Section on Law and Communitarian Studies, Co-Sponsored by Law and ReligionMarina Salon G, South Tower/Level 3, San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina
Community and Subsidiarity in Domestic and International Relations
Subsidiarity is at the core of various pressing debates about domestic and international relations. It is pertinent to the topic of institutional pluralism. Communitarian thought has stressed the principle of subsidiarity — that no unit of society should perform functions more appropriately performed by a smaller entity and that government should support, rather than supplant, institutions of civil society. Such thought regards community as a potent "third force" between the individual and the state and calls for a more creative division of labor among the state and civil society. Invoking subsidiarity, the Bush Administration's "faith-based initiative," which has expanded the used of public-private partnerships to provide social services, both in domestic and foreign policy.
Subsidiarity is also manifest in the international arena, where there are calls for a creative division of labor among the state and other institutional forms. It is a basic principle of the European Union and also relevant to interpreting human rights norms. It is evident in multi-track diplomacy, which seeks to foster international cooperation by enlisting multiple sectors of society. These and other developments raise questions about sources of global norms and new models for an international community.
Business Meeting at Program conclusion.
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