Social conservatives have decried the decline of moral values since 1960.
Religious groups of all political views have done the same.
Robert Putnam has documented the loss of social capital in Bowling Alone, Our Kids, The Upswing and American Grace noting that morality, trust and institutions have declined at the same time.
Political scientists and pundits have noted the loss of civic virtue and wonder if a political system based on the “thin” virtues of “classical liberalism” can survive.
High schools, colleges and departments of education have begun to respond to the “crisis” but faced political challenges from both parties, educators and parents.
Corporations, universities, not for profits and military branches have attempted to define their core values as a way to build community, align resources and clarify direction. They note an absence of common values in their employees.
Personal growth advocates, even those emphasizing individual artistic expression, have increasingly noted that the community and spiritual dimensions of life are part of growth.
Big Disagreements
While social and political conservatives have pressed for moral reinforcements, both moderate and progressive liberals have pushed back on these efforts; wary of infringing on personal liberties and supporting community, cultural and institutional oppression. Economic conservatives and libertarians have not bemoaned the decline in community and shared values. Some “communitarian” philosophers and social scientists have begun to challenge the individualistic dogmas that have ruled universities since the Enlightenment. There is not a firm consensus that we need or can have on “shared values”. Many philosophers, theologians and social scientists are quite certain that this is a dead-end street.
Practically Speaking
A majority of citizens and leaders agree that the loss of a shared set of values is harming our country and society. We need to find some kind of solution. Promote religion. Educate students and adults. Conduct research. Create artistic vehicles for learning. Work together on teams. Join groups. Communicate better.
Let’s start by outlining the common moral values. We’ll ignore the experts. We’ll gloss over some inconsistencies. We won’t provide perfect definitions. We won’t outline an implementation strategy. We will provide a meaningful outline by combining the thoughts of some very different sources
Motivations
This is not a dead-end project. We live in “A Secular Age”. We’re not going to reach religious or political agreement on everything. Most people understand that we are forced to live together and that we have to “get along”. We have learned to be “tolerant” in most dimensions of life. We can learn to embrace a set of general moral principles that are self-evident. The principles cannot be proven or derived from core principles. They have to be “accepted”.
Individuals who learn these principles will do so for many reasons if they are presented well. They help the individual to live in a social world. Self-interest alone justifies developing these virtues, understanding and habits. These principles seem to be natural, widely seen across time, space and cultures. They may not be universal or “revealed” but they have proven their worth. Individuals are learning that extreme skepticism and subjectivity are inadequate. Every major worldview offers a set of moral principles like these. Individuals who strive to fulfill their potential understand that moral principles underlie “the good life”. These principles work together nicely in a logical, relatively succinct package.
Sources
Corporate “core values” experts trying to find the essences so they can be easily taught. Anthropologists looking for the most widely seen values. The evolutionary psychologist Jonathan Haidt. Mid-century philosopher and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis claiming that all major civilizations share key ethical principles. Psychology Today advising us on how to best guide our behavior. The Boy Scout Oath. The Rotary 4-Way test.
4 self-evident clusters of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Compassion. We know what these are. We know they are good and useful. We know that it requires work for children to learn them and for us to put them into practice consistently and effectively.
Another author calls out Fairness as a fifth cluster.
A group of Oxford anthropologists has surveyed the vast literature on cultures and identified 7 universal principles that are almost always evident and never contradicted. They begin to add some second-level definitions to the 5 clusters.
Respect is shown both by “deferring to superiors” and “respecting property”. Responsibility is shown by “helping your family”, “helping your group” and “being brave”. Fairness is exhibited by “dividing fairly” and “returning favors”. This group didn’t see honesty and compassion as universal values.
Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind” introduced the world to a set of moral flavors that varied between traditional and modern (WEIRD) societies and between left and right politicians. His team has added some flavors that have some plausible origin in the development of men from hunter-gatherers through farming and cities. For Respect, Haidt agrees that property ownership rights matter and that respect for authority is critical to holding together communities. Without it, the free rider problem undermines groups. He also argues that “liberty” is the “flip side” of authority. Individuals inherently feel the need to defend their individuality against potentially oppressive authority.
Haidt emphasizes the importance of family, kinship, honor and loyalty in traditional societies. He argues that these values are just as valid as the modern care, fairness and equality trio. He provides 3 flavors of fairness, adding proportionality and equality to the basic idea. He also skips “honesty” and emphasizes “care” as the result of compassion. He adds “Purity” as a separate factor reflecting both biological and religious forms of cleanliness for early men.
In 1943, C.S. Lewis had experienced enough modern analytic philosophy, subjectivity and intellectual progress and fired back with “The Abolition of Man”. He argued that without an objective moral framework, Western civilization was doomed. The Nazi and communist threats mattered. But the breakdown of common culture, values and beliefs within democracy was an equal threat. Lewis argued that a roughly common moral framework and principles existed in every thriving culture. His “natural law” view was not widely embraced at the time.
Lewis’s 8 components of the Tao, or “the way” fit nicely into the 5 clusters. His “duties to parents, elders and ancestors” fits with Respect. He filled out Responsibility with family duties, kinship feelings and magnanimity which emphasized the bravery of making the right decisions. His “law of general beneficence” fills out Fairness. He outlines Veracity as critical to honesty and expands it with the “Law of Justice”. He fills the Compassion group with his Mercy.
A recent Psychology Today article takes a more “personal growth” oriented view. The Respect drawer is empty, although “authenticity” could be seen as a form of self-respect. Dr. Koehler adds resilience to the Responsibility core value and includes Fairness. She adds 3 others to the Honesty cluster after Integrity. A growing individual needs to value authenticity, open-mindedness and lifelong learning. We start to see why there are differences at the second level, but I don’t think they are too great. The author embraces compassion, adding empathy and gratitude to this section.
The Scout Oath was drafted in 1908. A Respectful scout is Obedient, reverent and Courteous. A Responsible scout is Thrifty, Helpful, Loyal and Brave. An Honest scout is Trustworthy. A Compassionate scout is Kind, Friendly and Cheerful. A scout is Clean.
The Rotary 4-Way test was drafted in 1932. It fits into 4 of the 5 main categories.
Summary
We have a nice head start on outlining a set of common moral principles that could be used for education, civics, personal growth and community building. The core ideas fit with traditional and modern societies, secular and religious views, left and right politics. The key, as with our political system, is to agree to work within a framework of practical application. We cannot and will not resolve deeply felt religious, philosophical and political views. But we can agree on what it takes to work together and live good lives together.
Jonathan Haidt’s “moral foundations” appear to be deeply rooted in human evolution. Democrats mostly embrace care, fairness and equality. Republicans emphasize the broader menu of loyalty, authority, purity, proportionality, honor, liberty, and ownership. Policy differences are unavoidable.
2. Citizens have differing interests/views in all 4 broad domains of international relations, economics, politics and culture.
3. The basic left/liberal/progressive versus right/conservative/traditional divide has endured for 2 centuries.
4. Social scientists agree that some form of the psychological dimension of “openness” is an important driver of left versus right political views. Individuals who are more intuitive (N)/abstract/open on the second Meyers-Briggs dimension tend to take liberal views. Those with more concrete/specific/applied views tend to be conservatives. Similarly, those who are more Judging rather than Perceiving on the 4th dimension tend to be conservatives, seeing the world in an orderly, structured manner. Meyers-Briggs (T)hinkers tend to be conservative, and (F)eelers tend to be liberal, but this is a weaker statistical link.
5. Philosophers and social scientists have worked intently for 2 centuries to find a “scientific”, objective, rational, modern view of how politics “ought” to be. Classical liberals, including Immanuel Kant and John Rawls, have proposed neutral, allegedly “value free” systems, but they have not been widely adopted.
6. Religious supporters have watched for a new “great awakening” or signs of the “end times” without success.
7. The progressive era of 1880-1920 overturned some of the political machines of the time and replaced them with scientific management style city managers and opposing political forces. “Good government” folks have since proposed and implemented city managers, commissions, outsourcing, sunset laws, zero based budgeting, process improvements and referendums but this has not removed politics from governing.
8. Philosophers have considered and combined pre-Socratic, Socratic, Neo-Platonian, Aristotelian, Augustinian, Aquinian, scholastic and modern views. They have discounted many views but not reached any true consensus on the important questions. We remain at a stalemate about the critical questions of the individual vs. community, objective vs. subjective reality, ideal/essential vs. existential/empirical world, natural and/or supernatural world, and a logical/designed vs. random/evolving world.
9. Philosophers and social scientists mostly agree that values, morality and character are inherently subjective. Some religious oriented people, philosophers and social scientists agree that a subset of core values is widely seen and shared, but this view has not gathered followers in the last half-century.
10. Classical liberals argue that the US system of democracy and representative government with “checks and balances” is fully adequate to guide society in making solid public choices. This group argues that the citizens can embrace the underlying required pluralistic political values without having to make further choices about broader cultural values. Conservatives and a growing number of moderates and liberals today complain that this approach offers a morality that is too “thin” to support a culture or a political system in the long run.
11. Perceived scarcity is not going to disappear soon, even with continued economic growth and 70 years’ worth of such predictions. Everyone remains interested in getting their fair share of the growing pie.
12. Class interests have not been destroyed. If anything, the life experiences between the top 1%, 10%, 20% and the middle 60% or the bottom 20% have diverged even further apart in the last 75 years. Although we don’t discuss “class” as an organizing principle for politics in the US, it has grown to become more important.
13. Social scientists have a much better understanding of “human nature”. We are imperfect. We have personality preferences. We can flex and learn but only so much. Nature and nurture. Tremendous potential. Education and experience are insufficient to create “perfect” citizens who can easily overcome our inherent political differences.
Despite the great progress of Western Civilization, we do not have and are very unlikely to find a single solution to our political differences. As individuals we have deeply experienced, considered and felt views of how our community should best operate. They are mutually inconsistent. We can work together to resolve some differences and agree to compromise on others. The apparently valid and opposing views don’t have an obvious resolution. I recommend that we constructively work together to find reasonable, decent compromise solutions and at the same time accept our inability to find an ideal solution without allowing that to discourage us.
