The Greeks of Antiquity aimed for their city-states to be expressions of the highest good, and Aristotle proclaimed humans to be ‘political animals.’ Ever since, people have argued and plotted actions of the best way they might govern–either themselves, others, or both. In modern times John Dewey tried to combine public education with the participatory politics of  ‘the public citizen,’ while his critics tried to conserve more elitist goals and methods. In any case, here is where we deal with the art and science of  ‘who can do what to whom.’

The Six-Party System Hypothesis

Carl Davidson offers a new way of looking at the U.S.’s two-party system, with six parties or blocs under two tents. He updates it every two years since the terrain is always changing. Good frame for assessing local politics. Get it HERE

The Emerging Anti-MAGA Majority

Wake up: Trump has fundamentally reshaped the electorate. This is good news for the fight against MAGA fascism. MICHAEL PODHORZER This is detailed, factual research and analysis needed to develop winning tactics in a wider anti-fascist strategy. Get it HERE

Political Geography of Elections Martin Lewis, Stanford University, 6 Video lectures Access Here

Presidential Politics: Race, Class, Faith & Gender in the 2008 Election

75-minute video explores how issues of race, class, faith and gender have shaped the candidates, campaigns, and our society. The course analysis spans the presidential race from the announcements of more than ten presidential hopefuls. Access Here

American Political Thought

An MIT set of downloadable course materials with pdf files of lecture notes, syllabus, study questions covering the range of American politics from colonial times to the present. Access Here

Revisiting Chicago 1968 after 30 years

Carl Davidson explains how the SDS generation changed its views on the Democratic Party due to the practical clash between radical democracy and corporate liberalism. C-Span, 25 minutes, 1998. ACCESS HERE

George Orwell: A Life In Pictures

A 90-minute BBC film. Orwell had a profound awareness of social injustice, an intense, revolutionary opposition to totalitarianism, a passion for clarity in language and a belief in democratic socialism. Perhaps the twentieth century’s best chronicler of English culture, Orwell is best known for the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (published in 1949) and the satirical novella Animal Farm (1945). They have together sold more copies than any two books by any other twentieth-century author. His Homage to Catalonia (1938) is an account of his experiences as a volunteer on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War. Access Here

What the Left Must Know: Electoral and Community Organizing at the Local Base

Carl Davidson explains why the left needs to raise its understanding on these matters at least as high as the average Democratic machine precinct captain. 20-minute video. Access here

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