piece information of for explaining standardized scores. 4 Slide 3: On the right side of the bell curve we can section off a part of the bell curve (2.1 % blue area). Inside this section are people who play basketball at the highest skill level, like the U.S. Olympic basketball team. These athletes are skilled athletes who have played basketball all their life, practice on a daily basis, have extensive knowledge of the game, and are at a caliber that the rest of the basketball population have not achieved.
    [Show full text]
  • INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ADMISSIONS TEST (IMAT) Frequently Asked Questions (Faqs) 2019
    INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ADMISSIONS TEST (IMAT) Frequently asked questions (FAQs) 2019 General information Q: How do I make a test booking? A: Candidates register via the UniversItaly website and then book the test through our payment system. Find out more on our web page How to register. Q: When do I register? A: Registration opens on 17 June 2019 and closes on 09 July 2019 at 3pm (Italian time). Q: What does the test involve? A: Details of the test can be found on our web page About IMAT. Q: How many universities can I select? A: You must select a first-choice university. For information about selecting further universities, visit the UniversItaly website How to modify your first choice of university, or where you wish to take the test: - If you have not yet paid the registration fee, you need to click on the "Delete IMAT registration" button. Immediately after this you will be able to change your first choice. You may do this until 09 July 2019 at 3pm (Italian time). - If you have already paid the registration fee, you need to click on the "Delete IMAT registration" button and wait for the confirmation that the refund is being processed. We will attempt to do this as quickly as possible but this may take several working hours. Once this has happened, you will be able to re-book. Because you need to have this process completed by 09 July (3pm Italian time), we recommend you do not start the cancellation and rebooking process after 10am on that day. For information about cancelling your booking, please visit our support site.
    [Show full text]
  • Süveyş Krizi'ne Giden Yolda Fransa'nın Israil Politikası
    Ankara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi Cilt:17, No:1 (Yıl: 2018), s. 99-126 FRANSIZ DÖRDÜNCÜ CUMHURİYETİ’NDE SİYASAL YAPI VE DIŞ POLİTİKA: SÜVEYŞ KRİZİ’NE GİDEN YOLDA FRANSA’NIN İSRAİL POLİTİKASI Çınar ÖZEN Nuri YEŞİLYURT** Özet Bu makale, Fransız Dördüncü Cumhuriyeti’nin siyasal yapısının dış politika üzerindeki etkisini analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu analizi, Süveyş Krizi’ne giden yolda Fransa’nın İsrail’e karşı izlediği politika üzerinden yapmaktadır. Fransa’nın bu krizde kritik bir rol oynadığını savlayan makale, Paris’in bu politikasını açıklayabilmek için Dördüncü Cumhuriyetin zayıf ve istikrarsız siyasal yapısı içerisinde öne çıkan savunma ve dışişleri bürokrasileri arasında bürokratik siyaset modeli çerçevesinde cereyan eden iç mücadeleye odaklanmaktadır. Bu mücadelede Savunma Bakanlığı bürokrasisinin galip gelmesinde bir dizi bölgesel gelişme etkili olmuş ve sonuçta Fransa, Mısır’a yönelik ortak askerî müdahalenin planlanmasında öncü bir rol oynamıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Fransa, İsrail, Dördüncü Cumhuriyet, Süveyş Krizi, bürokratik siyaset Political Structure and Foreıgn Policy of the French Fourth Republic: French Policy Towards Israel on the Road to Suez Crisis Abstract This article aims to analyse the effect of the political structure of the French Fourth Republic on foreign policy. It makes this analysis over the case of French foreign policy towards Israel on the road to Suez Crisis. The article argues that France played a critical role in this crisis, and in order to explain the policy of Paris, it focuses on the internal struggle that took place between the foreign and defence bureaucracies, which came to the fore thanks to the weak and unstable political structure of the Fourth Republic, under the framework of bureaucratic Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Insular Autonomy: a Framework for Conflict Settlement? a Comparative Study of Corsica and the Åland Islands