Journalists, artists, pundits, entertainers and politicians all scheme for our attention. Once upon a time … we briefly thought that the internet and social media might usher in a new age of information, selection, objectivity, useful filtering, wisdom and cooperation!!!! Unfortunately, we are now deluged by “least common denominator” communications skillfully targeted to lure us into a non-stop cycle of clicking on marketable links. These communications very effectively use every trick and technique to appeal to our emotions, prejudices, weak attention, surface thinking, fears, hopes, exaggerations, etc.
Politicians of all flavors have conspired to convince us that the whole world is comprised of “good versus evil” people, politicians, parties, religions, states, policies and institutions. Everything is “win/lose”. Disagreement is motivated by bad ideas and motives rather than differences of opinion or interests. Compromise is a sign of weakness. Every political actor is purely motivated by self-interest.
We each have a moral, political, social, religious and personal responsibility to evaluate these “conclusions”. Let’s start with overturning the idea that we have nothing in common, that we must rely upon politicians to define opposing policies, parties and philosophies and fight to the death for one or the other to finally win.
Human Nature
Biologically we are all the same.
We intuitively and rationally combine thinking, feeling and doing; conscious and unconscious drives.
We each think that we are “right”. As in Lake Wobegon, we are all “above average”. We struggle to maintain self-awareness, to consider the needs of others, to even pursue our own goals consistently and effectively. We are functionally and morally imperfect.
We have a variety of needs and desires that cannot be fully met. Safety, acceptance, achievement, agency, transcendence, control, familiarity, influence, consistency, love, health, growth, expression, authenticity, loyalty.
We are primarily “analog” beings.
Human Experience
We face death, evil, suffering, disappointments, violations, violence and pain. Random, irrational, unavoidable experiences. We often respond with fear, anxiety, cautiousness, anger and victimhood. We search for ways to “manage”.
We experience life through time, learning, relationships, lessons, goals, planning, dreams, hope, commitments, doing, feeling, thinking, feedback, taking risks, managing risks and opportunities, engaging, disengaging, focusing, relaxing, looking outward, looking inward. The journey is complex and the perspective changes.
We balance and prioritize. Limited resources. Unlimited desires. Personal, family, social, community, religious, financial, and health dimensions compete. At best, we fight the many demands to a “draw”.
We struggle to keep up in a world that becomes more complex every decade: personal choices, goods and services available, information available, technical complexity, political complexity, social choices, religious choices, communications options, philosophical choices, scientific results, business complexity, international options, cultural options. More options, more choices, greater expectations.
We live in a culture that prioritizes the economic dimension of production and consumption. We have embraced a meritocracy that offers great rewards to the winners and a modest “safety net” to those who are not winning. Economic and status anxiety are very high in the most economically successful nation in history. We promote an extreme personal responsibility that undermines those who don’t always achieve and sustain their highest goals.
We live in a world that has been labelled the “therapeutic society” or the world of “expressive individualism”, summarized by the US Army slogan of “Be all that you can be”. The individual is responsible for living and achieving a great life of personal expression reflecting their talents and possibilities. The individual has many coaches, advisors, mentors and therapists, but is alone in choosing their “destiny”. They cannot rely upon tradition, religion, culture, nation, village, parents, personality profiles, or skills assessments. This radical secular humanism view places the responsibility for identifying and achieving a “world changing” destiny upon each person. Wise individuals find some way to “balance” this personal responsibility with other influences, refusing to adopt a godlike stance. They avoid becoming like Icarus and flying too close to the sun.
We live in a world that highlights the individual above nature, community, culture or religion. Complete individual liberty, freedom and opportunity are desired. No trade-offs with the other dimensions of life. “Natural consequences” frustrate those who embrace this libertarian ideal.
Life is hard. So many advances in society, business, education and technology. The challenges to “living a good life” are greater than ever. The progressive promise is undermined. All individuals must now make choices that were once reserved for kings, priests, princes, monks, scientists, philosophers, artists, governors, generals, financiers, industrialists, explorers, entrepreneurs, and presidents.
Culture
We digest the beliefs, norms and values of our culture subconsciously. The legacy of Christian Western Civilization continues. The legacy of secular humanism continues. We live in a “secular age” where deep faith and unskeptical religious commitment is unusual for the highly educated one-third. We’re “neither fish nor fowl”. Culture really matters but is today a blend of two streams like “oil and vinegar”. There is much in common. There are some big differences. We generally share the political, economic, social, religious, scientific and literary history of Western Europe, even though parts of the intellectual community have promoted disturbing alternate views for almost 200 years.
Despite living in a “secular age” and an “individualistic age”, we all need to be connected to various communities. Although community participation frequency, manner and depth vary greatly across the decades, humans always need to be connected.
We share a legacy and currency of art, media, design, architecture, music and entertainment. High-brow and low-brow. Mass market and specialized. Push versus pull connectivity. We are connected.
The US remains an unusual Western society where the not-for-profit, religious, social, volunteer world performs major social welfare functions. We share our experiences of funding, volunteering, leading and consuming from these organizations. The individual and community experience of managing these organizations shapes our world view. Our individualistic bias combines with our social/religious obligations to create and support these organizations.
We share our experiences in pre-K, elementary, high school and college education. Mainly public schools. The content shapes our perspectives.
We have moved from 6 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1.X children per family. We invest like never before in the growth, education, experiences, guidance, mentoring, support and direction of our children. Helicopter parents. Summer programs. Internships. International experiences. The youth orientation reigns supreme.
We continue to value the “social esteem” provided by others. We comply with social norms in every dimension of life. We seek approval. We consume good and services to signal our social status. We achieve, perform and consume based on social influences.
We adopt “tolerance” as a supreme moral value. We don’t advise, influence or interfere with others, even when we strongly disagree.
We continue to struggle with the idea of a “class structure” in America despite the obvious growth in economic, social and political influence of the wealthy (top 1%) and the professional class (top 10%).
Communications
We share the American “English language”. It dominates the whole world.
We share the mass media, local newspapers, industry and professional journals, scientific and academic journals, the entertainment industry, social media platforms, community forums and the internet.
We share modern communications and information technology. A “smart-phone” is in every pocket, instantly accessing the cumulative knowledge and information of mankind.
Religion
Americans are much more “religious” than “Europeans”. We mostly believe in God and spirituality and Christianity. We have seen that shared cultural/religious beliefs can be maintained in a religiously pluralistic society. We believe in objective “right and wrong”. We intuitively accept “the golden rule”. We see “America” as part of God’s plan and history. A place for the pilgrims. A land of religious diversity. The overturning of slavery. American victories in the 2 world wars and the cold war. The moral dimension of life matters.
Economy
We still live in the world that Adam Smith described in 1776. The degree of specialization is only limited by the extent of the market. Our world is extremely specialized. A bewildering variety of products are available. Outsourcing of many functions. Regional, national and international sourcing.
We all specialize in our most productive functions today. Profession, sub-profession and industry. We all have talents. There are most highly rewarded in their professional roles.
We are producers and consumers, investors and suppliers, professionals and managers, entrepreneurs and directors. We are deeply engaged in the financial system, markets for labor, money, trade, property, goods and services. We sometimes elevate this role to be “everything”, to our detriment.
We are interdependent. We rely upon “essential workers”, universities, governments, builders, contractors, consultants, bankers, utilities, media, lobbyists, politicians, unions, secondary markets, employment firms, lawyers, engineers, IT and communications folks, etc.
We rely upon the US macroeconomy. Budget deficits. Fiscal policy. The Federal Reserve Bank. Monetary policy. Federal banking and industry regulators. The bond markets. The credit rating agencies. Animal spirits. Wall Street. Mutual funds. Municipal bonds. Mortgage bonds.
We rely upon our commitment to the capitalist, free market, free enterprise system. Laissez faire. Limited government regulation. There are specific situations and metrics that warrant government intervention, but we lean towards allowing the natural incentives of the market to police the behavior of great firms.
We believe that economic growth provides the opportunity for the political system to effectively “redistribute income”, ensuring that the economic value added by scientific and business innovation through time does not all accrue to the owners.
Globe
The benefits from international trade are well understood and have been demonstrated for 75 years.
There are opportunities to engage all nations to manage diseases, food supplies, hunger, human rights, refugees, public health, travel, immigrants, trade, communications, and ocean resources.
There are global threats that must be managed: climate change, nuclear war, chemical and biological weapons, computer hacking, artificial intelligence, species loss, food production, energy production.
Philosophy
An objective physical reality exists. An objective moral reality exists.
The individual really, really matters. Human rights.
The scientific method applied to technical issues is great. It is not everything.
Instrumental logic is a tremendous asset for science, business and life.
Pragmatism is always worth considering. “Show me the money”. Does this theory produce measurable results?
We reject anarchy, atheism, pure commercialism, communism, fascism, necessary progress, libertarianism, national socialism, racism, sexism, totalitarianism, utopian socialism, white nationalism, Christian nationalism. In essence, we reject extreme views. We’re comfortable with a “checks and balances” political system that slows changes until they’re embraced by a solid majority.
Politics
The US is a world of skeptical politics. Less is more. Trust no one. Engage the local community to find a solution. Accept the individual bias in economic and social laws. America is a special place, worthy of patriotic respect.
Political participation is a sacred duty.
Despite the structural constraints on change, the US has generally been a positive, constructive, progressive supporter of political changes through time.
Americans are willing to sacrifice for the good of the nation.
The US constitution is framed by the rationalist enlightenment. We deeply believe in “the rule of law”.
Differences can be resolved, technically, rationally, politically.
We are comfortable with “suboptimal” results from our political system. We accept that the federal, bicameral, functionally divided system is designed to prevent the “worst case” outcomes of raw democracy or concentrated power.
