Outline
Topic: Political Theory
Political theory is a branch of political science that is chiefly concerned about the ideas of past and contemporary political doctrines, thinkers, and proposals of political movements and associations.
- Thesis statement: The democratic political tradition had been adopted by nearly everyone; liberals, conservatives, communists, and socialists have all proclaimed the principles of democracy.
Body paragraph 1: Communitarianism
Topic sentence: Communitarianism can be defined as a political and social philosophy that foregrounds the importance of the community in the operation of political life, the evaluation of political institutions, and understanding of human well-being and identity.
- Detail 1: The communitarian ideology views an individual as an asocial, not having any burdens or impediment, and fragmented creatures
- Detail 2: Communitarianism theory has been criticized for allegedly having both authoritarian and conservative implications
Body paragraph 2: Absolutism Theory
Topic sentence: Absolutism is a political doctrine and exercise of unfettered centralized authority and absolute sovereignty.
- Detail 1: Rationalist theories of absolutism argue that only absolutism can guarantee social order and stability.
- Detail 2: According to Jean Bodin, social and political stability can only be guaranteed by the existence of a sovereign leader with final legal authority and lawmaking power.
Body paragraph 3: Democracy theory
Topic sentence: Democracy theory argues that the democratic nature of political power and practice is part of the vital conditions for the legitimacy of political authority.
- Detail 1: Democracy theory is made up of a number of theories such as the classical democracy, developmental democracy, protective democracy, and deliberative democracy.
- Detail 2: Aristotle discussed democracy using the notion of constitution. Aristotle defined constitution as “an organization of offices, which all the citizens distribute among themselves, according to the power which different classes possess”
Conclusion
Many societies including conservatives, communists, and liberals have adopted the democratic political theory and practices
Annotated Bibliography
Landman, T., & Robinson, N. (2009). The SAGE handbook of comparative politics. Sage Publications
The journal highlights classic issues in comparative politics, government formation, and the causes of democratization through time. The article also discusses emerging issues in comparative politics like transitional justice, human rights, and electoral authoritarianism. As such, the journal will come handy in analyzing the above topics.
Heywood, A. (2017). Political ideologies: An introduction. Macmillan International Higher Education Schaap, A. (2007).
The book describes various political theories and ideologies as well as the perspectives of various thinkers such as Aristotle, Alasdair MacIntyre, Plato, St Thomas Aquinas, among others. The book also explains human nature, the individual and society, as well as politics, government, and the state. Therefore, it will be vital in understanding these aforementioned concepts.
Political theory and the agony of politics. Political Studies Review, 5(1), 56-74.
The article explains the views of Michael Walzer and analyses his work, Political Theory. The journal also critiques liberal political theory and the communitarian approach. The concept of democracy is also highlighted. As such, the article is useful in understanding political theories.
Winthrop, D. (2018). Aristotle: Democracy and Political Science. University of Chicago Press.
The journal describes Aristotle’s ideas about politics and his theoretical concerns. Winthrop’s insightfulness gives a distinctive Aristotelian contribution to the understanding of human political, and intellectual freedom, as well as democracy. The article will be vital in understanding democracy theory and the views of Aristotle.
Sandel, M. J., & Anne, T. (1998). Liberalism and the Limits of Justice. Cambridge University
The article describes the concept of liberalism, limits of justice and idealist critique of liberalism. The journal also describes views of famous philosophers such as John Rawls, Immaculate Kant, and Michael Sandel. The journal also describes the separation of the self and its attributes, and the community’s use of the individual. The journal will be useful in analyzing the views of some prominent thinkers and philosophers.