Churches — New England

The Community and the Individual

America is often described as an “individualistic” society.  Sometimes as a compliment.  More often as a criticism. 

The positive reviewers note that it incorporated John Locke’s individualistic principles to form the first “classic liberal” democracy which has endured for more than two centuries of geographical expansion, rapid population growth, technological and social changes and foreign challenges.  They argue that it demonstrates that a federal system of checks and balances, limited government and preservation of individual liberties can be economically and socially successful.  Such a government can be effective even with diverse racial, ethnic, class, political and religious interests. 

Only the Individual

The critics say that the society has always balanced individual and community interests, that the government system relies upon a strong culture of shared values and that “rugged individualism” is a myth that has been used to provide political support for laissez faire capitalism.

The heroic, self-sufficient individual has been promoted throughout American history.  Washington and the founding fathers were memorialized.  Jefferson’s ideal of the independent citizen farmer still resonates.  Jackson further elevated the importance of the common man as central to American success.  The explorer, pioneer, frontiersman, Lewis & Clark, Daniel Boone, and the self-made man were celebrated.  The citizens and leaders who spread the new American individual rights across the continent were hailed for bringing about a new society, an example for the world to follow. 

Americans embraced Thoreau’s retreat, Emerson’s “self-reliance”, Franklin’s “common sense”, Horatio Alger, cowboys, private detectives, military, political and superheroes.  Proponents of laissez faire capitalism contrasted natural property and individual rights against unnatural government interference during the Gilded Age.  Carnegie, Ford and Hoover promoted the same ends at the turn of the century highlighting the progress driven by individual inventors and owners.  Hayek, Rand, Goldwater and Reagan argued that FDR style government was illegitimate and threatened the liberty and security of the nation, while praising job creation, technical innovation and entrepreneurs. 

The Reagan revolution re-established the intellectual and popular legitimacy of holding conservative social and economic philosophies.  Some successors pressed the arguments further, equating taxation with theft, comparing job creators and job killers, questioning the motives and results of government departments and employees, and promising no new taxes under any situation.  “The self-sufficient individual is great, government is bad”, they said.

Community Plays a Supporting Role; Not a Leading Role

The role of community tends to get lost in the shadow of the great liberal versus conservative battle over the role of the state in “regulating” the economy and society.  Most historians, political scientists and commentators agree that the American political system was constructed upon the assumption that citizens would share a common Christian culture with objective virtues complementing the God-given rights and responsibilities of citizens.  The authors of the Federalist Papers, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights understood that this social glue was needed to support a democratic system of checks and balances, especially as the young nation expanded its small population across the Appalachian Mountains.  They promoted “freedom of religion” but also relied upon enduring religious belief and participation.  The founders held classic conservative ideas about the necessity of individuals to possess a sense of civic duty to participate in government, willingness to sacrifice for the common good and a commitment to the institutions of collective self-government.

Community is eclipsed by individualism in the public’s mind for many reasons.  The promotion of liberty-loving and economically productive individuals who require only minimal government.  The ease of highlighting outstanding individuals and individual types in the arts, journalism, history and marketing.  The complexity, abstractness, variety and organic nature of community functions.  The overlap of community and government when contrasted with “rugged” individualism.  The soft, feeling, unmeasurable nature of community.  The supporting rather than leading nature of community.  The limited visibility of many community functions. 

Community relations and results are exhibited throughout society.  First, in the relations between citizens and their government.  In the many voluntary associations that diverse citizens create and join in a nation with limited government and services.  In local residential communities.  In business, trade and agriculture.  In the arts, travel and entertainment.  In government organizations.  In the country as a whole. 

Community Is Essential for Democratic Government

The American government plan is based upon a relationship between the citizens and government.  The citizens/individuals exist first and create the government.  At the same time, they commit to fulfilling their duties as informed voters, candidates, soldiers, jurors, parents and supporters of the government and its institutional parts.  Although the architects of the government warned against it, people soon clustered into political parties, movements and special interest groups to represent their interests.  These parties have supported individual human, social and economic rights and the collective interests of classes, geographic areas, professions, industries, religions, ethnicities, sexes and races.  Self-government requires a balance between the community and the individual.