In general, we strongly support our government institutions, especially at the state and local levels. Judges do their jobs. Political parties hold each other accountable. Citizens participate in the democratic process as voters, poll workers, jurors, donors, and volunteers.
Summary
We live as individuals in a complex, interdependent world. We have more opportunities but less authoritative guidance for our lives. We worry about our freedom and liberty. We make many choices. We do the best that we can. We agree on many things yet disagree on many others.
Today, we understand the world better than ever. We also understand ourselves better, our strengths and weaknesses, our possibilities and limits. We manage complex technology and institutions very effectively. We know that some political and economic options don’t work or pose unacceptable risks or threats. The U.S. and Europe developed “limited government” systems apart from religious authority because disagreements were inevitable. We need to relearn those lessons today. We’re going to have a “mixed” capitalist/government economic system. We’re not going to empower any religious denomination or secular group to impose its views on society. We can delegate issues to the states and learn from their experiences. We can compromise. We can “agree to disagree”. Ideally, we can accept that there are some intractable political differences in our society and focus on those areas where we can find agreement.
This 2017 bestseller was applauded by the WSJ, The Economist, Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam, JD Vance (as a complement to Hillbilly Elegy) and Barrack Obama. It tells the story of Janesville, Wisconsin as a General Motors assembly plant with 3,000 workers was permanently closed in the turmoil of the Great Recession. It focuses on the impact on real people and the community’s response. The author concludes that neither the liberal response of job training nor the conservative response of economic redevelopment incentives was adequate to meet the community’s needs. What could work?
The Core Issue
The US economic and legal system protects the property rights of investors, corporations, and banks. It doesn’t protect or promote the property rights of the other actors in society quite so well: workers, suppliers, local governments, charities, retirees, and children. It is the fundamental discrepancy between different groups that is highlighted in this book, catalyzing the last 15 year’s populist reaction against our system, and begging for a practical solution.
The Core Challenge
Financial interests are flexible. They can be bought, sold and mortgaged. They are geographically mobile. Money and financial instruments are fungible. They can be exchanged with zero to small loss of value.
Other interests are much less flexible and mobile. Labor assets are tied to an individual. Individual labor assets may be tied to a specific situation OR broadly applicable. Real property is tied to a local and regional location. Local governments and charities are tied to a geography. Families are emotionally tied to a location.
The historical political conflict was between the wealthy and the non-wealthy. Landed aristocracy and peasants. Capitalists and workers.
Wealth still matters. The advantages of financial wealth have multiplied in the modern world. Financial rates of return are higher. International opportunities exist. Financial markets are effective and efficient. Risk can be managed through portfolios and derivatives. The shear amount of wealth, and wealth per person, is large enough to be scientifically managed. Generational wealth is preserved. Wealthy interests have effectively “captured” the political system to ensure they are not over-taxed or over-regulated. Network effects from neighborhoods and elite colleges accumulate. The network effects from large metropolitan areas accumulate.
As the advantages of financial wealth have compounded in our society, the distribution of income and wealth has become more and more unequal. For the good of our whole society, it’s time to take some steps to “level the playing field”. This is not strictly about protecting the poor or “fairly” taxing the rich. It is about providing “roughly” equal protection to the various property interests in our society.
The Pinches
In a meritocratic, capitalist society, there will be an unequal distribution of income and wealth. It is difficult to find an obvious “rule of thumb” to limit this dispersion. The higher income and wealth individuals are sure that they have “earned” their returns. Many libertarians and conservatives believe that the “job creators” and “value creators” in society are under rewarded, even before progressive taxation claims a greater share. Most working, middle and professional class earners are sure that they are underpaid compared to their value-added and that the tax system is designed to benefit “others”. Many vote for the conservative political party because they accept this as unavoidable, see disincentives and unintended consequences from attempts to change this, or aspire to become one of the winners. Economists and psychologists report that individuals are much more motivated by economic losses, taxes, risks or takeaways than gains. Hence, any kind of straightforward income or wealth redistribution system is difficult to achieve or maintain. The incentives to pull towards one end or the other are very strong. The philosopher John Rawls’ argument that everyone can, should, will agree to a set of reasonable policies pointing towards limiting income and wealth inequality has been applauded by the left, criticized by the right and ignored by most everyone. We need to find a different framework aside from the “tug of war”.
A dynamic capitalist economic system will include Schumpeterian “creative destruction”. There is enough new wealth to be made and captured that competitors will disrupt and compete with existing leaders in all markets. Firms will grow and die. New firms will be founded. Some will succeed. The real and financial capital within some firms at some times will be destroyed. For some firms this will be part of the portfolio of growing, stable and dying components. For some firms, this will be death. Capitalists will focus on the core goals of value creation, value capture and value preservation. They will do whatever is required to meet these goals. As Milton Friedman argued, at the extreme times they will not look out for the interests of other stakeholders. In good times, perhaps, a little. Based on social pressures, in good times, perhaps, a little. We need to clearly separate “what is” from “what should be”.
Financial investors do not have geographical responsibilities. They have financial responsibilities to owners and lenders. They have secondary interests in maintaining positive relations with suppliers, customers, key employees, key executives and regulators. Large organizations will close low performing assets as required, be they small stores or 3,000 employee factories. New and existing businesses locate plants, offices and distribution centers based on expected costs and benefits, risks and rewards. They are also guided by the convenience and views of their senior executives who generally prefer to live in cosmopolitan surroundings. Firms will decentralize and decentralize to meet various needs. For most firms, local economic incentives are a very minor factor.
Employees, suppliers, governments and charities are fundamentally local. They live real lives with a small number of interactions. They stay in place and appreciate the familiarity of their home, church, school and community. They might move when they finish college or before they have children in school or to meet an extreme need. The move from the east coast to the Midwest to the west took centuries. The move from the farms to the cities has continued for more than a century. The consolidation of the population into less than 100 metro areas has accelerated in the last 75 years. The move from the Midwest, northeast and Middle-Atlantic states to the sunbelt has continued for 75 years. Individuals move based on circumstances and incentives. A fair society provides support for individuals who do not wish to move because economic situations have changed.
The Solution: Protected Assets for All
Individuals who honestly review the growth of incomes, wealth and standards of living in the US for the last 75 years must celebrate the amazing 6-fold increase in real per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Labor productivity and overall productivity have improved similarly. Median incomes rose with GDP and productivity until 1975, stalled for 25 years and have since slowly resumed their climb. Quality of life, including health, economic choices, economic security, leisure, safety, product quality, entertainment, and product choices has continued to improve, even when income growth lagged behind output growth. The US economic system produces great wealth and benefits. There is an inherent tendency for the owners of financial wealth to capture an increasing share. We need to find a balanced solution, not undermine the economic system through misguided taxation or regulation.
Health Assets
The US is an outlier in the developed world in not managing health care as a public good. Liberals see health care as a human right. A majority of Americans disagree. We will not soon adopt “socialized health care”. We can work together to adopt policies that reduce the total cost of health care, and which prevent health care costs from bankrupting our fellow citizens.
Provide catastrophic health care coverage for all, covering single event expenses exceeding $25,000.
Provide payroll contribution funded ($200,000 max) annual income catastrophic family medical insurance (>$100,000/year) to all citizens. (alternative to $25K government provided fund)
Invest in nominal co-pay front-line mental health screening, intervention, listening, training, group sessions and counseling services for less critical conditions.
Allow any group of 10 states to create a “medicare for all” health care program as a substitute for the Affordable Care Act.
Allow any group of 10 states to create a private insurance-based (qualify in 2 states, qualifies for all states to ensure competition) health care program as a substitute for the Affordable Care Act.
Pay-off all student loan debt for professional degree medical professionals serving 5 years in non-metropolitan county or metropolitan county with less than 300,000 population.
Require states to provide tuition free medical care and residency spots for one doctor per 10,000 citizens each year.
Reduce medical school preparation requirement to 3 years.
Offer reciprocal medical licensing arrangements with 30 leading countries and expedited review and specific qualifications training and experience requirement defined for all others within 90 days of application.
Family Assets
Provide an annual $10,000 childcare funding source for up to 4 children aged 0-6.
Provide home childcare volunteer refundable tax credit up to $100 per week.
Offer a supplemental 5% Earned Income Tax Credit for two-income families with combined family income below $60,000, phased out to zero at $90,000.
Exclude the first $100K of owned homestead property from taxation and prohibit property taxes on first $250,000 for those aged 70 or above.
Community Assets
We live in a society that prefers to support communities locally and not rely upon government support. We can fine-tune our laws to encourage local support.
Provide a $15/hour volunteer hour tax credit for up to 200 hours annually, including service with religious organizations.
Remove the limits on charitable donation tax deductions for gifts made to public charities and local governments (not private foundations).
Allow large employers to setup new employees with default 1% contribution to local United Way/Community Chest umbrella funding services.
Determine paternity for all births, set and enforce child support agreements, provide basic level support from the state as required.
Subsidize high-speed internet for rural counties.
Offer 10 year T-bill interest rate financing for qualified “low cost” retailers to build stores more than 15 miles away from any existing qualified store.
Levy a $500 per employee annual “closing costs” fee on large employers (250+) for a maximum 20 years to fund local redevelopment programs starting with $5,000 per discontinued employee.
Levy a 0.5% of annual rentals fee on landlords to fund local redevelopment of abandoned properties and areas.
Limit state and local economic development incentives to no more than $10 million per project or location.
Offer a 50% federal tax credit for first $10,000 of cross-state moving expenses.
Offer workers up to $5,000 for relocation or temporary housing as an alternative to up to 2 years of unemployment benefits. (alternative to tax credit for moving expenses)
Restrict issuance of new building permits in counties that do not have one-third of affordable housing permits proposed for units below the existing median unit property value.
Greatly expand availability of 1-2 year National Service programs for young adults and senior citizens.
Invest in prison to work transition programs.
