麻豆传媒

Monday, September 14聽
11:00 am Pacific/ 12:00 pm Mountain/ 1:00 pm Central/ 2:00 pm Eastern聽
Dr. Heidi Franco聽
鈥淧olitical Philosophy Americana: How Does the Wisdom of the Past Compare to Current Events?鈥�

What would Madison, Jefferson, Washington, or Hamilton say about current events in government, politics, and the world? Did they comprehend or have answers to the problems we face today? Join Dr. Heidi Franco for an insightful view of America鈥檚 past political perspectives and how they apply to today鈥檚 hot topics.

Dr. Tim McCune聽
鈥淭oward the 鈥楪reat Community鈥�: Dewey鈥檚 Ameliorative Social and Political Philosophy鈥�

Though thoroughly steeped in earlier thinkers, the most robust expression of social and political theory in the Classical American philosophical tradition comes from the work of 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Philosopher,鈥� John Dewey. Join Tim McCune from General Education to discuss Dewey鈥檚 belief in the primacy of social-political philosophy and his understanding of it as the reflective criticism and evaluation of values. Dewey鈥檚 unique and imaginative reconstruction of key political concepts鈥攕uch as democracy, liberalism, individualism, and freedom鈥攊llustrates his move away from 鈥淭he Great Society鈥� and toward 鈥淭he Great Community.鈥� He offers a pragmatic critique of Classical Liberalism that has radical implications for politics, including the function of the U.S. Constitution.

Tuesday, September 15聽
1:00 pm Pacific/ 2:00 pm Mountain/ 3:00 pm Central/ 4:00 pm Eastern
Dr. Bryan Benson, Dr. Katherine Douglas, and Michael Dungar, M.A.; A.B.D.
鈥淧residential Elections in Historical Context鈥�

The framers created a Republic鈥攁n indirect democracy in which citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf. Metaphorically speaking, Presidential elections are the Super Bowl of U.S. politics: High public interest, and high stakes for the involved parties. Join Bryan Benson, Mike Dungar, and Katherine Douglas to examine three aspects of presidential elections: Presidential elections from the perspective of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention; the evolution of the presidential primary process; and a look at the current field of Republican and Democratic candidates for the 2016 presidential nomination.

Wednesday, September 16聽
11:00 am Pacific/ 12:00 pm Mountain/ 1:00 pm Central/ 2:00 pm Eastern
Dr. Rob Whiting, Ph.D. and Lizzie Redkey, Ph.D.
鈥淎im at Them, Not Us: Balancing Force and Power in the U.S. Constitutional System鈥�

How do you write a constitution that ensures both the security and the liberty of its people when the only difference between a military that can trounce its enemies and one that is a tool of tyrants is which direction its weapons are pointed? The people of the American colonies inherited from the British a fear and loathing of standing armies because those armies had a history of becoming the tools of tyrants against their own people. This discomfort undergirded much of the constitutional debate after the American Revolution, as they had to wrestle with the dilemma of how to create a system that allowed for a solid defense of the new nation, but one that could not oppress its people. Their attempts to solve this riddle shaped the entire constitutional process and ultimately resulted in a uniquely decentralized military with roughly equal odds of success or disaster for the young nation. Please join us for a discussion of the ideas that influenced the American concept of the 鈥渃itizen soldier鈥� and how the early United States tried to balance martial force and political power.

Thursday, September 17聽
10:00 am HAST/ 12:00 pm Pacific/ 1:00 pm Mountain/ 2:00 pm Central/ 3:00 pm Eastern
Dr. Erinn P. Nicley, Ph.D. and Jason Verber, Ph.D.
鈥淭he U.S. Constitution as a Model and Hegemonic Influence in Europe and Latin America鈥�

The U.S. Constitution is often viewed as a document that is 鈥渁bove politics鈥�. However, in terms of foreign policy, the U.S. Constitution has long served as a model for newly independent countries and for countries emerging from non-democratic systems, the U.S. Constitution has often been championed as a model for political institutional reform. The long history of the U.S. political influence in Europe and Latin America has transformed the U.S. Constitution into a tool of U.S. hegemonic power. This brief panel talk will discuss the enduring influence of the U.S. Constitution in advancing our distinct structure of representative democratic government in the world.

Friday, September 18聽
11:00 am Pacific/ 12:00 pm Mountain/ 1:00 pm Mountain/ 2:00 pm Eastern
Dr. Melvin Sanchez
鈥淔oucault on Punishment and Its Application to the 8th Amendment鈥�

In his book Discipline and Punish, French philosopher Michel Foucault outlines the way in which state power has inflicted punishment throughout Western European history. Foucault details the conceptual transformations that punishment has undergone. He makes interesting connections to the way in which power works and how it has been directed towards individuals. This presentation will apply some of Foucault鈥檚 ideas to the history of the 8th Amendment. Have we undergone a conceptual transformation of 鈥渃ruel and unusual鈥� here in the United States? If so鈥�how? What does the death penalty (and punishment in general) tell us about state power here in the U.S.?