    INSULAR AUTONOMY: A FRAMEWORK FOR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT? A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CORSICA AND THE ÅLAND ISLANDS Farimah DAFTARY ECMI Working Paper # 9 October 2000 EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MINORITY ISSUES (ECMI) Schiffbruecke 12 (Kompagnietor Building) D-24939 Flensburg . Germany % +49-(0)461-14 14 9-0 fax +49-(0)461-14 14 9-19 e-mail: [email protected] internet: http://www.ecmi.de ECMI Working Paper # 9 European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) Director: Marc Weller Issue Editors: Farimah Daftary and William McKinney © European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) 2000. ISSN 1435-9812 i The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) is a non-partisan institution founded in 1996 by the Governments of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the German State of Schleswig-Holstein. ECMI was established in Flensburg, at the heart of the Danish-German border region, in order to draw from the encouraging example of peaceful coexistence between minorities and majorities achieved here. ECMI’s aim is to promote interdisciplinary research on issues related to minorities and majorities in a European perspective and to contribute to the improvement of inter-ethnic relations in those parts of Western and Eastern Europe where ethno- political tension and conflict prevail. ECMI Working Papers are written either by the staff of ECMI or by outside authors commissioned by the Centre. As ECMI does not propagate opinions of its own, the views expressed in any of its publications are the sole responsibility of the author concerned. ECMI Working Paper # 9 European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) © ECMI 2000 CONTENTS I.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessment Integrity Guide
    Assessment Integrity Guide MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY Michigan Standards for Professional and Ethical Conduct in Test Administration and Reporting 2021-22 MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability The Michigan State Board of Education approved this guide on April 12, 2016 with updates on 7/28/20. This document pertains to the expected professional and ethical conduct of all assessment programs administered by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability (OEAA). This includes all Michigan summative, interim, and formative assessments. If you have questions or wish to report suspected test administration irregularities on any statewide educational assessments or accountability issues in Michigan, contact: Michigan Department of Education Office Educational Assessment and Accountability 608 West Allegan Street PO Box 30008 Lansing, MI 48915 toll-free phone: 877-560-8378 email: [email protected] fax: 517-335-1186 Copies of this guide may be obtained on the Assessment Integrity and Security web page ASSESSMENT INTEGRITY GUIDE (https://www.michigan.gov/ mde/0,1607,7-140-22709---,00.html). STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Michael F. Rice, Ph.D., State Superintendent Jason Strayhorn • Tom McMillin Judith Pritchett • Pamela Pugh Ellen Cogen Lipton • Nikki Snyder Tiffany D. Tilley • Dr. Casandra E. Ulbrich 2 3 Table of Contents Introduction. 4 Case Review .................................27 Importance of Assessment Security ................5 Monitoring. 27 Assessment Security Goals for the State of Michigan District and School Internal Assessment Monitoring .....27 Assessment System ...............................6 OEAA Assessment Monitoring ...................28 Common Assessment Irregularities ...................6 OEAA Targeted and Random Assessment Monitoring 28 Communication Protocol .........................8 Targeted Assessment Monitoring .
    [Show full text]
  • Prezentace Aplikace Powerpoint
    Current French Politics A brief quiz to warm ourselves up: Who is this person? Presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy 2007- 2012 • Sarkozy – minister of interior 2002- 2004 and 2005-2007 (civil unrests 2005) • Anti-immigration and securitization rhetoric in the campaign and in office • Crisis of the Eurozone and French- German Leadership (‘Merkozy’) • Economics of state interventionism (dirigisme) • British and French operation in Libya 2011 turning down Kaddafi’ s regime • Prime minister François Fillon Presidential elections 2012 • Main candidates: • François Hollande (28.6 per cent in the 1st round; 51/6 in the 2nd round) • Nicolas Sarkozy (27.2 / 48.4) • Marine Le Pen (17.9) • Jean-Luc Mélenchon (11.1) • François Bayrou (9.1) Parliamentary elections 2012 Presidency of François Hollande • First secretary of PS 1997-2008 • Law on marriage of same-sex couples (2013) • Unpopular labour reform 2013 (Kurzarbeit) • January and November 2015 Paris and 2016 Nice terrorist acts • Economical and social difficulties • The least popular President of the 5th Republic • Prime ministers: • Jean-Marc Ayrault (2012-2014) • Manuel Valls (2014-2016) • Bernard Cazeneuve (2016-2017) The European Parliament elections 2014 Presidential elections 2017 • Main candidates: • Emmanuel Macron (24.0 / 66.1) • Marine Le Pen (21.3 / 33.9) • François Fillon (20.0) • Jean-Luc Mélenchon (19.6) • Benoît Hamon (6.4) Parliamentary elections 2017 • Effects of the electoral system: • http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/france.html Presidency of Emmanuel Macron • Graduated from ENA
    [Show full text]
  • How Do Parliaments of France, Italy and Spain Fight Information Asymmetries?
