The United States Congressional Elections in 1984: A Review of Lessons and Interpretations
| Date | 01 October 1985 |
| Published date | 01 October 1985 |
| Author | John D. Lees |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-9256.1985.tb00115.x |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Equality, Fraternity
-
and Bernard Crick
49.
'methodological communalism' which rests awkwardly with the concerns of
a
wider social equality.
Attempts to advance the trinity of socialist values as an interdependent
whole have
to
take account of these issues. In fact choices plainly have to
be made between them, for unlike another well known Trinity, they cannot be
conceived in an entirely seamless manner.
If
socialism is to retain equality
as its distinctive value then socialists must abide by the logic of the
choice, and this
will
entail a diminished importance for the 'qualitative',
communal fraternity Crick desires.
If,
on the other hand, we are increasingly
lured by communal definitions of socialism,
it
may be time to change our
attitudes to equality
-
or at least the kind of equality we want.
References
Crick,
B
(1382),
'A
Footnote to Rally Fellow Socialists', appendix to
In Defence of Politics (2nd edition)(London, Penguin).
Crick,
B
(1984a), 'Socialist Values and Time', Fabian Tract
495
(London,
Fabian Society).
Crick,
6
(1984b), 'Equality', in
5
Pimlott (ed), Fabian Essays in Socialist
Thou h
t
(London, He
i
nemann)
.
Dunn,
J
-7%
19
),
The Politics of Socialism: An Essay in Political Theory
(Cambridge, Cambridge University Press).
Kitching,
G
(1983), Rethinking Socialism:
A
Theory for Better Practice
(London, Methuen).
Plant,
R
(1978), 'Community: Concept, Conception and Ideology', Politics
and Societ
8
(l), pp 79-107.
Plant,d 'Equality, Markets and the State', Fabian Tract
494
(London, Fabian Society).
THE
UNITED
STATES
CONGRESSIONAL
ELECTIONS
IN
1984:
A
REVIEW
OF
LESSONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
John
D.
Lees
Introduction
In marked contrast to the presidential election, which produced a
massive re-election victory for America's oldest president, the
first
woman
to
be
nominated for national office, and the
first
major black candidate
to
seek the White House, the
1984
elections to Congress contained few surprises.
Rather they provided evidence for the continuity as well
as
change which
characterises national elections in the United States, reaffirming the
existing situation of a divided House and Senate. The results overall con-
firmed the continued relevance of several generalisations
or
hypotheses about
the nature of congressional elections over time. There was also sufficient
variety in the specific results and individual campaigns to permit differing
conclusions to be drawn as to why,
if
the Reagan victory was more than a
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