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Mesoamerican Writing Systems: Propaganda, Myth, and History in Four Ancient Civilizations. Joyce Marcus

The formation of the European Community puts pressure on the UK to address questions about the relationship between England & the other UK nations, as well as about general constitutional theory & the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy. These national & constitutional issues are linked, since discussion of constitutional issues will bring national issues to the public foreground. A model of a future constitution is emerging wherein Parliament will retain supremacy, but will be rebalanced via proportional representation & institution of an elected second chamber, with extended powers to replace the House of Lords. Difficulties in this proposed constitution with the representation of Scotland & Wales are discussed. Twelve innovations for a written constitution are proposed, based on the assumptions that the present executive is too powerful, & that general decentralization should take place. M. Pflum

JAMES MADISON IS WIDELY ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT INACCURATELY KNOWN AS THE "FATHER OF THE CONSTITUTION" AND THE FOUNDER OF PLURALISM IN AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE. HE IS EQUALLY ALTHOUGH LESS WIDELY KNOWN AS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE AMERICAN PARTY SYSTEM AND AN ADVOCATE OF A MORE PARTICIPATORY AND COMMUNITARIAN THEORY OF POLITICS. BOTH OF THESE CHARACTERIZATIONS ARE WELL FOUNDED. THE FIRST IS BASED LARGELY ON MADISON'S CAREER UP TO 1789, PARTICULARLY HIS COLLABORATOIN WITH ALEXANDER HAMILTON AND CO-AUTHORSHIP OF THE FEDERALIST PAPERS; THESE WERE THE ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH WHAT POLITICAL SCIENTISTS USUALLY CALL THE "MADISONIAN SYSTEM," THE THEORY OF WHICH IS BEST KNOWN FROM FEDERALIST 10. THE SECOND DERIVES FROM MADISON'S CONDUCT IN THE 1970S AND HIS WRITINGS FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESS, ACTIVITIES WHICH HELPED TO ESTABLISH A VERY DIFFERENT POLITICAL SYSTEM. THE PARTY SYSTEM IS A SECOND MADISONIAN SYSTEM, WHICH CONTRADICTS THE FIRST IN BOTH THEORY AND PRACTICE. THE PLURALISM OF MADISON THE FEDERALIST FAVORED THE MULTIPLICATION OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE COMPETENT GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL AND DIRECTION OF THESE INTERESTS. THE PARTY SYSTEM OF MADISON THE REPUBLICAN DISPLAYED MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE POLITICAL COMPETENCE OF CITIZENS OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT, AND FAVORED THE CONSOLIDATION OF SOCIAL "INTERESTS AND AFFECTIONS" TO CONTROL AND DIRECT GOVERNMENT.

As the author points out, the Andean and Mesoamerican communication systems, predominantly oral, did not lend themselves to supraregional intellectual exchange. The introduction of writing by Europeans transformed the American system of communication

One aspect of international relations which interested Martin Wight particularly was the functioning of what are called systems of states. That has also been an area of my especial interest since the late 50s. It was the focus of the discussions of the British Committee on the Theory of International Politics. The committee was organized in the late fifties to bring, together people from different disciplines, practitioners as well as scholars. Herbert Butterfield and Martin were the founders and guiding spirits of the early years of the committee, and I was one of the original members. It was a collective enterprise: members submitted papers which left as questions those points on which the author did not feel certain of the answers. Martin told me that the most stimulating and interesting work he did during the 60s was writing papers for the committee and taking part in its discussions.

The revisionist trend away from the materialist & dialectical method of classical critical theory is explored as it has developed in the works of Jurgen Habermas. His theories are tracked from their roots in Western Marxism, to their present manifestation in neofunctionalist systems theory. An evaluation of the adequacy of the political economy within Habermas's present sociological theory is presented, together with the synthetic limits of his systems theory & the possibilities that recent advances in the theory of dissipative systems offer critical theory. 28 References. D. Dennis