Increase the minimum foundation endowment spending from 5% to 6% to provide more current social benefits and limit the accumulation of assets by universities and other not for profits with $100 million plus of invested assets. Provide an option to pay a 0.5% of assets annual fee to keep 5% or a 1% fee to only spend 4%.
Financial Assets
In our modern world we have to ensure that all individuals are financially prepared for 30 years of retirement. Early and constant savings. Wise investments. Good advisors. For everyone.
Provide a 50% federal 401(k) match on the first $5,000 of savings. Offer a federally backed guaranteed return fund for 401(k) accounts with an after-inflation return of 3%.
Make social security employee tax payments optional after age 62.
Remove social security payment offsets from earned income after age 65.
Auction to private firms the right to offer standard 401(k) financial advisory services for 0.5% of asset value with 100% federal match below $50,000 and 50% federal match below $100,000.
Create voluntary 5% of income home down payment savings program that accumulates to $50,000 after 10 years of full-time employment contributions.
Financial Security
Lifetime employment is gone. Fixed benefits pensions are gone. We live 20 years longer. We need a more robust unemployment insurance system. Individuals may secure a position that pays 25% – 33% – 50% more than their “second best” alternatives. When individuals lose their jobs, we need to buffer their losses and nudge them towards their “next best” options in a timely manner.
Reform unemployment insurance to provide 75% of historical income for 6 months and 50% of income for 12 months. Limit coverage to $60,000 of base income.
Provide a 50% “bridging subsidy” for individuals whose income has dropped by more than 25% for up to 3 years. This would handle the effects of international trade and firm bankruptcies.
Overhaul the “welfare system” to combine various programs into a single program combining a universal basic income (UBI) and the earned income tax credit (EITC).
Create a self-funded unemployment lump-sum payment system based on prior 5 years earnings. 4 months award available after 10 years. 6 months after 15 years. 8 months after 20 years. (Alternative to higher benefits and bridging option)
Maintain a present value of future social security benefits asset balance for each participant. After age 35, allow once per decade 10-year term loan at 10-year T-bill plus 2% for up to 20% of balance, maximum of $50,000 loan balance. Repayment through social security system earnings.
Set a $15/hour adult minimum wage, indexed to 70% of the median income.
Consumer Assets
In the modern world, consumers face sophisticated marketers and professional services firms. They can benefit from centralized support.
Set all import tariffs at zero percent, eliminating the effective tax on purchases.
Eliminate all specific import tariffs but levy a 3% tariff on all goods to “protect” domestic producers and help fund government programs. (alternative to 0%)
Set maximum prices per service and per hour for home and auto repair firms.
States contract for metro and area multiple listing services and limit total real estate commissions to 4% of transaction value.
Require financial advisors to meet the fiduciary standard of professional care, putting the client’s interests first.
Certify public advisors to provide general advice on consumer economics, budgeting, banking, investing, real estate, insurance and health insurance for $100/hour to citizens, with a $50/hour, 8-hour maximum annual refundable tax credit.
Staff state professional licensing boards with a minority of regulated active professionals. Reduce licensing requirements to meet public safety standards.
Set a national cap on individual and class-action lawsuits at $2 million per person, adjusted for inflation.
Auction regional licenses for private firms or states to offer low annual milage limit used car leases to low to medium credit score individuals using federal funding for the inventory.
Education/Human Capital Assets
It looks like our economic system is going to require one-thirds college educated and two-thirds less than college degreed adults. Economically and socially, we need to support all individuals to serve in their roles and for all of us to support the various roles. Think “essential workers” during the pandemic.
Offer $10,000 for 2 years for high school graduates for their education and training, including “career and technical” training.
Create German-style public-private partnerships for broad range of vocational training opportunities.
Offer career and technical training grants for up to 2 years equal to state subsidy of college education.
Provide alternate sets of courses and experience to meet minimum requirements for standard level high school diploma, rather than requiring gateway courses like Algebra II.
Offer an all-industries state administered “career skills” certification program that can be earned in 3 years of employment and classes, including some classes for academic credit in high school.
Require governments and large employers to justify any strict “BA needed” job requirements versus “education and experience” options.
Tax university tuition income above $15,000 at 25% rate to fund public colleges.
Expand veterans hiring preferences to state and local governments, government suppliers and large employers.
Increase the minimum foundation endowment spending from 5% to 6% to provide more current social benefits and limit the accumulation of assets by universities and other not for profits with $100 million plus of invested assets. Provide an option to pay a 0.5% of assets annual fee to keep 5% or a 1% fee to only spend 4%.
Government Services Assets
The corporate world reduces costs and improves valued results by 1-2% year after year after year. We need to set the same expectations for local, state and federal governments.
Sunset laws requiring reapproval of substantive changes after the first 10 years.
Bipartisan staff recommended simplification and clean-up laws, one functional area per year, package approval, no amendments.
Independent staff recommendation of lowest 10% benefit/cost ratios for regulations by agency every 10 years, package approval, no amendments.
Implement balanced budget across the business cycle law that considers unemployment rate and debt to GDP levels.
Require offsetting spending cuts or funding sources for new spending programs.
Require federal programs to have a minimum 20-year payback from investments.
Migrate to minimum 80% federal funding of all federal programs assigned to states.
Outsource the USPS by region, maintaining 3 day per week delivery minimums.
Tax Fairness
Set a separate 10% income tax rate on hourly earned overtime income, excluding it from regular “adjusted gross income”.
Limit corporate type taxation to 10% for revenues below $1 million and 20% for revenues below $5 million.
Limit combined state and local sales taxes to 5% of purchase values.
Revise the “independent contractors” social security law to require the 12.4% self-employed contribution to be identified and deposited for all income.
Eliminate the “carried interest” loophole benefit for investors.
Limit the reduction of “capital gains” taxes versus labor income to a maximum of 20%. Increase the minimum period for long-term capital gains to 3 years. Provide a 50% of annual inflation above 4% credit in the detailed calculation.
Require income earners to pay social security taxes on $1 million annually.
Eliminate the mortgage interest deduction on second homes.
Increase the IRS audit budget by 50%.
Levy a 20% tax on inherited assets above $5 million, allowing a 10-year tax payment plan.
Funding Sources for “Everyone Has Assets”
Levy an annual 0.25% of assets tax on banks and financial institutions.
Levy a 0.25% financial transactions tax on stock and bond investors and traders.
Set a 10% “luxury tax” on all transportation asset transactions worth $1 million or more.
Set a 0.25% annual federal “luxury” real estate tax on all residences worth more than $2 million.
Levy a 0.25% of deal value fee on all “mergers and acquisitions” transactions of $100 million or more.
Levy a 0.25% excess profits tax on earnings above a 5% real, inflation adjusted return on assets (ROA) for firms with revenues of $100 million or more.
Reduce the depletion allowance base on mineral assets by 10% of the acquisition cost.
Starting with the 35% tax bracket ($462,501 married filing jointly), reduce allowable itemized tax deductions to 0 at $2 million of income.
Add a 40% tax bracket at $2 million of income.
Levy a 5% of excess price paid on personal vehicles sold for more than $50,000, boats for more than $100,000 and recreational vehicles for more than $100,000. (alternative to 10% above $1M)
Add a 10% surcharge to property tax rates for residential properties larger than 5,000 square feet. (alternative to surtax above $2 million)
Setting Firm Limits on Taxes
I have separately proposed a set of constitutional amendments that limit taxation of the wealthy, allowing them to support steps like those above without fear of being fleeced.
Our society hasn’t found a clear organizing principle to guide it between the claims of the people and its leaders. We tend to lean towards the individual, liberty and freedom. This has led to a large number of modest initiatives. We have an opportunity to help our community embrace and support the political steps required to achieve our goals.
On a personal note, I grew up in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, a small village of 3-4,000 people. The Diamond Alkali chemical plant once employed 5,000 people. It shut down in 1976. My dad was a pipefitter and union leader. My uncle Joe was also an employee and a union and political leader. The negative community impact was very large. The negative impacts described by Amy Goldstein in Janesville were exactly the same in Painesville 40 years earlier.
The US economy continues its evolution from agriculture to manufacturing to services to information. President Trump was responsible for the US economy from February, 2017 through January, 2020. President Biden assumed responsibility in February, 2020. In order to compare the two presidents, let’s look at Trump for the 3 years of sustained growth deep in the business cycle before the pandemic. For Biden, let’s look at a comparable 3-year period from June 2021 through June 2024, after the post-Covid rebound. Trump benefitted from an 8-year long business cycle expansion. Biden had to deal with a once in a century pandemic driven economic depression.
Inflation: Advantage Trump
The independent Federal Reserve Board responded to the pandemic by greatly increasing the money supply to ensure that profitable, well-run financial institutions would be able to survive the temporary disruptions in the real economy. The Fed increased the money supply by 4-5 times its prior level to ensure the economy did not collapse! The extra money supply had to end up somewhere. It drove up consumer prices and increased asset values in the stock market and for home prices.
Inflation grew by 2% per year with Trump. It grew by 5% per year, on average, with Biden. Overall prices are 9% higher with Biden. Trump’s economic policies extended the Obama recovery for 3 years without triggering an increase in inflation, despite a low unemployment labor market.
The largest cause of higher than usual inflation in Biden’s term was the 20% spike in US and global demand for durable goods. Factories shut down during the pandemic. Demand rebounded within 6 months as consumers chose to spend money on goods rather than in-person services. Consumer demand at the end of the Biden period is 50% higher than at the start of Trump’s term in office.
Corporations were able to capture and maintain a 50% profit increases due to market disruptions of the pandemic. Experts mostly reject Biden’s claims that corporate profits were the main driver of inflation, but they clearly aggravated the impact of the supply chain disruptions.
Obama was able to reduce federal budget deficits by two-thirds by the end of his presidency. Deficits doubled on Trump’s watch before the pandemic arrived. Biden cut deficits from their record highs during the pandemic, but they have been 50% higher than the pre-pandemic Trump era. Most economists consider the budget deficits to be the main cause of the continued higher than typical rates of inflation, accounting for 3%, 2% and 1% extra inflation in the 3-year Biden time we’re considering.
