8.1.4

Describe the nation's blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English parliamentary traditions.

             Nation, a relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government, has balanced out the superlative government they have today by mixing civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English parliamentary traditions. Civic republicanism is a form of government where citizens vote for representatives to make decisions for them, similar to when we vote for congress. For example people would go to a poll to vote on a ballot for a representative or sometimes president every four years, then the person with the most votes become president, this is how the republican voting system processes. The representatives that are chosen would be the individual that would make the decision on different issues and matters, for example if we should spend more money armed forces or in school.
             Classical liberal principle is an aspect where there is a semi-pure democracy since there is no existence of a king and everybody has the right and chance to vote or have a say in the issue. Classical liberal principle is a semi-pure democracy because for example in the case of voting for a proposition, everyone is able to vote or have a say in what is happening like citizens have for the government, consent of the governed, and is not ruled by a dominant individual like a king, but instead there is no position, almost like where everyone is the king.
             English parliamentary tradition is the foundation of America’s government. English parliament is the form of government of how England had been governed in the past, it is mostly a monarchy because there was a king that had made decisions for everybody even if they abhorrent towards the idea of his decision. The decision can be from nothing to everything which means from the smallest problems to the greatest, for example a small problem like one person doesn’t have shelter, to a big problem where a kingdom has no more money or no one has refuge. All three of these aspects come together as one because they are all forms or types of governments that citizens or countries are ruled by. All people are involved in the way of government in all of these concepts because in a republic, people vote for a representative, and in a semi-pure democracy all people are involved but don’t vote for a representative and instead vote for themselves on what they want.


More Information:

   1.    http://www.britannia.com/gov/gov4.html
          This site gives you a brief overview of the British government.

   2.    http://www.cyberessays.com/History/110.htm
          This site talks a little about the English Parliament and some of it’s history.

   3.    http://www.liberalsindia.com/introduction/liberalpositionpapers/liberalpositionpapers2.php
          This site talks I fairly lot about liberal principles and how it relates to government.

   4.    http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Meta/MetaYevl.htm
          This site talks about different types of liberalism and if it’s the way to go, or

   5.    http://www.lawandliberty.org/militia4.htm
          This site tells you about how civic republicanism relates to the second amendment.

   6.    http://www.findarticles.com/m3955/6_52/68025726/p1/article.jhtml
          This site tells you how civic republicanism applies to the Czech Republic and Poland, along with a bibliography.


Recommended Books:

   1.    Civic Republicanism (The Problems of Philosophy)
          by Iseult Honohan

   2.    Citizenship and Community: Civic Republicanism and the Modern World
          by Adrian Oldfield

   3.    Joyce Cary, Liberal Principles: Liberal Principles (Critical Studies Series)
          by Cornelia Cook

   4.    The Liberal Party : principles and performance
          by Peter G. Tiver

   5.    Robert's Rules in Plain English
          by Doris P. Zimmerman

   6.    English parliamentary enclosure : its historical geography and economic history
          by Michael Edward Turner