Oh those evil Republicans if only they would help the less fortunate. Except here is the kicker. They actually do, certainly no less than the Democrats. The difference is in the methodology.
But before we go there lets look at this with greater depth.
In the United States the two political camps aren’t so much parties in the strict sense of the word but two broad based coalitions that roughly approximate the progressive and liberal philosophies that have defined American politics since the Civil War.
The Democratic Party represents the Progressive voice that largely views society through the prism of its imperfections. The world is broken in eyes of the Progressive and we are morally obligated to fix it. Government is seen as the chief vehicle for moving the entire structure toward an end that will maximize opportunity and ultimately outcome. It is Hegelian in notion in that it directed ‘progressively’ toward an ideal. The sciences - both natural and social- are to be used to further the long term directionality.
Georg W.F Hegel - His notion of historical directionality frames a great deal of Progressive thought source: Georg W. F. Hegel
Collective group identity (often framed around class, race and gender) serves a function here as a unit of operation as it simplifies the complicated interactions that would undoubtedly occur with reduction to the individual. The educated elite are vital to this notion as they have the wherewithal, knowledge and access to statistical data to drive these betterment initiatives. Both the rationalism of the French Enlightenment and Romanticism guide such thinking albeit with upgrades from several late 19th century continental thinkers and positivist movements. Equality and its younger cousin, Equity define the ethos within the broader framework of the large society.
The Republican Party in contrast is largely the modern expression of English Liberalism (not to be confused with modern liberalism which is essentially re-branded progressivism) and the Scottish Enlightenment. It views the nation as a collection of individuals whose sovereignty is paramount which is why private ownership of property and is emphasized. Hume’s Empiricism has an overarching influence here with a deliberate skepticism directed against the adoption of the untested. The Founding Fathers were largely English styled Liberals.
Necessary change is valued but it should arise from the bottom upwards. Overzealous tinkering creates more problems than it solves as it conveniently makes assumption based on faulty and outdated metrics. It ignores the Invisible hand that is intrinsic to the system and in doing so causes more harm.
In Liberalism freedom and liberty are central to the ethos as is community. Perfection is an illusion and what one ought to be on guard against is the tyranny of the mob not to mention misdirected elites - The Progressives: Racism and Public Law and Eugenics: Progressivism’s Early Major Cause
David Hume - Snappy Dresser and Philosopher. His skepticism underpins Conservative Liberalism.
Now of course it is never this cut and dry when we juxtapose philosophy onto party.. Cross-Pollination occurs. Many of the GOP Presidents – McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, Taft and Hoover were Progressives. So were Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Democratic icon JFK was very much a Liberal . Harry Truman straddled both sides. One can make the middle fence argument for both Bushs, Clinton and Eisenhowever as well. All other Democrats however were Progressive none more so than Woodrow Wilson, FDR and in the modern era Barack Obama.
Policy also bends to the specifics of the time. However the Progressive philosophy has certainly enjoyed the upper hand for most of the 20th century with Liberalism experiencing its longer term moment in the sun in the 1920s and later under the stewardship of Ronald Reagan (1981-1988).
So why has Progressive Thought been so dominant? Could it be that Progressives are inherently more caring and closer to the soul of humanity?
The broad appeal with Progressivism is that it appears to be actively on the move against urgencies. Change ironically is the one constant and the appeal of a heavenly Jerusalem on Earth is strong. Once a problem is identified Progressives use the strength of big government to initiate a solution. They therefore make the case that they are doing the heavy lifting for us. On a more cynical level they look to remove the burden of responsibility. There is a great deal of comfort in this.
English Liberalism - as articulated today by the modern conservative - has a more difficult task. It identifies the problem but is loathe to use big government as a vehicle for solution. Government is almost always a blunt instrument and in focusing in on a solution (often to the exclusion to other factors) creates a host of problems elsewhere. Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty is a classic example. The War on Poverty Wasn't A Failure -- It Was A Catastrophe and Why the War on Poverty Failed |
Source: International Liberty.
The better approach and this is what frames much thinking associated with Liberal Conservatism and by extension the Republican party is to empower grassroot communities to address these issues themselves. The common person is closer to the problem and less encumbered by bureaucracy. Government can steer and perhaps direct but the solution comes from the PEOPLE not from elites who may be several degrees of separation removed from the practical realities. William F. Buckley summed this up well with these apt words:
I Would Rather Be Governed By the First 2,000 People in the Telephone Directory than by the Harvard University Faculty
It is for this reason that Liberal Conservatives champion charity, school choice, and tax breaks for small businesses. These are the more specific and direct instruments for meaningful change and far supersede the plodding footprint of government. If left to their own devices people step up to the challenge and they do so with great efficacy. https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2018/11/06/whatever_you_may_think_of_republicans_dont_call_them_stingy_103479.html
The key idea is to ensure that the roadblocks to such localized action are removed. If there is a role for government, this is it. Ultimately Conservative Liberals place their faith in Joe and Jane America. Progressives defer to the elite.
The elite have the upper hand in that they control the information flow. However it at the level of the individual that the solutions arise. It is here that we find the real compassion.
(Special acknowledgement to Charles Tips for the extensive insight he has has supplied on the Progressivism v Liberalism divide).
Additional Sources:
- Progressivism - Diversity and disagreement within progressivism
- Progressives Should Read Progressive History—So They Don’t Blow It This Time
- Liberalism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
- The Conflicted Soul of Modern Liberalism
- Opinion | When Liberals Become Progressives, Much Is Lost
- Liberal Kristof Admits Conservatives More Generous Than Liberals (Kristof’s use of the word Liberal is in the modern day sense…re-branded Progressivism)
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