Natural justice

Theory of general or absolute legal principles. There are principles of natural justice which are independent of historical circumstances or the details or conventions of particular legal systems. These principles provide that there shall be redress or protection against injury; and, at the level of legal procedure, adjudication shall be independent (hence that no

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Natural law

Theory of basis of human law. There are natural laws, either in the sense of being embedded in the essence of human society or human nature, or as being expressed through its development over time. The justification for ‘manufactured’ law lies in its expression of natural law, and the task of the legislator is thus

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Natural rights

Theory of human rights. Rights arise from the nature of human or social existence, in the same way as does natural law. There is disagreement as to whether rights are surrendered, or transformed, or held in abeyance when people enter political, law-governed society. Source: David Miller et al., eds, The Blackwell Dictionary of Political Thought (Oxford, 1987) Natural

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Neo-conservatism (20TH CENTURY)

A term referring to the views of North American conservatives in the second half of the 20th century. Conservatism in the United States became radical and assertive from the 1960s onwards, combining liberal economics and a suspicion of the state with authoritarian moral attitudes and a bellicose foreign policy. Such views constituted part of the new right. Source:

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Neo-functionalism (20TH CENTURY)

A version of functionalism in international relations theory. An attempt to account for the development of functional relationships which transcend individual states, particularly in regionally limited systems such as Europe and the European Union. Source: Graham EvaNeo-functionalismThe Dictionary of World Politics (Hemel Hempstead, 1990) Neofunctionalism is a theory of regional integration which downplays globalisation and reintroduces territory into its governance. Jean Monnet’s approach to European integration,

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Neo-liberalism (20TH CENTURY)

Theories of revived classical liberalism in the 20th century. The market is the most effective (or least irrational) method of distributing goods and resources, and the role of the state should be limited to the maintenance of necessary order, legality, and stability. Source: Desmond King, The New Right: Politics, Markets and Citizenship (London, 1987) Terminology Origins Friedrich Hayek

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Neo-Marxism (20TH CENTURY)

Theories of European Marxists after the Russian Revolution. As with all uses of the prefix ‘neo’, the essential distinction is between contemporary or near contemporary views, and earlier ones (for example,neo-conservatism, neo-corporatism and neo-liberalism). The theories designated as ‘neo-‘ Marxist were concerned in particular with culture and ideology, and with the role of capitalist states’ welfare institutions in

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New class (20TH CENTURY)

Theory of elites in state socialist (communist) societies of the Yugoslav writer MILOVAN DJILAS (1911-1995). Within state socialist societies a ‘new class’ of party officials – who exercise a command over resources similar to that exercised by capitalists – has arisen to frustrate the egalitarian intentions of the regimes’ founders. Source: Milovan Djilas, The

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New left (20TH CENTURY)

Body of radical cultural and political theories of the 1960s and 1970s. Convergence theory promoted oligarchy, orthodoxy, and the wilting of democracy in both Eastern and Western Europe. New participatory and decentralized forms of political and social organization would be an antidote to this, feminism and industrial democracy were key elements. Source: Rodney Barker, Political Ideas

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New liberalism (20TH CENTURY)

Adaptation of liberalism to collectivism. The liberal demand for freedom was best met, in a democracy, by the use of state power to enhance the material opportunities of citizens, thus promoting equal liberty. Source: Rodney Barker, Political Ideas in Modern Britain (London, 1978) New Liberalism may refer to: New liberalism as a synonym for social liberalism New Liberalism (Colombia), a party A rare

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New right (20TH CENTURY)

Alliance of economic liberal and conservative theory. In economic affairs, the state should encourage free markets and private economic enterprise. In cultural and moral affairs it should sustain traditional values in education and family life. Source: Desmond King, The New Right: Politics, Markets and Citizenship (London, 1987) History The word “New Right” appeared during the 1964

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NIMBY (not in my back yard) (20TH CENTURY)

Phrase attributed to Walton Rodger and widely linked to British Conservative politician and minister Nicholas Ridley (1929-1993). There are always those who attempt to exclude themselves from the consequences of policies which in general they support. A house owner might advocate new motorways, but not at the bottom of his or her own back-garden.

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Noblesse oblige

Theory of aristocratic duties. Nobility, distinction, aristocracy or good fortune are privileges which therefore involve corresponding obligations to public service. Meaning and variants “Noblesse oblige” is generally used to imply that with wealth, power, and prestige come responsibilities. In ethical discussion, it is sometimes[citation needed] used to summarize a moral economy wherein privilege must be balanced by duty towards those who lack such

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Oligarchy

Theory that power will normally be concentrated. The term is used by Aristotle to describe the corrupt alternative to aristrocracy. It now commonly denotes the situation described by elitism and by the iron law of oligarchy. Minority rule Main article: Minoritarianism The exclusive consolidation of power by a dominant religious or ethnic minority has also been described as a form of oligarchy.[8] Examples of this system

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Open society (1945)

Theory of government and social order of the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper (1902-1994). An open society, as opposed to a planned or goal-directed society, is one in which governments have no ultimate aims, and hence one where people enjoy the maximum freedom to experiment and innovate. Source: Karl Popper, The Open Society and its Enemies (London,

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Organic theory of the state

Theory of the state as analogous to a natural organism. The state is better understood as a ‘natural’ rather than a ‘mechanical’ phenomenon, with different institutions performing different functions, and the good health of the whole being attributable as much to the good working of the whole as to the contribution of any particular part. Also see: social Darwinism

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Overkill

Theory in military strategy which asserts that if a state has so much weaponry that it can defend itself, destroy any aggressor (and perhaps the world) and still have weapons to spare, it is capable of overkill. Not surprisingly, the concept has been met with a mixture of derision and dismay, and has passed into common

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Overload theory (20TH CENTURY)

Application of crisis theory to the modern state. Modern states have more demands made upon them than they can meet. They are, by analogy with machines, overloaded and break down, or inefficiency results. The Left sees overload as a failure of capitalism; the Right of welfare socialism. Source: Geoffrey Roberts and Alistair Edwards, A New Dictionary of Political

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Owenism (19TH CENTURY)

Views of -and following- the Welsh manufacturer and socialist Robert Owen (1771-1858). Human character is shaped by circumstance. It can therefore be transformed by good working conditions, proper housing, and education. Owen himself attempted to promote this by variously exhorting industrialists, establishing model communities, and encouraging pressure from below through trade unions and co-operatives.

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Pacifism

Ethical objection to violence. Violence and the taking of life are morally wrong. People should therefore refuse to engage in or support military activity, and no cause can justify the use of military force. There can therefore be no such thing as a just war. Source: David Miller et al., eds, The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of

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