High profile gas prices remined flat during Trump’s period. Global supply and demand caused prices to increase from $2.50 per gallon to $3.50/gallon where they have remained for the last 3 years.
Trump enjoyed historically low 4% mortgage interest rates, a thin 2% above the inflation rate. The expansion of the money supply drive rates down to 3% during 2020 and 2021. They rose to 7% as inflation rose sharply and has stayed there. Inflation has fallen but markets typically require years of data to reset expectations of long-term inflation which drive mortgage rates. The Federal Reserve Bank has hesitated to cut its benchmark interest rates until inflation is clearly approaching its 2% target.
Labor Market: Advantage Biden
Trump reduced unemployment by 1%. Biden reduced it by 2%. Both presided over best in 50 years overall labor markets.
Layoffs have remained at historic lows, with Biden enjoying slightly lower rates.
Job openings in the Biden market have been 50% higher than the Trump market, reflecting a strong economy with growing labor demand, despite the impact of the pandemic.
The Biden economy recovered all 20 million jobs lost in the pandemic within 2 years, much faster than expected. Total employment has continued to grow at the trend rate to a record 159 million.
Core labor force participation is 1% higher with Biden than Trump. The current participation rate was last achieved in 2001.
Median real wages have been slightly higher during Biden’s tenure.
Asset Values: Advantage Biden
Despite the pandemic disruptions and losses, US firms are worth 70% more today than before the pandemic. This reflects the 50% profits increase and continued positive future prospects.
Home prices have nearly doubled since before the pandemic, reflecting the post Great Recession decline in home building, construction issues during the pandemic and general asset inflation caused by the rapid expansion of the money supply.
The US enjoyed a solid 7% savings rate before the pandemic, an extraordinary high 10% after the pandemic, falling to just 4% for the last 3 years.
Human assets increased during Trump’s presidency and resumed growth after the pandemic. As college graduation rates have increased throughout the post WWII years, the cumulative number of college educated individuals continues to rise each year. The growth in masters and professional degrees is noteworthy.
The Economy – Advantage Biden
Population growth has resumed after the pandemic.
The healthy US economy is able to support 3 million more retirees after the pandemic.
Real dollar GDP is 2 trillion dollars larger than before the pandemic disruption. That increase is the same size as the total GDP of Russia, Canada or Mexico. We added the Canada economy during Trump’s time and the Mexican economy during Biden’s time.
Real personal income grew a little bit faster during Trump’s time and more smoothly. Personal incomes jumped up during the pandemic but have been flat since that time with corporations capturing a greater share of the economy’s returns.
Workers have been 8-10% more productive in the Biden economy.
Farm income has doubled in the Biden economy.
Manufacturing employment grew by a surprising 3% in Trump’s term. It is slightly higher in the Biden era.
Real dollar exports increased during the Trump presidency and then again during Biden’s time despite a greatly stronger US dollar which hampers exports.
The world is willing to pay 10% more to hold US dollars in the Biden period, reflecting strong economic realities and prospects despite the risks of higher US inflation and budget deficits.
Summary
The US economy is very strong. Trump was able to extend the Obama recovery for longer than most expected, keeping inflation, interest rates and unemployment at low levels. Biden managed the recovery from the pandemic induced recession better than expected. The economy, asset prices and labor market have recovered very nicely. Inflation has remained the weak part of the Biden economy. It is lower than in comparable global economies and trending towards the 2% target in 2025. Critics point to excess government spending as an avoidable source of high inflation.
The Trump economy built upon the success of his predecessor. The Biden economy overcame the disruption of the pandemic to produce equal or greater results. Both presidents delivered solid results.
Hamilton County’s 357,000 residents are a little more than 0.1% of the 332 million national citizens (1/1,000). It’s typical 80 National Merit Semifinalists are 0.5% of the 16,000 national total (1/200). It produces 5 times more than its “fair share”.
The 13 lowest population states range from 0.6 to 1.8 million citizens, averaging 1 million. Hamilton County has one-third as many citizens, on average.
Public Sheridan HS awards some NMS semifinalists. Hamilton County has a large number of students at private schools that do not report NMS semifinalists by their place of residence. University, Park Tudor, Heritage Christian, Cathedral, Roncalli and Guerin. I estimate that there are another 3-5 Hamilton County winners each year.
Hamilton County students benefit from their abilities, parental and neighbor involvement, high expectations, extracurricular opportunities and strong school systems.
Typical annual National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists:
This Indian story helps us to understand that the “whole” is different than the “sum of the parts”. “Everybody wants to rule the world” is another way to express this paradox. We each have a perspective. We errantly “know” that our perspective is right.
Each of the blind men mistakenly “knows” that his perspective is “right” and dominant. In society, we experience this across the various professions and industries who also “know” that they are THE “most important, valuable and insightful”.
Rulers, politicians, judges, and bureaucrats
Advisors, consultants, lawyers, and lobbyists
Entertainers, artists, media, journalists, travel and leisure
Military
Public safety, police and fire
Priests, ministers, rabbis
Intellectuals, philosophers
Educators
Engineers and scientists
Builders, architects, construction staff
Farmers, foresters, fishers, miners
Owners, capitalists, executives, bankers
Managers, administrators, business professionals
Traders, wholesalers, retailers
Skilled trades, essential workers
Health care professionals
Care givers, counselors, psychologists, and social workers
17 distinct groups by my accounting. Each group can put forth arguments for why they are the “most important”, adding the most value now and in the future, at the critical location, taking the highest view, most essential, largest, oldest, most appreciated, best paid, driven by leaders, lifesavers, building the future, leading the way, preserving and organizing society.
Historically, the rulers, advisors, priests and owners conspired to actually run society and collectively justify their leadership. In the last 500 years the historical rulers have been challenged by each of the other groups.
spin doctors, social media influencers, investment bankers
political pundits and commentators
the secretary of defense, the military-industrial complex, neo-conservatives, coups
public safety unions, associations and political influence
ecumenical associations, direct and national political influence
freedom of speech, tenure, existentialism, postmodernism, poststructuralism
unions, PACs, professional rights, the therapeutic society
STEM, analysts everywhere
infrastructure, ratings
farm bill, political influence
Davos, consolidation of income and wealth, political influence
Professional class, suburbs, UMC, elites, educated
globalization, luxury goods, Amazon, Walmart, Dollar General, Costco
unions, tea party, occupy Wall Street, pandemic support
AMA, med school enrollment limits, health care % of GDP, big pharma, big insurance, hospital system monopolies
the therapeutic society, hugs
Everybody wants to rule the world. The world is bigger. More people. More wealth. More assets. More potential. More productivity. More ideas. More perspectives. More art, entertainment and leisure. More education. More scientific understanding. More resources. More nature. More opportunities. More class perspectives. More minority groups. More voluntary associations. More nations. More globalism. More trade. More religious views. More communications and information channels.
There is no single reason why our society remains knitted together. There are many forces that drive it apart. I am hopeful that the various interest groups can perceive “the elephant”. Our political, social and economic society is the greatest ever known, but it is threatened by decay from all sides.
Carmel-Clay Public Library (CCPL) was awarded the top tier rating in the Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) system in each of its first 9 years, one of only 11 libraries in the country to consistently qualify among the best.
The Sheridan Public Library was rated at the 87th percentile by the Library Journal in 2020.
The Westfield-Washington Public Library was ranked at the 62nd percentile.
The Hamilton North Public Library was listed at the 48th percentile.
The Hamilton East Public Library was not rated in recent years.
The state of Indiana tracks total materials circulation per population which can be used as an indicator of library activity and quality. Of the 236 Indiana library districts, CCPL ranked 3rd with 19.4 items per person in 2021. Hamilton East was close behind, ranked 5th with 16.1 items per person. Westfield-Washington was 17th with 12.3 items per person.
Combining the 5 Hamilton County public libraries yields annual circulation of 16.1 items per person, which would rank 5th out of 232 libraries if it was a single library system. (Table 7). Hamilton County checks out more than twice as many items as the state average of 7.4 per person.
Citizens today face a large, complex, dynamic environment with the requirement to make good personal, social, political, economic, and moral choices. Citizens and society are impacted by the quality of these choices.
The American public must invest in our students and citizens to offer an educational curriculum that covers all the relevant topics with enough depth and applicability to make them lifetime tools. Modern science has much to offer. Advanced nations and economies have developed institutions and cultures that effectively perform the key functions of successful societies. At the same time, the rapid technological changes, increased complexity, and huge scale of our world pose challenges. The tension between secular and religious worldviews and across various political views is high and our skills at resolving these tensions or integrating individuals and communities have lagged behind the challenges.
A modern curriculum outlines the dimensions, structures, and challenges of our shared lives in all dimensions. It highlights the successes that have been achieved in history and the failures. It offers the various cultural, religious, social, political, and economic worldviews that have guided humans. It critically assesses their strengths and weaknesses, contributions, and relevance today.
It raises the critical questions that are faced today. It helps students understand how institutions, culture and politics all shape our world. It outlines political and religious worldviews. It encourages students to assume personal responsibility for their lives and participate in shaping our society at all levels. The curriculum focuses on the role of the individual and the role of the community in each dimension of life. An effective society requires voluntary engagement from its citizens. This curriculum motivates individuals to participate and succeed.
These courses cover a great deal of material at a high level and provide time for an applications perspective. They are courses for the citizen, not for those who expect to major in the relevant disciplines.
Ideally, the nation would adopt a single broad “model curriculum” outline and delegate the details of setting course content and standards to the states or regional educational accreditation agencies.
This proposal has 8 courses for high school students and 9 courses for university students. It includes capstone courses on “My Future” and “Our Future” to integrate the courses in a meaningful way. The university courses are designed to encourage states to offer them to all citizens at a nominal tuition rate through their state universities and community colleges.