The framers of the US Constitution were looking to the future.  The US population was less than 3M in 1776, reaching 5M in 1800 and almost 10M in 1820.  In today’s terms that’s the same as the states of Mississippi, South Carolina and Michigan or the metro areas of Charlotte, Phoenix and Chicago.  This was a collection of 13 small states making sure that the central government would not become a tyrant.  In 1780 the UK had 10M people, Spain 14M, Italy 16M, Germany 23M and France 28M.  The US was about the same size as Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and Belgium.

Community Through Voluntary Associations

The large role of voluntary associations in filling the services gap between citizens and limited government was a distinct feature of the early USA, described by Tocqueville in his famous 1835 “Democracy in America”.  He noted that class was absent, no religion denomination was dominant, people were preoccupied with economic affairs and the government’s role was small.  Religion actively shaped lives.  Citizens created voluntary organizations to fill every need: universities, fraternities, sororities, professional associations, libraries, fire companies, hospitals, seminaries, prisons, missionaries and schools.  In a sparsely populated new world composed of immigrants or their descendants the “rugged” individualism required for survival was paired with a deep commitment to community based upon necessity, civil and religious beliefs. 

America experienced an explosion of new associations between 1880-1920 in response to the challenges of urbanization, immigration and industrialization.  YMCA, civic organizations, social organizations, scouts, Chautauqua institute, women’s movement, professional organizations, conservation organizations, mutual aid associations, settlement houses, service clubs, prohibition clubs, cooperatives, social gospel services, community funds, credit unions and unions.

Community Through Religion

America was a very religious place from the start.  The Puritans, Quakers and other Christian denominations practiced their faith in congregations, even if sin and being saved were deemed individual matters.  Religious groups impacted civil society.  The Great Awakenings were communal events leading to the modern era crusades of Billy Sunday and Billy Graham.  Colleges and universities were mainly founded by religious denominations with religious influence extending into the late 20^th century.  US religious membership and participation declined 50 years after such changes in Europe. 

Residential Community

The New England township model of direct democracy and the Northwest Territory same-day horse ride county government model that followed encouraged participation in local government.  This engagement together with funding and delivering government services created a deep sense of local community even as the model spread across the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains.  We still see the county seat, county square, county courthouse model.  This local community model continued in urban neighborhoods, suburbs and housing developments with HOA boards and services.  Urban machine politics were based on the local precincts.  Urban immigrants clustered in ethnic neighborhoods with familiar faces, languages, customs and churches.  Conservative philosopher Edmund Burke praised the “little platoons” of family, kinship and neighborhood as the basis for teaching social skills and holding the larger community together.  The individual was complemented by a meaningful local social and political community for most Americans through time.

Community at Work

America began as a farming nation with a few urban traders.  Jefferson emphasized the importance of maintaining a high proportion of land-owning farmers who would be incentivized to take care of their families and participate in managing the shared resources of the community.  Land was inexpensive, so agriculture was able to expand for more than a century. 

Even agriculture was never solely about the individual.  Family farms, shared harvest time, barn raising, going into town.  Land grant universities developed agricultural science and local extension agents shared their knowledge.  Grange organizations.  Coops.  Farmer-labor populist political parties.  Farm banks.  Political influence and programs.  Rural electric coops. 

Business and manufacturing were small scale originally.  With access to natural resources and transportation, American manufacturing grew rapidly starting in the 1840’s.  Many inventors and capitalists.  Much wealth was created in the 19^th century. 

Manufacturing grew and organizations developed more effective administration.  The railroads, steel, coal and limestone required social organization on a larger scale.  The automobile and electricity spawned even greater innovations including vertical integration and the assembly line.  Unions formed to balance the owners’ power.  Industrial and trades unions viewed themselves as brotherhoods.  Large economic organizations became the daytime home for most workers.  Professional and industry associations grew to serve the needs of their members.  New community ties were formed.

Further corporate growth through 1930 and then another boom after WWII.  “The business of America is business”.  “What’s good for GM is good for America”.  Although it is rarely recognized today, the development of effective businesses that employed thousands and even a million people was and remains an historic social achievement, overcoming the different interests of those individuals.  Corporations also developed social innovations such as R&D teams, joint ventures, outsourcing, project management, functional departments, divisions, cross-functional and lean teams to balance individual and collective interests.

