The concept of political obligation and related notions of fairness, justice and natural duty is a fascinating field of inquiry that lends itself to new and ever more complex perspectives on the world of politics. It is now studied under political science, but was previously dealt with by institutions and academies of law, ethics and…
Category: Law
The issue of Illegal Aliens in the United States
The issue of immigration has taken renewed significance in American political discourse over the last ten years. This was largely prompted by the flood of illegal immigrants crossing over from Mexico and other central American countries. Considering that Hispanic Americans already comprise 13 percent of the population and have the highest birth rates among all…
Peggy McIntosh’s criticism of Immigration Laws
Having been involved in the field of Women’s Studies, Peggy McIntosh is quite familiar with privileges held by men that seldom get acknowledged. The issue here is not blatant male chauvinism, but a subtler, unconscious and systemic flaws that undermine the notion of equality between sexes. Extending the same analysis to the domain of race,…
Just War Theory: An application to the Iraq War (2003)
Alan Dowd’s article titled ‘Civilization’s Reluctant Warrior: America and the War on Terror’ is an essay supporting America’s war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Given the readiness and enthusiasm with which the United States initiated war against Iraq in 2003, it is difficult to make sense of phrase ‘reluctant warrior’. Nevertheless, the central thesis of…
Relevance of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to the Madoff Scandal
The investment scandal perpetrated by Bernard Madoff is the largest financial fraud in the history of capitalism. It is believed that Madoff’s secretive investment advice firm caused a loss of nearly $65 billions for the 4,000 odd investors who trusted his firm with their wealth. The investors consisted of several celebrities as well as people…
Judith Jarvis Thomson’s argument for limited abortion rights
Judith Jarvis Thomson’s essay titled A Defense of Abortion serves as a polemic against some of the common objections made by pro-lifers. The first of her objections to the pro-life standpoint is regarding the status assigned to a human fetus. The pro-lifers argue that right from the moment of conception the fetus has to be…
The politics of same-sex marriage
One of the issues that elicit a broad range of views from politicians, scholars and intelligentsia is rights for same-sex couples. At the very minimum, these rights would entail legal recognition for same-sex partners and enable them to adopt children. As same-sex partnerships gain greater acceptance in society, the members of this community expect to…
Difference between Limited Liability Corporation and Limited Liability Partnership
One of the key advantages of limited liability partnerships (LLPs) is that it minimizes the risk borne by each member of the partnership. But, LLPs still impose certain obligations from each of the partner as a way of maintaining standards of accountability. LLPs differ from other general partnerships in one particular aspect, namely, that each…
Reforming the penal system
The penal system in the United States of America, as is elsewhere in the world is far from the best solution for curbing anti-social tendencies among citizens. As it is, the penal system is synonymous with imprisonment and social seclusion, both of them conditions that don’t encourage positive transformations for the imprisoned individuals. Seen in…
Double Jeopardy Clause of the U.S. Constitution
The underlying principle behind the framing of the Double Jeopardy Clause is the universal maxim of the common-law of England which is still being referred to in the United States. In the U.S, the common law rule was integrated into the Bill of Rights and hence was given constitutional importance. The Clause in question is…