American Revolution: Rights, Representation, and Identity

American Revolutionary Ideals: A New Foundation

The American experience diverged significantly from the European concept of the ‘individual’ in relation to pre-state rights. The Revolution established a dimension rooted in natural history, justified by both predominantly European theoretical formulations of natural rights and the British historicist tradition of limited government for security purposes.

American Historicism and Individualism

In short, the American revolutionary culture of rights and

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Politics and Constitutionalism in the Liberal State: Direct vs. Representative Democracy

Politics and Constitutionalism in the Liberal State

The Constitutional State emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, founded on the principle of representative democracy. In this system, citizens express their will through elected representatives. Works on the history of political thought often focus on the discussion between direct and indirect democracy.

Rousseau’s Perspective on Sovereignty

Rousseau argued that when sovereignty is vested in the people, it cannot be divisible (i.e., split

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Comparative Politics Methodologies: Systems, Culture, Economy

The Political Culture Approach

The Political Culture Approach is a significant method in comparative politics. It helps us understand how political systems function, not just through their structures and institutions, but through the attitudes, beliefs, and values of the people who live under them. First introduced by Gabriel Almond in 1956, it gained popularity during the behavioral revolution of the 1950s and 1960s.

Political culture refers to the psychological orientation of individuals towards

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Key Concepts of Transformative Eras: Science, Enlightenment, Industry

The Scientific Revolution

Geocentric Theory

An Earth-centered view of the universe.

Heliocentric Theory

The theory that the Sun is at the center of the universe.

Galileo Galilei

A scientist who was forced by the Catholic Church to retract scientific ideas that conflicted with the Church’s doctrine.

Scientific Method

A logical procedure for gathering and testing ideas.

Isaac Newton

A scientist renowned for discovering the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

Nicolaus Copernicus

Devised a model of the universe

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Mercantilism’s Modern Face: US Trade Policy Under Trump & Biden

Mercantilism: A State-Centered Economic Perspective

Mercantilism is a state-centered perspective in International Political Economy (IPE). It views the economy as an instrument of national power and security rather than a neutral system. Mercantilist theory assumes that international economic relations are inherently conflictual, operating under a zero-sum logic where one state’s gain comes at the expense of another. Under this logic, wealth is finite, and nations compete to secure the largest

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Savarkar’s Ideology: Hindutva, Nationalism, and Social Reform

Savarkar’s Reinterpretation of Indian History

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s approach to Indian historiography marked a shift from colonial interpretations to a nationalist retelling of India’s past. His work aimed at inspiring patriotism and building a collective national identity rooted in resistance, pride, and civilizational unity. The most notable example of this is his book, *”The First War of Indian Independence, 1857″*, in which he argued that the 1857 revolt was not a mere mutiny, as the British

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