101 American History
Full year course at the high school level. Less biography and dates. More about the major transformations of typical American life as the nation grew in size, expanded across the continent, invested in trade and infrastructure, transformed the land for changing waves of agriculture, adopted new technologies, embraced economic change, wrestled with manufacturing and urbanization, addressed racial, religious, ethnic and class differences, developed political parties, institutions and state versus federal roles, the role of communities and not-for-profits, the impact of religious diversity, economic theories of history, business cycles and panics, US expansion, conflicts, wars, empire, growing global role. Major political parties and issues through time. The role of communications technologies. The expanded role of government. The development of new institutions. The expansion of individual rights and roles for women. Government regulations. Limits on laissez faire capitalism. Taxation. The self-sufficient man and the rugged individualist. Immigrants. Native Americans. Relations with Mexico and Latin America. Isolationism. Globalism and trade. The scale, social and economic nature of the country in 1800, 1850, 1900, 1950 and today.
The US has a dynamic history of success in adapting its culture and institutions to meet the needs of the day. It has a history of extending individual rights to more individuals and groups through time, despite opposition from some citizens. Students can understand how existing beliefs, habits, laws, and institutions interact with technological, military, trade, economic, social, political, and religious innovations. Change is slower than some desire. Change is opposed on principle and because it has costs to some groups and individuals. Some changes are reversed because they don’t work in practice, or they have unintended consequences. The US has been relatively effective at maintaining individual rights and implementing changes on a decentralized basis. This context is essential for understanding current issues and political differences.
Theories of history. Evolution. Adaptation. Economic determinism. Regional differences. Western civilization. Land, labor, and capital. Economic, social, and political power. Cultural power. Shining city on a hill. Manifest destiny. American exceptionalism.
102 Society / Sociology
The individual and the group, community, society. Fundamental tensions. Haidt and evolutionary psychology. Empathy, language, trust, loyalty, free rider, game theory. One on one. Small groups. Groups of 150. Hunter-gatherers. Agriculture. Cities. Leaders. Power. Religion. Anthropological perspective. Modern historical perspective. Political theory perspective. Contract theory.
Interactions of power, status, wealth, and salvation/eternity.
Social capital. Trust. Institutions: family, neighborhoods, religious, professional, industrial, labor, intellectual, educational, economic, political, social services, libraries, ethnic. Innovations through time.
Role of technological and economic change on social and political institutions.
Change, migration, stress, war, disruption, rootlessness, divorce, unemployment, bankruptcy, anomie.
Economic basis of power through history. Labor theory of value. Marx. Existentialism. Post-modernism. Groups. Class, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality as potential victim groups. Role of “others”. Criminals and mental health.
Functions of large organizations. Political. Economic. Military. Role of leadership. Innovations through time. Attraction, retention, and engagement.
Special roles: opinion leaders, market influencers, pop culture examples, fashion influencers, media influencers, intellectual influencers, journalism and media influencers, social media influencers, literature, movie, and tv works, teachers, parents, ministers, and coaches.
Power of social norms and influence. Desire for belonging and social acceptance.
High, medium, and low commitment communities.
Rise of nationalism. Rise of global and supra-national groups.
How groups and communities are different from the sum of their parts.
Man is made to reside in community.
103 Economics
70% Microeconomics, 20% Macroeconomics, 10% International Economics.
Labor markets. Product markets. Competitive markets. Rationale for government oversight.
Reinforce the American History overview. Provide framework for Personal Finance, Business/Organizational Behavior and Globalization. Outline one key model before Critical Thinking and Applied Decision Making. Provide background for Political Thought and Shaping Our Future.
104 Civics / American Government
Historical and philosophical context for the US constitution. Articles of Confederation. Bill of Rights. Checks and balances. Rights of Englishmen. Jefferson’s small farmer. Hamilton’s trader. The Federalist papers. Federal and state roles through time. US within European interests. Supreme Court role defined. Increasing role of government in the 19th and 20th centuries. US and advanced economies. Washington setting presidential roles. Political parties. Jefferson-Jackson support for farmers and small businesses. Pre-civil war politics. Civil war. Reconstruction. Post-reconstruction. Isolationism. Laissez-faire capitalism. Political machines. Progressivism. Farmer-labor populism. Nativist populism. Socialism and radical unionism not. Supreme Court as a conservative limit on progressive laws. Local government reforms. Income taxes. Prohibition and its reversal. New England and Middle Atlantic rule. Midwest gains influence. Democratic party in the South. Southern Democrat political power in Congress. Food safety regulation. Regulating trusts and monopolies. The Depression. FDR and Democrats gain. Reagan and the neoliberal revolution.
Political parties. House and Senate. Supreme Court. Electoral College. Legislation and budgets/funding. Role of constitution versus congressional rules. Presidential veto. Line-item veto. Independent agencies. OMB. Federal Reserve Bank. International treaties. United Nations. Election funding. Gerrymandering. Lobbyists. Military ruled by government. DOJ. FBI. Rule of law. Separation of church and state. Filibuster. Speaker of the House. Majority leader of the Senate. Voting rights, rules, and restrictions. Presidential versus parliamentary system. Two-party versus multi-party systems. Simple versus ranked choice voting systems. Third parties. Direct election of Senators. Direct election of presidential candidates. Political parties as a moderating influence. Sunset laws. Zero-based budgeting. Legislation versus appropriation. Debt ceiling constraint. Role of earmarks. Economics of politics: public choice theory. Role of politicians. Representative or delegate. Role of parties to simplify voting. Role of character. Recalls. Citizen initiatives. Role of political ideology. Special interest groups.
105 Psychology
Standard introductory course. Link back to evolutionary psychology in the society/sociology course. Make clear that the simplified utilitarian model assumed by economists (maximize pleasure, minimize pain) is inadequate. Address psychological views of religion, behavior, experience, and motivation. Describe the overlap of social psychology with sociology and organizational behavior. Describe the history of intelligence testing as a basis for critical thinking and multiple intelligences. Clearly define personality profiles and talents so that these results can be used in the capstone course. Describe the basic risk-averse nature of people that drives the risk/reward basis of financial markets. Provide a basic outline of how experimental psychology performs experiments. Outline the background for the fundamental challenge of organizations to align the interests of individuals and the organization.
106 Personal Finance
Economic specialization. Profession. Industry. Human capital. Education. Talents. Multiple intelligences. Income and wealth. Retirement. Saving. Investing. Risks. Insurance. Rent versus own. Investing in education. Accounting model of assets, liabilities, net equity, revenues, and expenses. Risk versus reward. Banks. Checking and savings accounts. Tax sheltered investments. Capital gains taxes. Strategies for saving. Financial advisors. Insurance agents. Real estate choices. Financial tracking tools. Grocery shopping. Clothes shopping. Appliance shopping. Medical services and insurance plans. Personal services. Home/construction services. Car shopping. Car buying versus leasing. Just 15% more. Buying status. Using financial leverage. Cost of borrowing: paycheck loans, credit cards, pawn shops. Student loans and payment options. The millionaire next door. Negotiating employment. Franchises. Owning a business. Side-gigs.
107 Critical Thinking
General process and factors. Individual or team. Diverse sources, perspectives, models, contributors. Inductive and deductive logic approaches. Analogies. Open-mindedness, active listening. Identify and evaluate assumptions. Evaluate relevance and weight of evidence. Evaluate data. Is the goal proof, optimization, meets standards, or ranking? Adequate research. Meta-analysis of the decision process. Likely errors. Lessons learned. Devil’s advocate. Expert review.
Tools. 6 thinking hats. Brainstorming. Flowcharts. Tables and graphs. Descriptive statistics. Hypothesis testing. Formal logic. Scientific method. Math proof types. Pattern identification. Probabilities. Expected value. Legal logic. Best practices. Industry or discipline specific models. Simulations. Troubleshooting. The rational financial decision-making model.
Pitfalls. Probabilities, infinity, compounding, orders of magnitude, paradoxes. Logical fallacies. Portfolio effect; sum greater than parts. Correlation and causation. “Either/or” or “both/and” situation? Is versus ought factors. Objective and subjective factors. Outliers. Black swans. Individual biases. Thinking fast and slow. Jump to conclusion. Confirmation bias. Anchoring. Politics. Personality. Talents. Experience. False patterns. Attribution error. Abstract or applied. Analog or digital. Sales, marketing, legal and communications tricks. Source biases. We don’t get fooled again!
108 Shaping My Future
My personality, talents, and values.
Education, profession, industry.
Prioritizing and balancing competing claims. Time and task management skills.
My advisors, mentors, coaches, and counselors. Thanks for the feedback.
My dating and relationship goals, limits, options, tactics, hopes, tools, beliefs, opportunities, advisors, and dreams. Total commitment.
My community and service preferences.
My religious explorations and commitments.
Living a good life. Building character and virtues.
Bucket list. On my death bed. Eulogy virtues.
Rights and responsibilities. Victimhood. Choices. Investing in me.
Setting goals. Delivering results.
301 World History, Cultures and Governments
Standard year-long high school or college textbook. Some grounding in pre-historic development of humans. Tools, iron, agriculture, leaders, religion. Links to anthropology reinforcing the parallel development of similar social answers to universal questions. Notion of “civilization”. The individual and the community. Free rider problem. Role of language. Central issues of cohesiveness within a society, power, and external threats. Role of changing technologies. Role of religion and institutions. Role of military power. Role of trade. Role of changing economic assets. Role of changing political and philosophical ideas. Community and individual oriented societies. Conflicts between traditional and modern views. Nationalism, regionalism, and globalism. Empires. Maintaining power. Prevalence of war and violence. Individual rights, human rights, community rights. The appeals of Marxism, capitalism, religion, democracy, and populism. The tension between self-interest and larger groups at the individual, local government, organization, and nation-state level. Religion, race, ethnicity, class, and ideals as ways to make a society cohere.
