GOVT 2700 - Undergraduate Research

4 Semester Hours
Conservatism: An introduction to the nature, foundations,; arguments of modern conservative thought According to the Gallup Polling association, the plurality of Americans identify as conservatives (37%), with 35% moderates; only 24% liberal However, while socialism; liberalism have received lots of political theory; philosophical attention, conservatism has received very little Variants of conservatism can be traced back hundreds (and even thousands) of years In this course, we will focus on the origins of modern conservatism in Hume, Locke,; Burke; then move up to contemporary issues Burke, writing about the dangers of the French Revolution, argued that overturning institutions with centuries of demonstrated efficacy; replacing them with radical, utopian,; untested systems is likely to end in disaster We will examine the intellectual arguments for conservatism, the different types of conservatism,; the top issues involving conservative arguments, including economic reforms, welfare; government aid, education policy, environmental policy, sexual; marriage ethics, healthcare distribution, gun rights; control, immigration policy, race relations,; religious practice We will also examine the empirical psychological research in the differences between conservative; liberal attitudes; worldviews