R: Conservatives have no party

Monday, April 16th at 7.30pm

Join the Federalist Party as we celebrate the start of Bulldog Days with a debate on the state of conservatism in American politics.  With each election season it becomes increasingly apparent that the Republican Party may not the home conservatives deserve.  When searching for a candidate we are forced to compromise our conservative values under the weight of the pressure of maintaining "electability".  But what needs to be determined, before assessing whether conservatism and the values of the Republican Party are synonymous, is what is meant by "conservatism."  Should conservatives jump to support the Republican agenda in faith that conservative values are the driving force?  Should conservatives seek a new and ideologically pure party?

R: The bill of rights is wrong

Thursday, April 12th at 7.30pm

After the Philadelphia Convention, some statesmen argued against the Constitution, fearing that the strong national government had the potential to severely threaten individual rights and provide too much power to the President.  The arguments of these statesment were captured in the Anti-Federalist Papers and led Thomas Jefferson to advocate the possibility of adopting something similar to a bill of rights to James Madison. In 1789 the House of Representatives adopted the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.  Introduced by James Madison, these amendments acted to curtail governmental power while protecting personal freedoms.  From protection of the freedom of speech and the right to bear arms to limitations on judicial proceedings, the Bill of Rights required governmental concessions.  We join this week to debate these very additions and whether these ten amendments were in the best interest of the nation or nothing more than concessions made by the Federalists.  Please join us this Thursday in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room for our weekly debate!

R: Language is another word for culture

Thursday, April 5th at 7.30pm

In the Book of Genesis, the story of the Tower of Babel looks back to a time of cultural and lingual homogeneity which was then followed by the dispersion of people and, as a consequence, changes through the development of customs and evolution of language.  Once viewed exclusively as a biblical twist on Aristophane's speech from the Symposium (God acting against the hubris of man and his ardent desire to reach the level of divine), contemporary views now focus more on the purpose of heterogeneity in the world.  Language, in a very basic way, is a difficult barrier to overcome when attempting to foster relationships with members of foreign communities and can instead foster isolation.  In the context of an increasingly globalized society, a reflection on the role of language is important.  Language, our collection of descriptions and accents forged in spoken word, works as a fusion and reflection of our cultural struggles and personal experiences.  But is language a true reflection of our culture?  Please join us this Thursday in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room for our weekly debate!

R: Christianity and capitalism are enemies

Monday, March 26th at 6pm

The Federalist Party joins Sterling Professor of Political Science David Mayhew for dinner at Mory's.

Thursday, March 29th at 7.30pm

Does there exist a conflict between social conservatism rooted in Christianity and a support of the capitalist system?  Some may claim that capitalism only serves to promote sin, greed, injustice and a distraction from practicing one's faith. Join us this Thursday in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room for our weekly debate!

R: This house prefers the vita activa to the vita contemplativa

Thursday, March 22nd at 7.30pm

A split that has its origin in the Greek city-states, the distinction between the vita activa and the vita contemplativa, not surprisingly, is in the representation of how one's life ought to be lived.  The vita activa referred to the political life of a citizen in the city-state while the vita contemplativa arose as the path of the philosopher, those willing to pursue that above and beyond the political.  As a debating society, this topic is of particular importance.  Each week we meet to discuss topics and debate principles in an effort to search for truth but, at the same time, we place a high value on setting out and living the vita activa.  Please join us this Thursday in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room for our weekly debate!