The Transformation of American Liberalism

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book The Transformation of American Liberalism by George Klosko, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: George Klosko ISBN: 9780190676339
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: June 2, 2017
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: George Klosko
ISBN: 9780190676339
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: June 2, 2017
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

With the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935, the US government ushered in a new era of social welfare policies, to counteract the devastation of The Great Depression. While political philosophers generally view the welfare state to be built on values of equality and human dignity, America's politicians, beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt, argued on different grounds. From the beginning, Roosevelt based his defense of the welfare state on the individualist, or Lockean premises inherent in America's political culture. As a result, he not only encouraged the United States' commitment to individualism, but also contributed to distinctively harsh American stigmatization of welfare recipients. In The Transformation of American Liberalism, George Klosko explores how American political leaders have justified social welfare programs since the 1930s, ultimately showing how their arguments have contributed to notably ungenerous programs. Students of political theory note the evolution of liberal political theory between its origins and major contemporary theorists who justify the values and social policies of the welfare state. But the transformation of liberalism in American political culture is incomplete. Individualist values and beliefs have exerted a continuing hold on America's leaders, constraining their justificatory arguments. The paradoxical result may be described as continuing attempts to justify new social programs without acknowledging incompatibility between the arguments necessary to do so and American culture's individualist assumptions. An important reason for the striking absence of strong and widely recognized arguments for social welfare programs in American political culture is that its political leaders did not provide them.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

With the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935, the US government ushered in a new era of social welfare policies, to counteract the devastation of The Great Depression. While political philosophers generally view the welfare state to be built on values of equality and human dignity, America's politicians, beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt, argued on different grounds. From the beginning, Roosevelt based his defense of the welfare state on the individualist, or Lockean premises inherent in America's political culture. As a result, he not only encouraged the United States' commitment to individualism, but also contributed to distinctively harsh American stigmatization of welfare recipients. In The Transformation of American Liberalism, George Klosko explores how American political leaders have justified social welfare programs since the 1930s, ultimately showing how their arguments have contributed to notably ungenerous programs. Students of political theory note the evolution of liberal political theory between its origins and major contemporary theorists who justify the values and social policies of the welfare state. But the transformation of liberalism in American political culture is incomplete. Individualist values and beliefs have exerted a continuing hold on America's leaders, constraining their justificatory arguments. The paradoxical result may be described as continuing attempts to justify new social programs without acknowledging incompatibility between the arguments necessary to do so and American culture's individualist assumptions. An important reason for the striking absence of strong and widely recognized arguments for social welfare programs in American political culture is that its political leaders did not provide them.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Here Be Dragons by George Klosko
Cover of the book Tess of the d'Urbervilles Level 6 Oxford Bookworms Library by George Klosko
Cover of the book The Church Leader's Counseling Resource Book by George Klosko
Cover of the book Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail by George Klosko
Cover of the book Crossing Paths by George Klosko
Cover of the book Road Warriors by George Klosko
Cover of the book You Never Call! You Never Write! by George Klosko
Cover of the book Critical Thinking and the Process of Evidence-Based Practice by George Klosko
Cover of the book Spinning Mambo into Salsa by George Klosko
Cover of the book Wandering in the Gardens of the Mind by George Klosko
Cover of the book The China Triangle by George Klosko
Cover of the book Overcoming Insomnia by George Klosko
Cover of the book Unlimited Replays by George Klosko
Cover of the book Vanity Fair Level 6 Oxford Bookworms Library by George Klosko
Cover of the book Behavioral Neurology by George Klosko
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy