Benjamin Radcliff

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Benjamin Radcliff (born August 28, 1963) is an American political scientist and a professor at the University of Notre Dame. He is also affiliated with the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy and the Higgins Labor Studies Program. Best known for his work on the connections between politics and human happiness, his research also encompasses democratic theory, political economy, and the study of organized labor.

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Education and career

Radcliff attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he obtained a B.A. in 1984. He graduated from there in 1991 with a Ph.D. in Political Science. While he has held faculty appointments at Rutgers University and Vanderbilt University, the majority of his academic career has been spent at the University of Notre Dame. He has been a fellow at the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities and at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study. In 2014 he was in residence as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar at the Roosevelt Study Center, in the Netherlands.

Early research

In a series of scholarly articles in the 1990s, Radcliff attempted a radical reinterpretation of the implications for democratic thought of social theory in general, and Arrow's impossibility theorem in particular. Rather than the familiar suggestion, associated most closely with the work of William H. Riker, that Arrow's work suggested that democracy must by logical necessity be limited to the minimal form associated with classical Liberalism, Radcliff argued that social choice theory actually supported more robust or populistic conceptions of democracy. [1] [2] [3]

This work culminated in a 2000 article in The Journal of Politics that sought to establish that the only democratic models to survive the challenges posed by social choice theory were in fact the radical interpretations of democracy known as participatory democracy or deliberative democracy. [4] This article won the award for best article published in The Journal of Politics in that year.

During this same period, Radcliff (sometimes in collaboration with his colleague Alexander Pacek of Texas A&M University) produced a series of empirical articles focusing, among other things, on the connections between organized labor, political participation, the welfare state, and electoral outcomes in the industrial democracies and across the American States.

Current research

Radcliff's recent work has focused on the social scientific study of happiness within the multi-disciplinary field sometimes labeled as happiness economics. In a 2001 article in the American Political Science Review he provided extensive econometric evidence in support of the contention that social democracy in general, and an expansive, universalistic welfare state in particular, contributed to greater levels of life satisfaction across the Western world. He concludes that the principal determinant of quality of life, controlling for economic or cultural conditions which might also play a role, is the degree to which a society protects its citizens against impersonal market forces as measured by the degree of decommodification it provides. [5]

This general theme was developed in a series of subsequent papers, which extended these conclusions by using different indicators (such as happiness as well as life satisfaction), [6] employing pooled time series analysis over a larger number of countries [7] and other methodological and theoretical innovations. In his most recent major paper on the subject, Radcliff and colleagues extend this analysis to a comparative study of the American states, showing that life satisfaction is promoted, controlling for other factors, by the state's level of welfare spending, the degree of economic regulation in favor of workers or consumers, and its history of rule by liberal (or Democratic) state governments. [8]

Radcliff has also devoted a series of papers to the role that labor organization plays in promoting human happiness. His empirical analyses suggest that two fundamental conclusions: (1) individuals who belong to (or are represented by) labor unions have higher levels of life satisfaction that others of similar income, education, age, gender, marital status, physical health, and other similar factors, and, more importantly (2) that the aggregate level of labor organization—the "density" of organization, meaning the percentage of the work force organized—appears to increase subjective appraisal of life for everyone, whether members of unions or not. These effects, he stresses, are independent of the impact unions might have on life satisfaction through their traditional support for the welfare state. [9]

Radcliff's research program has culminated in the publication of his book The Political Economy of Human Happiness: How Voters' Choices Determine the Quality of Life. Cambridge University Press; (2013) ISBN   978-1-107-64442-7

Criticism

Radcliff's critique of Riker's work on the connections between social choice theory and democratic theory was the subject of an exchange between Riker and himself in the journal Political Research Quarterly. [10] [11]

Radcliff's contention that there is a positive connection between the extent of electoral participation (turnout) and the share of the vote received by the Democratic Party in U.S. elections [12] has been criticized, in separate analyses, by political scientists Robert Erikson and Jack Nagel. [13] [14] Radcliff followed with a reply to Erikson. [15]

Radcliff's work on happiness and the welfare state has been the subject of an extensive critique by the political scientist Tom Rice and colleagues, who in particular questions the direction of causality in Radcliff's empirical results, suggesting that it may be that happier citizens are simply more supportive of the welfare state rather than the welfare state producing happier people. [16] Radcliff gives several arguments against this 'reverse casualty' hypothesis in his book The Political Economy of Human Happiness: How Voters' Choices Determine the Quality of Life. Cambridge University Press; (2013) ISBN   978-1-107-64442-7, including a demonstration that individuals' support for welfare in fact correlates negatively with life satisfaction.

