Some thoughts on the issues task of the GRE

The following statements of belief are taken from the websites of the Democrats, the Republicans, and the Libertarians.  I had to select what I took to be the core claim of the Libertarians because they had several different claims.  I believe that it was a felicitous decision since they claim that their positions are logically consistent, that is, that their claims follow from the simple premise provided.  So, without anymore space wasted:

• Democrats believe that we're greater together than we are on our own—that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share, when everyone plays by the same rules.

• We believe in the power and opportunity of America’s free-market economy. We believe in the importance of sensible business regulations that promote confidence in our economy among consumers, entrepreneurs and businesses alike. We oppose interventionist policies that put the federal government in control of industry and allow it to pick winners and losers in the marketplace.  

• The Libertarian way is a logically consistent approach to politics based on the moral principle of self-ownership. Each individual has the right to control his or her own body, action, speech, and property. Government's only role is to help individuals defend themselves from force and fraud.

First, let's break down the claims into their constituent parts.  Then, we will give ourselves a little bit of paraphrase of each belief that might help to highlight the differences between the parties.

• Democrats believe 
• Groups are greater than individuals.
• The group is successful when everyone is given an opportunity to participate. 
• The group is successful when everyone's participation is propionate to their ability.
• The group is successful when everyone in the group follows the same rules, i.e. common law.  
• Republicans believe
• The American free-market economy is powerful.
• The American free-market economy provides opportunities.  
• There are sensible rules that regulate businesses.
• Sensible rules that regulate businesses promote confidence among the participants in the American free-market economy.
• There are rules that are not sensible.  
• Rules that are not sensible are called "interventionist policies".
• Interventionist policies allow a group to pick who wins and loses in the marketplace.
• Libertarians believe
• Each individual has the right to control his or her own body.
• Each individual has the right to control his or her own action.
• Each individual has the right to control his or her own speech.
• Each individual has the right to control his or her own property. 
• There are two roles for the group.
• There group can help individuals defend themselves from force.
• There group can help individuals defend themselves from fraud.

Ok, that about sums up the views of each party.  In my opinion, it looks as if the real differences between these beliefs amounts to differences in the beliefs of individuals concerning the role of groups, and the role of rules in everyday life.  Implicitly, there are also some claims abut the effect of rules on groups, and groups on rules, and rules on individuals, and so on.  There's a lot of really simple theoretical and oddly enough empirical questions that need to be questioned here.  

First, how do you determine an individual's "ability"?  Second, hat is the group trying to be successful at?  Third, what is a "free-market economy"?  Fourthly, is there an example of a sensible rule?  Do sensible rules actually have the proposed effect of promoting confidence?  Fifthly, what is a right?  And finally, what is property?  

Those aren't easy questions.  Dissertations have been written on these concepts and entire lives have been dedicated to assiduously giving a full account of even simple properties that individuals take these concepts to have...i.e. The American psychologist John Bowlby's attachment theory might be read as a mediation on some of the empirical claims contained in the concept of property.   

So, anyway, I'm not proposing a dissertation here.  I just thought it might be nice to let someone see that these aren't simple questions.  And our intuitions are blind here.  Sorting this stuff out really requires some dedication and patience.