302 Applied Decision-Making
Rational financial calculation. Cost/benefit analysis. Strategic planning process. Risk versus reward. Managing a portfolio of investments or projects. Task/project management. Critical path. Time management: Getting Things Done (Allen). Decision flow charts. Process perspective. Urgent versus important (Covey). Expected value. Financial modeling, sensitivity analysis, what if. Simulations. Scenario analysis. Worst case scenario. Committed versus flexible resources, undo. Inquiry versus advocacy framework. 6 thinking hats (de Bono). Brainstorming techniques. Mission, vision, values framework. Pareto analysis, prioritization. Root cause analysis, 5 why’s. Mind mapping, visualization (Buzan). Cause and effect diagrams. Force field analysis. Expert Delphi groups. T-account, “pros and cons”. Game theory. Mini-max. Stable or unstable. Data scrubbing. Rule out some options to simplify. Personal risk of recommendation.
Behavioral economics. How we really decide. Thinking, fast and slow (Kahneman). Biases. Satisficing versus optimizing (Simon). Habits. Heuristics. Rules of thumb. Fewer options. First option. Anchoring. Framing. Managing uncertainty. Overconfidence. Loss-aversion. Mental buckets. Nudges. Limited information. To a hammer every problem looks like a nail. Follow the herd. Social acceptance. Confirmation bias.
303 Business / Organizational Behavior
Standard introductory course. Firms, capitalism, productivity, competition. Government, industrial policy, trade policy, taxes, regulations, property, infrastructure, education, contracts, courts. Ethics, stakeholders, social responsibility. Comparative advantage, competitive strategy, international business, outsourcing. Business forms, joint ventures, growth, corporations, business life cycle, creative destruction, entrepreneurs. Returns to factors of production. Strategy, leadership, management, specialized labor. Departments, divisions, structures, matrix, project management, teams, agency. Operations, quality, processes, planning. HR, recruiting, engagement, motivation, retention, compensation, innovation, unions. Customer wants and needs, marketing, products, product life cycle, services. Distribution channels, physical distribution, logistics, suppliers. Social media, e-business, IT, ERP, CRM, WMS, etc. Accounting, planning, analysis and control systems, financing.
304 Political Thought
Standard university course often labelled “Western Political Theory”, covering both the historical and topical aspects of political, philosophical, theological, economic, and sociological views of how government level politics functions. Greek and Roman experience, city-states, Cicero, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Christian views: Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin. Pragmatism: Machiavelli, realpolitik, Nietzsche, Bismark, Kissinger. The Individualistic Enlightenment: contract theory, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Montesquieu, Rousseau, separation of powers, Jefferson, de Tocqueville. Classical liberalism, utilitarianism, economics, Bentham, Mill, Smith, Spencer. The organic state, nationalism, Hegel, Marx, Lenin, Gramsci, totalitarianism, fascism, Orwell, Arendt. Modern liberalism, progressivism, socialism, welfare state, FDR, Dewey, Popper, Rawls. Romanticism, historicism, utopianism, environmentalism, greens, spiritualism, art. Conservatism, Burke, Hayek, Friedman, Rand, Nozick, Reagan, Thatcher, “neo-liberalism”. Post-modernism, post-structuralism, existentialists, Foucault, Marcuse, new left.
Topics. Politics, economics, culture, philosophy, and religion all shape society and compete for influence. Integrated cultures focused on the community have strongly dominated through time. The individualistic upheaval of the reformation, enlightenment and scientific revolution impacted political, philosophical, religious, economic, and social views. Haidt’s 6 flavors of morality and politics remain in competition today. Role of economic resources, systems, and theories upon politics. Impact of religion on politics. Separation of church and state. Religion, community, and politics in a secular age (Taylor). Expansion of individual and human rights. Populism, anti-elite views in a meritocracy. Attraction of authority figures. Power. The classic liberal state’s rights, Rousseau’s view of human potential and the success of mixed capitalist economies creates a very individual oriented world for politics with high expectations for respect, fulfilment, results, and identity affirmation. Communitarian critiques of a “flat” classic liberal government model. The scale of society and international complexity has grown, undercutting personal connections, social capital, and trust. Rational, scientific, technical methods deliver results, but have limits for humans, politics, political structures, and organizations. Evolution of Christian denominations, fundamentalism, and social conservativism. Conspiracy theories. Filtering institutions, experts, and parties in a complex world. Centralized versus decentralized political structures. Individuals seek a wide variety of results from political systems: identity, ideology, justice, rights, respect, opportunity, freedom, interests, wealth, status. Citizenship duties. International relations, trade, empires, global organizations, peace, and war. Institutional characteristics that make governments succeed. The End of History (Fukuyama)?
This is a very challenging outline for “everyman”. Yet, most thinkers’ key contributions can be summarized in a paragraph or two. This course prepares the student for the “Religion in a Secular Age”, “Moral Lives” and “Living Our Future” courses. Politics, philosophy, and religion overlap. They are essential for modern citizens to understand our society and make choices.
305 Interpersonal and Communication Skills
The volume, diversity, complexity, and impact of interpersonal communications have continued to grow. We use these skills at work, in teams, transacting, playing, influencing, negotiating, buying, selling, searching, researching, and building networks and brands.
Social psychology, talents, personalities, groups, forming, storming, norming and performing, trust, social capital. Haidt’s 6 moral flavors, free riders, game theory, exit, voice, loyalty.
Persuasion, influencing, negotiating, leading, managing, preconceptions, crucial conversations, shared goals, resources, languages, prejudices, thinking fast and slow, rider and elephant, get what you negotiate, everyone is selling, power as an asset, personality, gender, and culture differences.
Sales and marketing, universal customer wants, brands, products, win/win, features and benefits, lifestyle, identity, price, belonging, social aspects, trust, expectations, long-run, techniques, closing, disarming, overcoming objections, styles, human wants, status, power, winning, achieving, affiliation. We won’t get fooled again.
Mass media, internet, social media, targeting, biases, economic models, personal information, cookies, search tools, trails, pausing, sites visited, demographics, click bait, different media, influencers, belonging, shared interests, identity, feelings, logic, digital assistant, effective search techniques and evaluating results.
306 Religion in a Secular Age
Religious history, anthropology, evolutionary psychology, sociology. Integrated society, religion, economics, and politics. Religious beliefs, drivers, varieties of religious experience, goals, benefits, purposes. The individual and the community, nature, and God. Thinking, feeling, and doing aspects of religion.
Scientific developments: Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, scientific method, geology, Darwin, Einstein, and quantum physics. Church responses, new denominations, feelings, logic, liberal Protestantism, social gospel, spirit, born again, fundamentalism.
Social, political and philosophical developments: Luther, individual religious choice, challenges to church, state and society, individual rights and political influence, classic liberal political model separates church and state, church shortcomings, religious wars, problem of evil, best of all worlds, historical criticism, Pascal’s wager, secular humanism, deism, growth of universities, Kierkegaard’s leap of faith, Nietzsche’s end of God, Marx’s opiate of the masses, Freud’s unconscious wish fulfilment, pragmatism, nationalism, world wars, welfare state, the secular age (Taylor).
Relations between science and religion. Conflict, independence, dialogue, integration. Only religion. Only science. Faith in God. Faith in Science. Material world. Spiritual world. Basis for truth. Philosophy of science, scientific method, assumptions, simplicity, beauty, math, laws, research methods, logical limits, is/ought gap, models, paradigms, humans. Theology, literal, principles, laws, rules, reforming, prophets, causes, moral focus, creation, nature, power, ends, methods, logic, holy scripture, priests, practices, sin, salvation, God.
Topics: big bang, creation, physics parameters, cosmology, sources of life, planets with life, quantum physics, attempts to unify physics, probability everywhere, wave/particle duality, complexity, dark matter and energy, miracles, supernatural, active God, challenges to Darwin’s evolution, intelligent design, intelligibility of nature, ecology and processes, genetics, human genome, mind, consciousness, neuroscience.
In a secular age. Classic liberal political state leaves religion, morality, and community to individual and organizational choice. Capitalist economy promotes worldly individualism, merit, and commercialism. Reduced religious belief and participation. Reduced trust and social capital. Less social pressure for religious participation or moral judgments. Default philosophy is now individualistic, Rousseau style” man is good” and journey of self-actualization. Secular humanist, agnostic, naturalistic, atheistic, ecumenical and world religion options all exist. Individual choice of religion is not required. Individualist spirituality outside of organized religion is an option. Religion can be a limited liability membership among others. Religious choices are independent of other life choices and experiences. Religious mentors are less common. Individuals buffered from death, accidents, disease, hunger, crime, exploitation, heavy work, and family demands can live an “adequate” life without considering religious questions.
For most of human history, religion was deeply integrated into each civilization’s world view and daily life. This began to change in Europe after 1500. By 1900, the educated classes could consider both religious and secular options. By 1950, the religious age was over, replaced by the secular age, where most individuals assumed away the spiritual dimension and viewed the world through a scientific, materialistic, deterministic, and commercial lens. From practical, scientific, and philosophical perspectives this capitulation is quite suspect.
307 Globalization
Components of international economics, economic development, and “global issues” college courses.
Globalization: defined. Economic, political, cultural, and environmental dimensions.
Goals: Economic, Happiness, Fairness, Justice, Human Rights, Equal Rights, Respect, Economic Equality, Opportunity, Liberty, Poverty, Exploitation, Security and Power.
History of ideas, institutions, policies, actions, and results for all 4 dimensions.
Economic markets, capitalism, welfare economics, government regulation, taxation, mixed economies.
International economics: absolute advantage, comparative advantage, intra-industry trade, relative resources, economies of scale, first mover advantage, regional clusters, industrial policy, rationales for trade protection, trade policies, industry transitions, middle income challenge, drivers of economic market power, barriers to entry, dynamic competitive advantage, patents, regulations, licenses, relationships, resource ownership.
Financial capital, access, operating leverage, financial leverage, industry assets for lending, credit systems, insurance, leasing, legal protections, early-stage equity capital, industry variability.