    Parliamentary accountability in Europe: How do parliaments of France, Italy and Spain fight information asymmetries? By Manuel Sánchez de Dios Universidad Complutense de Madrid- Spain [email protected] Paper prepared for the workshop: “Comparing legislatures worldwide: roles, functions and performance in old and new democracies”. DIrectors: Dr. Natalia Ajenjo (U. of Burgos, Spain) and . Mariana Llanos (GIGA Institute, Germany). ECPR Joint Sessions, Rennes (France), 11-16 April, 2008 Abstract: In this paper one considers the variety of forms of parliamentary accountably in South Europe, the functions they can perform and the relevance they have from the viewpoint of the agency theory. In the paper there is also an evaluation of the cases studied. We conclude that there is not a distinctive model of parliamentary accountability in Southern Europe though the three parliaments are “proactive” in checking the executive and Spain and Italy have sound similarities. Plenary debates and policy evaluation are the most relevant activities in France while in Italy there is a big variety of procedures with different functions and high level of activity in committee. In Spain parliamentary accountability have a multifunctional character too and it is very precise and specialized. 1 A) INTRODUCTION The aim of this paper is to estimate the importance of the executive responsibility before the parliament in South European countries. At the same time it evaluates the quality of democracy since parliamentary accountability is one indicator of it. In a democracy parliaments have to ensure that the executive is kept under scrutiny and prevented from abusing its powers. In this paper one only pays attention to ex post accountability or “police patrol oversight” in terms of McCubbins and Schwartz (1984).
    [Show full text]
  • European Parliamentary Engagement in Recovery and Resilience Plan
    Tithe an Oireachtais An Oifig Buiséid Pharlaiminteach Houses of the Oireachtas Parliamentary Budget Office European parliamentary engagement in ParliamentaryRecovery Budget Officeand Resilience Plans Quar Key Messages y The Recovery and Resilience Facility is a significant financial resource available to European States, including Ireland. To ensure transparency and value for money, parliaments in EU Member states are monitoring and scrutinising Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs). y This note presents survey information on the experiences of parliaments in the EU on the scrutiny of the RRPs. The note is based on data from a ECPRD1 survey of European Union countries’ parliaments’ involvement and role in the formulation of RRPs and a ECPRD seminar, with case studies on parliamentary engagement from Spain, France and Italy. y The ECPRD survey highlights active engagement of Government with Parliament in some countries and very limited engagement in other countries, as was the case for Ireland. Only 7 out of 24 countries answered no to all four questions on the scrutiny of the RRPs. This includes Ireland. y While there was a public consultation on Ireland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, as of mid- May 2021, the Government has not submitted a draft or completed Recovery and Resilience Plan to the Houses of the Oireachtas. There has been no substantive engagement with the Oireachtas or Oireachtas Committees on the plan. There has been limited scrutiny by the Oireachtas in the preparation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Introductiony To maximise value for money and oversight, there could be value in establishing The Medium-Terma framework Expenditure for best Framework practice, iswhich a set of could administratve enhance procedures parliamentary employed engagementfor the managementfor EU ofprogrammes Voted Current Expendituresuch as the over RRP.
    [Show full text]
  • Bijdrage: Opening Pandora's Box: Historical
    This article from Netherlands Journal of Legal Philosophy is published by Eleven international publishing and made available to anonieme bezoeker R&R 2008 / 2 Opening Pandora’s Box: Historical Comments on Bonnie Honig’s Paradoxes in Democratic Theory Ido de Haan* It is perhaps one of the defining characteristics of modern philosophers that they expect to find the solution to their philosophical predicament by shift­ ing to another discipline. Just like Descartes put his stakes on geometry, more recently philosophers hoped to find a way out through economics (like the rational choice theorists); via neurology and genomics (as some of the evolutionary moral philosophers have done); or, like many of the ethical and moral thinkers in the tradition of Nietzsche, through a recourse to art and literature. Another way out of the dire straits of philosophical discourse has been found in the vast area of history. Thinkers like Michel Foucault and Hannah Arendt have not just clothed their arguments in historical attire, but argued in favor of a historical reason, by which to explore the fields of subjectivity, action, knowledge, and rationality. In her article ‘Between Decision and Deliberation’, Bonnie Honig points in the latter direction, and, like her favourite philosopher Hannah Arendt, argues for a philosophical argument that starts in medias res, in the flow of events that constitute the life of political institutions. I applaud the strat­ egy, and admire the rigor of the argument by which Honig is able to shift the ground of the debate on democratic theory, in order to liberate it from the paradoxes that have kept democratic theorists encaptured by a series of false oppositions.
    [Show full text]