Non-academic writings

Radcliff wrote Understanding Zen (Charles Tuttle, Boston, 1993) as an accessible introduction to Zen in particular and Eastern philosophy more generally. It draws upon both the modern philosophy of science and familiar strands of Western philosophy, such as existentialism. A German language edition entitled Zen Denken was published by Herder (Freiburg: 1995). ISBN 3-451-04396-3

Related Research Articles

Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism which advocates free market and laissez-faire economics; and civil liberties under the rule of law, with special emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, economic freedom, political freedom and freedom of speech. Classical liberalism, contrary to liberal branches like social liberalism, looks more negatively on social policies, taxation and the state involvement in the lives of individuals, and it advocates deregulation.

William Harrison Riker was an American political scientist who is prominent for applying game theory and mathematics to political science. He helped to establish University of Rochester as a center of behavioral revolution in political science.

Public choice, or public choice theory, is "the use of economic tools to deal with traditional problems of political science". Its content includes the study of political behavior. In political science, it is the subset of positive political theory that studies self-interested agents and their interactions, which can be represented in a number of ways – using standard constrained utility maximization, game theory, or decision theory. It is the origin and intellectual foundation of contemporary work in political economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welfare state</span> Form of government

A welfare state is a form of government in which the state protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for citizens unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life.

In philosophy, economics, and political science, the common good is either what is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community, or alternatively, what is achieved by citizenship, collective action, and active participation in the realm of politics and public service. The concept of the common good differs significantly among philosophical doctrines. Early conceptions of the common good were set out by Ancient Greek philosophers, including Aristotle and Plato. One understanding of the common good rooted in Aristotle's philosophy remains in common usage today, referring to what one contemporary scholar calls the "good proper to, and attainable only by, the community, yet individually shared by its members."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian democracy</span> Christian socioeconomic model

Christian democracy is a political ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. During the nineteenth century, its principal concerns were to reconcile Catholicism with democracy, to answer the "social question" surrounding capitalism and the working class, and to resolve the tensions between church and state. In the twentieth century, Christian democrats led postwar Western and Southern Europe in building modern welfare states and constructing the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voter turnout</span> Percentage of a countrys eligible voters who actually vote within elections

In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate of a given election. This is typically either the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford University political scientists Adam Bonica and Michael McFaul, there is a consensus among political scientists that "democracies perform better when more people vote."

Social liberalism is a political philosophy and variety of liberalism that endorses social justice, social services, a mixed economy, and the expansion of civil and political rights, as opposed to classical liberalism which supports unregulated laissez faire capitalism with very few government services.

Formative contexts are the institutional and imaginative arrangements that shape a society's conflicts and resolutions. They are the structures that limit both the practice and the imaginative possibilities in a socio-political order, and in doing so shape the routines of conflict over social, political and economic resources that govern access to labor, loyalty, and social station, e.g. government power, economic capital, technological expertise, etc. In a formative context, the institutions structure conflict over government power and capital allocation, whereas the imaginative framework shapes the preconceptions about possible forms of human interaction. Through this, a formative context further creates and sustains a set of roles and ranks, which mold conflict over the mastery of resources and the shaping of the ideas of social possibilities, identities and interests. The formative context of the Western democracies, for example, include the organization of production through managers and laborers, a set of laws administering capital, a state in relation to the citizen, and a social division of labor.

In United States politics, modern liberalism is a form of social liberalism that is one of two current major political factions in the United States. It combines ideas of civil liberty and equality with support for social justice. Economically, modern liberalism supports government regulation on private industry and opposes corporate monopolies. It opposes cuts to the social safety net, while simultaneously promoting income-proportional tax reform policies to reduce deficits. It supports a role for government in reducing economic inequality, increasing diversity, providing access to education, ensuring healthcare, regulating economic activity, and protecting the natural environment. This form of liberalism took shape in the 20th century as the voting franchise and other civil rights were extended to a larger class of citizens, most notably among African Americans and women. Major examples of modern liberal policy programs include the New Deal, the Fair Deal, the New Frontier, the Great Society, the Affordable Care Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The economics of happiness or happiness economics is the theoretical, qualitative and quantitative study of happiness and quality of life, including positive and negative affects, well-being, life satisfaction and related concepts – typically tying economics more closely than usual with other social sciences, like sociology and psychology, as well as physical health. It typically treats subjective happiness-related measures, as well as more objective quality of life indices, rather than wealth, income or profit, as something to be maximized.

