1. What is liberalism and what are the alternatives?

2. What is an ideology?
“Political ideologies are the beliefs and practices that guide political actors in political communities. These ideologies reflect the underlying vision of political actors.... These ideals—of course—are not always fully achieved, but they help to explain the purposes, principles, and rules of politics.” Neal Reimer, et al.
Example: Should we invade Syria or Iran? What’s your worldview, and how does it shape your answer to these questions?

3. What are the central principles of liberalism?
Why are Americans almost all “classical liberals”? Liberalism was a response to conservatism (What was Edmond Burke’s logic)
Secularism. challenges to the power of the Catholic church and—eventually—hereditary feudalism…
People are good and will get better: Its core assumption is that good people will find the right answer over time
Consent. What are social contracts and popular sovereignty (T. Hobbes, J. Locke)? Why did J. J. Rousseau attack this idea from the left?
Toleration of pol. minorities. What are the advantages of republicanism (James Madison) over pure democracy? In what sense was republicanism a compromise position bw the left and the right of that era?
Constitutionalism. What is constitutionalism and federalism (The Federalist), separation of power, & checks and balances (The Magna Carta, 1215)? What costs & benefits do these mechanisms have in the US?
Individualism, freedom, equality. Why place so much emphasis on the individual? (natural law, liberties, and more recently citizenship & political rights (including “direct democracy,” and civil rights)… And where do the new ideas contradict the old?

4. What are the main alternatives to liberalism in theory?
Alternatives envisioning extremely powerful states
Ideologically flexible authoritarian regimes – many are development orientated
How is fascism (and the nationalist corporatism version of it it) different from other types of totalitarianism?
How are theocracies different from fascism?
Alternatives envisioning almost no government
Classical Marxism
Libertarianism and anarchy
Socialism and state-capitalism
Socialist command economies based on the Russian model of Marxist-Leninism (North Korea; Cuba sometimes)
Single party states with state capitalism (China and Venezuela)
Democratic socialism (Western European democracy with limited govt. ownership, but much redistribution)

5. What are the main difference in America’s political ideologies?
There are four major, recurring ideologies in the US that get jammed into 2 parties: Conservatism, Liberalism (Progressivism), Libertarianism, and Populism
Why are there just two parties if there are four major ideologies? Duverger’s law and our party system for starters.