Blog #32 - French Revolution and the Enlightenment

The French  Revolution (1789-1815) was heavily influenced by the philosophes that we read about in Ch. 17 and the ideas of the Enlightenment.  Also, the American Revolution against the British monarchy and the subsequent American Constitution was extremely important to the leaders of the French Revolution. 


Some Enlightenment ideas that were used in the French Revolution were:
1. Natural rights - life, liberty, property
2. Equality for all men
3. Social Contract - government derives its power from the people, not God
4. Religious freedom
5. Separation of powers - executive, judicial, legislative
6. Written constitution
7. Voting for citizens (ability to pick their leaders)
8. Free speech, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble
9. Schools were improved, not dependent upon the Church

However, there were times, during all four stages of the French Revolution that some of these Enlightenment ideas were betrayed by the leaders (and mobs) of the French Revolution.  Explain in your answer how the Revolution both expanded the ideas of the Enlightenment and also betrayed those ideas.  

Due Monday, April 27 by the beginning of our class period.  250 words minimum. 

Blog #17 - The Fairness of Taxes

In France's "ancien regime", the first (clergy) and second (nobles) estates paid little to no taxes (2% total taxes for the first estate, and 1% for the second) before the French Revolution in 1789.  They also had special privileges and had some influence and power, but the nobles especially were afraid of losing their special place in society. 

The third estate was a varied group of people.  They included middle class bankers, lawyers, merchants and manufacturers.  It also included doctors, journalists and professionals, but the majority of the third estate was made up of rural peasants and urban workers (the poorest) and urban unemployed.  The third estate had few special privileges and had to pay the majority of the taxes (estimated 97% total taxes). 

These inequalities, in addition to France's soaring national debt and the skyrocketing price of food, contributed to the revolution.

In America since 1913, we have had a progressive income tax - those who earn more pay the most.  Back then, only incomes over $4,000 ($86,500 in 2010 dollars) were taxed (which applied to about 5% of the country). 

During World War 2, the middle class really became included in the income tax in order to help pay for the huge price of the war. 

But, the way our tax burden is distributed is much different than pre-revolutionary France. For instance, the lower class, or those who make less than $25-30,000 a year (for a family of four) pay about 5% of total tax amount collected every year by the IRS though they make up 15-20% of the population. 

The American middle class makes up 60-70% of the population and pays around 45% of the total tax amount.  The middle class earns between $30,000 - $200,000 / year. 

An argument for taxes from the Brookings Institute.  Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes jr. has said, "I like paying taxes.  With them I buy civilization."     
The wealthiest 10% of Americans (those who earn over $200,000), because of our progressive tax system, pay about half of the amount collected by the IRS.  That amount (50%), and in fact all of the amounts, have fluctuated depending upon the strength or weakness of the economy. 

Currently, like France in 1789, our American government owes over $12 trillion to foreign investors and future payments to Social Security and Medicaid and Medicare. 

1. Why do you think the French tax system was set up that way? 

2. Do you think our current tax system is fair with the wealthiest Americans paying half of the tax amount collected every year?  Why or why not?

3. What would you do to our tax system today to modify it?  (For instance, do you think our government spends too much money on social services / the military / other stuff?  Would you lower taxes (and forbid it to borrow any money unless in an emergency) to force the government to spend less?  Or, what about a flat tax where everybody pays the same percentage/rate?)    Why? 

150 words minimum total (not 150 words per question).  Due Monday, March 29. 

Blog #9 - If France Sneezes, Europe Catches a Cold

From what we saw in Chapter 20 (and even earlier with the French Revolution), France was incredibly influential in politics during the 19th Century not only in Europe but also in Latin America as well. Though the 26 years of Revolution and Napoleonic Rule (1789-1815) had destroyed the country and its economy, the ideas of natural rights (life, liberty and property) and democracy were ones that caught fire across the world.

We saw how European dictators / monarchs tried to re-establish the Old Order with the Congress of Vienna in 1816 and fix the problems that Napoleon had created (by overthrowing the old stodgy system that wouldn't change - though the ironic thing was that Napoleon (painting at the left) had become an Emperor himself and put all of the power of the French government in his own hands).

My questions for you:

If you were a monarch of old Europe at this time (mid 19th Century) and the Revolutions of 1848 were flaring up, which of the following would you do and why?

1. Would you crush these revolts in your empire so as to not let them not occur again?

2. Would you listen to the revolutionaries' demands and use only the ones that didn't demand too much of your power or empire's resources?

3. Would you completely agree to all of the revolutionaries' requests and allow their region to become semi-independent?

4. Would you examine the geography of the rebellious region and let them go if they weren't important or keep them if they were but let them have some form of liberties to make them happy (think Bismarck and realpolitik)?

Pick one of the four options and explain why you chose your option.

150 words minimum, due Tuesday, January 5th.