Liberalism in the United States is based on concepts of unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, the separation of church and state, the right to due process, and equality under the law are widely accepted as a common foundation of liberalism. It differs from liberalism worldwide because the United States has never had a resident hereditary aristocracy, and avoided much of the class warfare that characterized Europe. According to American philosopher Ian Adams, "all U.S. parties are liberal and always have been. Essentially they espouse classical liberalism, that is a form of democratised Whig constitutionalism plus the free market. The point of difference comes with the influence of social liberalism and the proper role of government."

Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. Although the term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, politics is observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. Politics consists of "social relations involving authority or power. The definition of "politics" from "The Free Dictionary" is the study of political behavior and examines the acquisition and application of power. Politics study include political philosophy, which seeks a rationale for politics and an ethic of public behavior, and public administration, which examines the practices of governance.

Articles in social and political philosophy include:

Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a liberal-democratic polity and a capitalist-oriented mixed economy.

Edward Francis Diener was an American psychologist and author. Diener was a professor of psychology at the University of Utah and the University of Virginia, and Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, as well as a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization. He is noted for his research over the past thirty years on happiness, including work on temperament and personality influences on well-being, theories of well-being, income and well-being, cultural influences on well-being, and the measurement of well-being. As shown on Google Scholar as of April 2021, Diener's publications have been cited over 257,000 times.

Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political reform. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, technology, economic development, and social organization. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to human societies everywhere. Progressivism arose during the Age of Enlightenment out of the belief that civility in Europe was improving due to the application of new empirical knowledge to the governance of society.

Subjective well-being (SWB) is a self-reported measure of well-being, typically obtained by questionnaire.

The altruism theory of voting is a model of voter behavior which states that if citizens in a democracy have "social" preferences for the welfare of others, the extremely low probability of a single vote determining an election will be outweighed by the large cumulative benefits society will receive from the voter's preferred policy being enacted, such that it is rational for an “altruistic” citizen, who receives utility from helping others, to vote. Altruistic voting has been compared to purchasing a lottery ticket, in which the probability of winning is extremely low but the payoff is large enough that the expected benefit outweighs the cost.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to politics and political science:

References

  1. ↑ "Liberalism, Populism, and Collective Choice." Political Research Quarterly 46: 127-142. 1992.
  2. ↑ "Majority Rule and Impossibility Theorems." Social Science Quarterly 73: 511-522. 1992.
  3. ↑ "The General Will and Social Choice Theory." Review of Politics 54: 34-49. 1992.
  4. ↑ "Preference Aggregation, Functional Pathologies, and Participation: A Social Choice Defense of Participatory Democracy" (with Ed Wingenbach). The Journal of Politics 62: 977-998. 2000.
  5. ↑ "Politics, Markets, and Life Satisfaction: The Political Economy of Human Happiness." American Political Science Review 95: 939-952. (with Alexander Pacek) 2001.
  6. ↑ "Welfare Policy and Subjective Well-Being Across Nations: An Individual-Level Analysis." Social Indicators Research 89: 179-191 (with Alexander Pacek). 2008.
  7. ↑ "Assessing the Welfare State: the Politics of Happiness." Perspectives on Politics 6: 267-277. (with Alexander Pacek) 2008.
  8. ↑ "The Politics of Happiness: On the Political Determinants of Quality of Life in the American States." Alvarez-Diaz, A., Gonzalez, L., and Radcliff, B. The Journal of Politics 72 (3): 894-905. 2010.
  9. ↑ "Class Organization and Subjective Well-Being." Social Forces, vol. 84(1): 513-530. September 2005.
  10. ↑ Riker, William H. "Comment on Radcliff's "Liberalism, Populism, and Collective Choice."" Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Mar., 1993): 143–149. 1993.
  11. ↑ Radcliff, Benjamin F. "Rejoinder to Riker." Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Mar., 1993): 151–155. 1993.
  12. ↑ "Turnout and the Democratic Vote." American Politics Quarterly 22 (July): 259-276. 1994.
  13. ↑ Erikson, Robert S. "State Turnout and Presidential Voting: A Closer Look." American Politics Quarterly 23 (October): 387-396. 1995.
  14. ↑ Nagel, John H. and McNulty, John E. "Partisan Effects of Voter Turnout in Senatorial and Gubernatorial Elections." American Political Science Review Vol. 90, No. 4 (Dec., 1996): 780-793.
  15. ↑ "Turnout and the Vote Revisited: A Reply to Erikson." American Politics Quarterly 23 (October): 397-403. 1995.
  16. ↑ Happiness, Economics, and Politics. Edited by Amitava Dutt and Benjamin Radcliff. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. 2009. "The Causal Link Between Happiness and Democratic Welfare Regimes." Charlotte Rider, Tom Rice, and Matthew Cherry.
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