Is the United States a ‘Neocon Nation’?
America is a not ‘neocon nation’, but rather an idealist nation in a realist world: the US does pursue the extension of liberal capitalist democracy, but this idealistic goal must be reconciled with the realities of international politics.
Determinants of Attitudes on Immigration in Canada and France
There is little comparative academic work on public perceptions of immigration. Canada perennially scores highly, while France fares poorly.
Does money equal power in American politics?
The power of capital is the same now as it was long ago and will be the same in the future as long as democracy is twinned with the capitalist mode of production where wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of a minority.
The Goldman Sachs Abacus 2007-ACI Controversy: An ethical case study
In April 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a suit against Goldman Sachs, accusing it of committing securities fraud in which the bank created and sold an investment secretly devised to fail.
Parallels between the Bush Doctrine and Obama Administration Policy
The election of Barack Obama as president in 2009 was thought to be the symbolic end of the Bush doctrine and its associated neoconservative underpinnings. This essay however seeks to challenge this notion by examining the parallels between the Bush doctrine and the policies of the Obama administration.
The Extraordinary Injustice of McCarthy’s America
In the McCarthy era of the 1950s, anti-Communism created an atmosphere of fear which allowed political actors to accrue greater powers over the American population. This unusual situation was permitted as the public were manipulated by people with political interests into believing the USA had entered into a state of emergency in order to safeguard national security.
The Dreamboat That Ran Aground: U.S. Policy Towards Venezuela 1955-1960
The US experience in Venezuela helped nuance its wider policy towards Latin America by challenging the reliance on free market economics. While the Eisenhower administration chose to re-emphasise democratic values in order to combat rising Communist radicalism, practical support for democracy proved to be limited.
The Israel Lobby and the U.S. National Interest
Mearsheimer and Walt’s illustration of the Israel lobby has led to a wide debate on the the domestic influences on foreign policy. Their thesis exaggerates the ability of interest groups to divert foreign policy, and their notion of national interest can be criticised as not in line with those who make foreign policy.
Has the global financial crisis challenged US power in international finance?
The global financial crisis of 2007 to the present day has sent shockwaves throughout the neoliberal world, rejuvenating the concept of a decline in US hegemonic power and neoliberal hegemony within the global political economy.
Algeria: The Obstacles to Democracy
The past is present in Algeria. Although the country is an authoritarian state, it technically exhibits a civilian-run government led by an independent politician. Is there a chance for democracy? Not if Algeria can return to an effective authoritarian state as it was in the 1960s and 1970s because it will then be able to appease its population with education, jobs, houses, and rising living standards.
