Discuss how political scientists attempt to quantify data, manipulate data statistically, and attempt to validate hypotheses.

grading rubric:

Discussion Criteria	Outstanding or higher level of performance	Very good or high level of performance	Competent or satisfactory level of performance	Poor or failing or unsatisfactory level of performance
Initial Post Content	Addresses all aspects of the initial discussion question(s), applying experiences, knowledge, and understanding regarding all weeklyconcepts.	Addresses most aspects of the initial discussion question(s), applying experiences, knowledge, and understanding of most of the weeklyconcepts	Addresses some aspects of the initial discussion question(s), applying experiences, knowledge, and understanding of some of the weeklyconcepts.	Minimally addresses the initial discussion question(s) or does not address the initial question(s).
Initial Post Evidence & Sources	Integrates evidence to support discussion from assigned readings** OR online lessons, AND at least one outside scholarly source.*** Sources are credited.*	Integrates evidence to support discussion from assigned readings** OR online lessons. Sources are credited.*	Integrates evidence to support discussion only from an outside source with no mention of assigned reading** or lesson. Sources are credited.*	Does not integrate any evidence.
Follow-Up Post 1	Response furthers the dialogue by providing more information and clarification, thereby adding much depth to the discussion.	Response furthers the dialogue by adding some depth to the discussion.	Response does not further the dialogue significantly; adds little depth to the discussion.	Does not respond to another student or instructor.
Follow-Up Post 2	Response furthers the dialogue by providing more information and clarification, thereby adding much depth to the discussion.	Response furthers the dialogue by adding some depth to the discussion.	Response does not further the dialogue significantly; adds little depth to the discussion.	Does not respond to another student or instructor.
Professional Communication	Presents information using clear and concise language in an organized manner (minimal errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation).	Presents information in an organized manner (few errorsin English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation).	Presents information using understandable language but is somewhat disorganized (some errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation).	Presents information that is not clear, logical, professional or organized to the point that the reader has difficulty understanding the message (numerous errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and/or punctuation).
Timeliness of Responses	Student posts an answer to the initial discussion question(s) by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. M.T.		Student does not post an answer to the initial discussion question(s) by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. M.T.
Frequency of Responses	Posts in the discussion on two different days.		Posts fewer than two different days OR does not participate at all.

week 2 lesson:

After the fall of Rome, within Western civilizations, the Church ultimately became interwoven with the centralized power of the appointed kings and queens. But over time, philosophers, and then the people, wondered if this was the best way to organize a government. They began by questioning the Church's role in government and ultimately expanded into an examination of the need for monarchies in general.

These thoughts began with the work of Niccolo Machiavelli in Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries. In The Prince, he discusses the role of power in maintaining rule. Although clearly not a direct link to democratic thought because he is giving advice to a prince on how to maintain his control over the people, his work was one of the first to hint at a need for a separation of church and state, which is a concept that exists in many governments today.

Roughly a century later, Thomas Hobbes also questioned the role of the Church within government. In writing Leviathan, Hobbes advocated the need for a large governmental structure (thus a leviathan) to rule over the people and he began to question the role of the Church in this process. Although clearly a supporter of authoritarian governments, Hobbes was not a supporter of the Church's power within government. Outside of this premise, he is also known for coining the phrase "state of nature." This idea stems from his examination of what people look like without any government. He saw this state as very bleak, representing utter chaos and strife, because he theorized that without a strong ruling government to keep the peace, people would be at war with one another as they attempted to seize power from one another as a means of getting what they desire and as a way to avoid what they do not. However, in contrast to what he was proposing, by looking at humanity at its core, he introduced the idea of humanity as thinking for itself, which is the foundation of any democracy.

