DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

AND

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

POSC 105

AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE: GENERAL-WELFARE LIBERALISM



  1. THIS MORNING:
    1. Political culture and the public philosophy
      1. General-welfare liberalism
        1. Classical liberalism
        2. Public welfare
    2. Reading: see below


  1. THE POWER OF IDEAS:
    1. Major proposition: the differences between liberals and conservatives are overstated.
      1. There really is no major liberal party in this country and most conservatives are not true conservatives.
    2. Major proposition: a single "public philosophy" (ideology) dominates politics in the United States.
      1. This philosophy, general-welfare liberalism, consists of a set of ideas, beliefs, values, and attitudes that controls public policy making.
        1. It crowds out competing ideas to the detriment of political discourse and enlightened understanding.
    3. The public philosophy has several consequences:
      1. Understanding this philosophy is essential for understanding American government.
      2. It determines what kinds of policies will and will not be pursued.
      3. It "favors" some segments of society to the detriment of others.
      4. It limits American democracy and political capacity
    4. "General-welfare liberalism" consists of two strands, "classical" liberalism and mixed feelings about active government.


  2. THE LIBERALISM COMPONENT:
    1. Humans have natural, inalienable rights that can be known through reason
      1. "Divine" interpretation not necessary
    2. Classical liberalism stresses individual rights
      1. Liberal democracy
      2. The individual is the center of the "political universe."
      3. Political freedoms
      4. Property
    3. Individualism and optimism and belief in progress
      1. The American dream
      2. Optimism about the future
      3. Belief in economic growth
      4. Belief in the power of education and mobility
      5. Rationality
      6. Faith in science technology
    4. Limited government and distrust of politics
      1. Suspicious of politicians and parties
      2. Distrust of power
        1. Misunderstanding of the difference between private and public power.
      3. State, local government preferable to Washington
      4. Private solutions to collective problems.
    5. Pragmatism and practical politics
    6. Consequences:
      1. Distrust of poor and welfare programs


  3. THE GENERAL-WELFARE PART:
    1. There is consensus that the national government manage the economy to lessen, if not eliminate, depressions, recessions and inflation.
      1. When push comes to shove hardly any one in either party wants the government to stand idly by in times of economic turbulence.
    2. But more is involved than making life bearable for the average citizen.
      1. There is a very specific way the U.S. government and private economic actors, especially large ones, work together to attempt to achieve growth with social harmony
    3. Proposition: policy making in is dominated by corporate-government partnership.
    4. Goals of this partnership:
      1. Promote economic growth but not redistribute wealth.
      2. Maintain social peace, especially by managing
        1. Labor-management conflict
        2. Corporate-citizen conflict
      3. Legitimize the economic and social order.
    5. KEY POINT: a crisis in government may be looming because of government's inability to finance and enforce these goals


  4. MANIFESTATIONS OF GENERAL-WELFARE LIBERALISM:
    1. Macroeconomic policy: fiscal and monetary policy
      1. The Federal Reserve (national) Bank
    2. Regulation: frequently regulation promotes business interests.
      1. What seems to be a regulation sometimes turns out differently
        1. Warning labels often protect industries from lawsuits and other government action.
          1. Tobacco and now television "warning labels"
      2. Some examples of the economic uses of regulation:
        1. Transportation, communications
    3. Direct and indirect support of business
      1. Subsides and direct aid to specific industries
      2. Industrial policies
        1. Research and development
        2. "Infrastructure" (e.g., roads, harbors, airports)
        3. Protection (tariffs)
      3. "Human capital" (schools, health, job training)
        1. Functions:
          1. Supply of trained, "disciplined" labor to enhance productivity
          2. Legitimation
          3. Stabilize economy and create a stable market for goods and services
    4. Social harmony
      1. Alleviate hardship and suffering by providing social welfare programs, thus making society "safe for capitalism."
        1. The effect is to defuse social tension, anger, conflict.
        2. Example: urban "riots"


  5. SUMMARY:
      6. are is what is at the heart of the debate in Congress over the role of government.
    1. Manifestations of liberalism
      1. Term-limits, balanced budget amendment
    2. Manifestation of general-welfare
      1. The budget politics
      2. Conflict between liberalism and the general-welf

  6. NEXT TIME:
    1. The Constitution
    2. Reading:
      1. Start (for next time) Patterson of We the People, Chapter 3.
      2. The Declaration of Independence (on web site under "Documents").
      3. Web site: American governmentpolitical philosophyessays: "Introduction," "The concept of a Public Philosophy," Laissez-faire," "Main Ideas," and "General-welfare in Practice"
      4. You should print a copy of the constitution or use the copy in Patterson.



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