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Full-Text Articles in Political Theory
“Of Every Sort”: Conceptions Of Property Rights At The Time Of The American Founding, Zachary Wong
“Of Every Sort”: Conceptions Of Property Rights At The Time Of The American Founding, Zachary Wong
CMC Senior Theses
The most contentious issues of our day often have to do with political and social rights as opposed to economic rights. Through the lens of property rights I investigate whether this dichotomy existed at the time of the American founding. First, I examine the state constitutions and identify three clauses, common to the documents, which protect property rights. I examine their historical basis and reveal their connection to English common law and Locke, primarily. Then, I discuss the personal views of Madison and Jefferson to gain insight into the personal thoughts of two of the most influential Founders. Finally, I …
Fdr And Economic Rights In The American Tradition, Charles Harris
Fdr And Economic Rights In The American Tradition, Charles Harris
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis examines the idea of economic rights and their place in American political history. The American constitutional understanding of rights has historically not included positive economic rights and has focused on negative political liberties. Chapter One is a discussion of what economic rights are in a broad sense. Then in Chapter Two I focus on Roosevelt. In his 1944 State of the Union Address, he proposed a “Second Bill of Rights” for America that was a list of economic rights. I use that speech and some of FDR’s other writings to understand economic rights as they were seen at …
Catching Congress Up: Restoring The Office Of Technology Assessment, Bruno Youn
Catching Congress Up: Restoring The Office Of Technology Assessment, Bruno Youn
CMC Senior Theses
Congress has become infamous for its lack of understanding of technology, particularly with the Facebook and Google hearings in 2018. To improve this understanding, this thesis argues for the return of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), a congressional support agency created in 1972 that provided science and technology expertise to Congress until its termination in 1995. It also considers potential changes that might be made to the old OTA model and the political environment in which a new OTA would need to survive.