It was this concept that John Locke then built upon a few decades later by suggesting that the people move away from an all-oppressive ruler to a government based upon the the rule of the citizens, being that they are intelligent enough to make decisions regarding their rule on their own, as long as the power has a way of being checked. Locke's ideas serve as the basis of much of the U.S. founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Capitalism and Socialism Compared

As we discussed briefly last week, capitalism represents the idea of the people controlling the means of production, with little to no interference by government. Capitalism is based on the idea of a market driven economy. This concept simply means that the market (or the masses) drive what is produced by industry with their demand for products. For example, if a great deal of people desire a certain item, then those who produce it will stay in business as long as the demand continues. However, if demand lags, or dies out altogether, that same industry will have to evolve to produce another in-demand product or leave the market. This demand for product thus drives what is produced, and then determines which industries flourish. This system, in its truest sense, leaves government out of the economic process. Adam Smith, in writing The Wealth of Nations, was an advocate for this type of economic system. However, over time, it has been discovered that some regulation of business is needed, as in preventing a monopoly, in order to keep the market competitive.

In contrast to this model of low government involvement, socialism calls for the complete control of production by government. This is a concept originated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, two political philosophers during the 19th century, in their Communist Manifesto. Neither man was a fan of the world in which he was raised, where the industrial revolution was taking off and people were suffering under the harsh working conditions found in pure capitalism. They believed that if they presented a new economic plan that replaced the newly established capitalist principles, they could create a happier world for the individual. This world included the human rights of the liberal, but went even further to ensure an equal distribution of wealth and goods to the masses. Their theory argued for a socialist transition, where the government seizes all the means of production from the masses, as a way of creating the pathway to communism (or a perfect utopia).

As with any plan, variations in practice can occur. This is exactly what happened when Russia, the first country to implement the teachings of Marx, achieved its revolution. Thus came the rise of Marxism-Leninism, which varied dramatically from Marx's proposed plan. The practice of this ideology resulted in many years of conflict with the West during the Cold War. The principal powers during that time, the United States and the Soviet Union, featured two completely different philosophies regarding government and politics. In the end, the Soviet Union's political, governmental, and economic approaches proved to be disastrous for its society as a whole, and the individuals within it in particular. It featured a political process that decided who got what, when, and how in the most arbitrary manner, and used the government to execute those decisions brutally and ruthlessly. In the end, Soviet citizens, tired of being told they were part of one of the world's great superpowers while waiting in line for basic necessities, gradually withdrew their interest in and support of their government, and the system eventually collapsed.

Liberalism Defined

The term liberal in modern vocabularies has taken on an entirely different meaning from its original context. Liberal, when applied to political philosophy, represents a belief that the government should interfere very little in the daily lives of its citizens. This notion allows the individual to pursue his or her own interests without fear of extreme government regulation. The lesser the role of government, the smaller it is. The more involved it becomes, the bigger it gets.

Since The Great Depression, which hit the world the hardest during the 1930s, the U.S. government has trended towards a larger government, as have other Western European nations. This happened as a result of the government providing many social services as a means to protect its citizens from the likes of economic disaster and the toils of war. How far you think the government should go in aiding its citizens depends upon which political ideology best appeals to you. The classic liberalist, credited to John Locke and also known as the modern conservative, tends to favor small government, whereas the modern liberal, modeled on the work of T. H.Green, prefers more governmental programs.

The Meaning of the Word Liberal

In our common language, the word liberal is usually used to refer to people associated with the Democratic Party or people who would prefer that government take a more active role in solving social problems.

This is almost the opposite of the way the term is used in political philosophy. We will use the term liberal the way it has been classically defined, which is a politics of individual liberty, equal rights, and a limited government role. In this way, we can contrast liberal (limited government) with socialist (expanded government).

Summary

All things trace their roots to some origin. Political philosophy and ideologies are no different. As we have seen this week, through the influence of philosophers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Smith, Marx, and Engels, as well as many others, modern governments look very different from their ancient counterparts. As people continue to debate the ideas around why states form and how they should function, only time can tell what future governmental systems will look like.