Community in Leisure

Americans were always sensitive about being less cultured than their European peers.   They invested in seminaries, universities, libraries, printing presses and theatres.  They applauded American writers and artists.  Itinerant preachers shared news and thoughts.  Public lectures, pamphlets and news editorials were consumed.  Theatre and orchestras expanded in the cities.  Leisure time brought sports.  Magazines boomed and circulated.  Circuses and lecturers visited.  Universities offered public lectures.  Radio and movies greatly increased the consumption of high and popular culture.  Orchestras and big bands entertained.  Movie stars and lead singers gained fame.  American jazz, swing, blues and rock and roll grew.  Large attendance concerts began.  Community was built and reinforced.

Community in Government

US government organizations were quite small historically.  Mostly import tax collectors and judges.  The government’s role grew with Hamilton’s national bank.  The government began to invest in infrastructure like roads, ports, canals and railroads.  The military grew and established forts to protect the settlers.  It developed its own strong collective culture.  Land grant universities and the continental railroad started in Lincoln’s time. The post office and pony express grew.  Rivers were managed to provide reliable transportation, electricity and recreation.  Interstate highways and airports were built.  The government grew dramatically under FDR as a service provider, regulator, research sponsor, investor and owner.  Although the 3 million Federal government employees get the most attention today due to the impact of their work, state and local governments employ 19 million, more than 6 times as many.    Government employees are more likely to be unionized, serve long careers and view their work as serving the community.       

American Community

The idea of a distinct and important American culture dates to the country’s founding as a breakaway republic seeking to preserve “the rights of Englishmen”.  The country’s government, economy, immigrant citizens, diversity and shared war efforts shaped its self-image.  Many saw the United States as a special country created to be a positive example for the world.   “American exceptionalism” was described by both its citizens and Europeans.  The individual based political system, the role of churches in shaping daily life and the large number of voluntary associations all played a role in describing the character of everyday life, hopes and dreams.  Given its location between 2 oceans, the US mostly followed an isolationist path until WWII.  Since then, it has seen itself as a global defender of democracy against communist and totalitarian states.  The US has maintained elements of its individual, religious and associational character to this day.

The Role of Community Changes Through Time

Robert Putnam’s series on “Bowling Alone”, “Our Kids” and “The Upswing” documented how American social institutions have evolved through time to address new needs and how participation and engagement have risen and declined across long periods of time.  During the Great Depression soup kitchens, potluck suppers, community gardens, small scale retail and personal donations complemented government programs.  During WW II victory gardens, scrap collecting, bond sales, rationing, black outs, civil defense clubs and female factory workers contributed to the war effort.  The post-war era saw a boom in sports, civic, neighborhood, professional and religious participation followed by a reversal at the end of the century.  During the 2020-23 pandemic the country experienced lockdowns that highlighted our economic and social interdependence and the negative consequences of isolation.

Community is an essential and integral part of modern life.  It operates in many dimensions.  We need to recognize its critical role in complementing the individualistic view of the world.

Links

‘https://www.johnlocke.org/john-locke-his-american-and-carolinian-legacy/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Reliance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Alger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Spade

https://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?id=418

‘https://www.thehastingscenter.org/rugged-american-individualism-is-a-myth-and-its-killing-us/

‘https://www.uvm.edu/news/cas/myths-and-truths-individualism-america

‘https://rlo.acton.org/archives/124089-the-myths-of-american-individualism.html

‘https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2021/03/09/scott-galloway-on-recasting-american-individualism-and-institutions

‘https://www.salon.com/2023/04/12/held-down-by-our-bootstraps-the-myth-of-american-individualism-is-a-poor-excuse-for-inequality_partner/

‘https://prospect.org/economy/myth-rugged-individual/

‘https://barnraisingmedia.com/american-mythologies-andrew-jackson-individualism/

‘https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/report/american-individualism-rightly-understood

‘https://veermag.com/2020/09/the-myth-of-individualism/

‘https://www.hoover.org/research/future-american-individualism

‘https://explorewhatworks.com/hope-beyond-rugged-individualism/

‘https://time.com/5917385/history-community-america/

‘https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-transformation-of-american-community

‘https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-power-of-community

‘https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/describe-the-community/main

‘https://www.masterclass.com/articles/importance-of-community

‘https://www.thegoodlifesv.com/story/2020/03/01/history/great-depression-brings-community-together/487.html

‘https://www.history.com/news/life-for-the-average-family-during-the-great-depression

‘https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2591/great-depression-hits-farms-and-cities-1930s