American Conservatism 2012: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

This essay examines the peculiar history of American political thought to seek a possible explanation for why conservatism in the United States remains a movement without a spokesperson or a platform to which all citizens of this country who describe themselves as conservative can subscribe. The primary cause of these problems appears to be a serious mismatch between the traditional conservative traits of caution and limits and the historic American spirit of dynamic change and boundless optimism.     

Being Canadian: Dual Citizenship in Historical Perspective

Why do states configure their citizenship laws in certain ways? Why do they allow or prohibit dual citizenship? Why was it only in 1946 that Canada decided to enact its first citizenship law which prohibited multiple national allegiances? Why was a similar proposal abandoned in 1931? And why was this citizenship law changed in 1977 to allow dual citizenship? A common answer is that citizenship reflects the national “identity” of each nation-state. Through a perusal of the debates regarding citizenship laws in Canada, I locate the particular motivation for introducing those laws. I argue that although the symbolic element of citizenship laws is significant, citizenship laws are enacted as a political instrument to achieve immediate and specific goals. In particular, accepting dual citizenship in Canada should be seen as a one of the strategies political elites tried in order to incorporate English and French speakers under the same flag.     

Economic Analysis in Historical Perspective

Book reviewed in this article: Analytic Narratives, by Robert H. Bates, Avner Greif,Margaret Levi, Jean‐Laurent Rosenthal, and Barry R. Weingast     

Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: the Case of the German Sonderweg

Frequently, historical comparisons are asymmetrical in the sense that they investigate one case carefully while limiting themselves to a mere sketch of the other case(s) which serve(s) as comparative reference point(s). The debate on the German Sonderweg (special path) and the rich historical literature originating from this debate can serve as examples. This article reconstructs the pros and cons within this controversial debate, reports its results and puts it into a broader historical context. It analyzes the comparative logic implied by the Sonderweg thesis and argues that the interpretation of modern German history in the sense of a Sonderweg can only be maintained if related to the question why Germany turned fascist and totalitarian in the interwar period while other (comparable) societies did not, and if Western countries are selected as units of comparison. The choice of comparative reference points turns out to be decisive and partly dependent on normative priorities and conventions. The article points to dangers and opportunities inherent in asymmetrical comparison.     

试论美国新宗教右翼

20世纪下半叶是美国新保守主义崛起和活跃于美国政坛的时期。当代美国新保守主义力量主要由新型保守派（Neo—cons）、新右翼（New Right）和新宗教右翼（New Religious Right）所组成。作为以福音派和基要主义派等宗教组织为主体的当代美国宗教右翼,针对美国日益严重的社会问题和急剧下滑的道德价值观,假借“电子牧师”和“超级教会”等方式,以犹太-基督教传统价值观为基准,动员和组织了数千万福音派和基要主义派教徒,掀起了一场规模相当可观的宗教右翼运动,为美国保守主义的复兴和重返政坛立了大功。探讨当代美国保守主义时,新宗教右翼是一个不可或缺的部分。