Development economics: comparative advantage, industrial policy, economic institutions, taxation, regulation, financial markets, education, infrastructure, property rights, labor force participation, trade policy, labor markets, product markets, public health, fiscal policy, monetary policy, exchange rate and capital controls policy.
Political systems: nation-state, republics, democracy, individual rights, centralized power, decision-making, elections, rule of law, human rights, courts, bankruptcy.
Corruption, property rights, crime, terrorism, bureaucracies, political machines, organized crime, political spoils, good government, professional government staff, checks and balances, independent judiciary, military controlled.
Trade agreements, treaties, regional groups, trade alliances, military alliances, colonies, empires, shared currencies, travel, immigration, Bretton Woods, GATT, IMF, World Bank, UN, international law, UN agencies, NGO’s, development banks, international relations.
Policies: institutions, trade, industry, economic development, international organizations, human rights, fiscal, monetary, exchange, welfare state.
Environmental: resources, limits, population growth, food security, ag technology, sustainable agriculture, extraction, transportation and production, waste, pollution, water access, common resources, recycling, energy sources, chemical risks, global warming, species habitat and preservation, desertification, invasive species, labor safety, monocrops, biological diversity.
Human impact of accelerated globalization: the world is flat, abstract ideas, digital services, money, technology, markets, speed, compressed space, media volume, simultaneous communications, always on, standardization, processes, tools, language, business, production, units of measure, brands, connectedness, networks, transactions, global considerations, global markets, global sources, mobility, migration, remittances, travel, mixed global and local culture, traditional versus secular, multicultural experiences, risks, contagion, business, pandemics, war, technology, AI, climate, experts, terror, identity threatened, productive role, imposter syndrome, meritocracy, rat race, trust, social capital, change, professional insecurity, irrelevance, respect, humanness.
The “Establishment View” is that capitalism, relatively free trade, infrastructure focused development and representative democracy combine to provide an environment that drives economic growth for most countries and promotes the other goals as well. Statistics from 1945-2020 generally support this claim.
Critics disparage this view and label it “neo-liberalism”. The critics have become increasingly vocal and influential since 1992 when Francis Fukuyama proclaimed the victory of the establishment view and the “end of history”.
Communists criticize the capitalist base and promote the value of a single party and government ideally directing the economics, politics, culture, and environment for the common good.
Postmodernists view “neo-liberalism” as just the latest charade by the powerful to exploit the people and focus on highlighting the disenfranchised minorities. Human rights, equality and diversity are elevated as the path to success.
While many examples of post-war economic, political, and cultural development progress can be highlighted and global growth and poverty reduction cannot be disputed, critics can still point to the inequality of results around the world. Latin America, much of Asia, the Middle East and Africa have not benefited significantly from the overall gains. Income and wealth inequality within nations has increased. The “system” does not automatically serve everyone, and political leaders have not generally developed policies to better “share the wealth”.
Many traditional leftists accept the capitalist system, but struggle with the government’s inability to offset its growing powers and capture of disproportionate profits and power. Globalization increases both the scale and “winner takes all” tendencies while reducing governments’ power to properly regulate.
Greens note the damage and risks posed by capitalist systems is expanded through international trade. The damage is real and difficult to govern away. They highlight the interconnectedness of natural systems and the threats posed by actors that view nature as merely a resource. Romantic greens emphasize the inherent value of nature. Scientific greens emphasize the detailed risks of chemicals and complex systems.
Citizens also note the “winner takes all” nature of larger economic systems. The “global elites” who manage corporations and governments clearly win. The meritocratic technical and managerial elite (STEM) also win. Large corporations, their employees and owners also win. Regular citizens will be relatively poorer and unprotected. They see that governments have struggled to devise policies to meaningfully help those who are harmed by changes.
Citizens also see the cultural impact of accelerated globalization. The world becomes a large, complex, uncontrollable, technical, digital, economic machine. Individuals are cogs in the machine. They lose their humanity. Political and cultural leaders have not yet offered policies or solutions which truly address this threat.
Neo-liberal globalization tends to emphasize only individual and economic values. This threatens traditional values and cultures. Meritocracy and commercialism combine to lure citizens into a rat race. They lose identity, community, family, balance and meaning. Traditionalists, religious people, artists, communitarians, and sensitive people all oppose this threat.
Globalization is a major issue for our world. Capitalist democracies and free trade have driven real progress for 75 years. However, the progress has been uneven, and the cultural challenges have not been addressed. Citizens have a responsibility to understand these complex issues and pressure political leaders for reasonable policies to take advantage of the opportunities of globalization while offsetting the side effects.
Globalization is a critical topic for all citizens because we live in a global world with large shares of international trade. It is a hotly contested local topic. Citizens need to understand the potential benefits, costs and risks of international trade policies.
308 Moral Lives
Morality, ethics, virtues, and values defined, principles, characteristics, and goals. The essence is the relationship of the self to others.
History and current context: secular, individual, therapeutic, multicultural, meritocracy, neo-liberal, polarized (Sacks).
Many social roles, rights, duties, and responsibilities.
Society requires morality. Individuals benefit from defining moral views and behavior.
Inherent challenges: multiple interests, priorities, application, complexity, situation dependent, conflicts, uncertainty, not derived from science, structure cannot be fully rationalized, absolute commitment.
Human nature: person, more than material, dignity, mind, consciousness, free will, nature vs. nurture, language, meaning, communication, community, religious dimension, growing, imperfect, honest, good, sinful, desires, selfish, partial control, intuitive, feeling, self-aware, analog and spiritual, abstract and concrete. Every person thinks (knows) that they are “right” in their moral views. Haidt’s “elephant and rider” analogy. Moral life and material life.
Tensions of morality with the other dimensions of life.
Sources of morality: culture, history, art, science, religion, philosophy, and politics.
Science, evolutionary psychology, Haidt’s 6 moral foundations.
Philosophical insights: intent and results, duties, objective or subjective, relative or absolute, moral, immoral, skeptical, power, human rights, intuition, feeling, theology.
Religious ethics: God centered, universe and community before the individual, person as a moral agent, good versus evil, choices have consequences, alignment with reality, natural law, belief, sacred/holy, moral lives, human dignity, love, nonmaterialist/spiritual dimension exists, role of revelation, authority, tradition, holy works, all activities matter, commitments, covenants, commandments, orderly, absolute features, judging, forgiving. Thinking, feeling, and doing as religious dimensions.
Virtues ethics. Aristotle. Sample virtues and vices. Modern virtues ethics (MacIntyre). Risk of making a single virtue supreme. Virtues to address our current situation. Brooks’ “resume versus eulogy” virtues.
Personal ethics: adopt, DIY, or blended. Degrees of engagement and general approaches. Golden rule, golden mean, pay it forward, common core Tao (CS Lewis), love God and neighbor. Moral journey: resources, organizations, practices, insights, feedback, advisors. Interacting across differences.
Applied ethics, 4 of many topics: economic justice/equality, discrimination/equal rights, human sexuality, feminist views.
Community ethics: shaped by many sources. Politicized today. Role of personal identity. Multiple cultures. Urban/suburban/rural. Class. Race. Religion. Immigrants. Is a common core possible?
Not an “ethics” course for philosophy majors. Society requires some form of shared ethical beliefs to function. Our individualistic society and political system don’t provide answers. Secular and religious perspectives for modern citizens.
309 Shaping Our Future
We collectively own our future. Political, economic, social, and religious institutions are shaped by men and women.
We live in a collective society. Note the key role of institutions and social norms, laws, and politics. Much greater specialization and trade. Producing and consuming. Benefits of living in society. Myth of the self-made man. Costs and risks of living in society. Newborn individuals do not get to choose.
Responsibilities of citizenship: voting, informed, producing, following laws and regulations, paying taxes, service, and loyalty.
Goals of government and politics: safety, security, protect property, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, human rights, opportunities, justice, moral laws, promote the common good, economic well-being, economic security, manage public goods, public investments, business and banking infrastructure, rights of speech, press and religion, protect minority interests, mutual insurance, avoid catastrophes, and international relations.
Six clusters of priority issues (Pew/Gallup): Economy, inflation, jobs. Budget, government, health care funding, social security, energy. War, international relations, aid, terrorism, immigration. Morality, crime, gun rights, abortion limits, education results and rights. Education quality and access, poverty, hunger, labor, race, environment, gun control, climate change, abortion rights, human rights. Campaign financing, election rules, rule of law, trust, polarization.
Context since WWII. Economy. Labor force participation. Income and wealth inequality. Median quality of life, after transfers, product quality, choices, and public goods. Federal government share of economy and employment. Budget deficits. Business cycles. Poverty. Health care quality and costs. Economic opportunities. Social capital and trust. Religious participation. Crime rates. Military costs, wars, and threats. International trade, imports, and exports. Technological change. Education results. Race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender, disability access. Environment. Voting, political processes, polarization. Global alliances, democracy, and capitalist countries. Mostly “good news”.
The triumph of Western representative democracy and the mixed capitalist economy. Fukuyama’s 1992 claim of the “end of history”. Communism, fascism, totalitarianism. The elements and benefits of a classic liberal political system. Criticisms from neo-liberals, social conservatives, communitarians, progressive liberals. The elements and benefits of a classic liberal economic system. Criticisms from neo-liberals, labor, greens, mainstream Democrats, progressive liberals. Churchill – “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried”.
Political system today. Two parties equally matched. Low voter participation. Minority of motivated voters can rule. Polarized parties. Extreme policies, positioning, and platforms. “Winner takes all” mentality. Cooperation is not rewarded. High fundraising costs to compete. Gerrymandering. Sorting of rural versus urban. Polarized media options. Special interests veto power. Problem solving is not rewarded. Perceived single left versus right political dimension. Importance of political identity/team. No limits to political tactics. The “Rule of law” is threatened.
Voters. Party, character, policies, wedge issues, messages, ideology, special interests, transactions, protest. Incentives to participate. Limits: priorities, free rider, doesn’t matter, information costs.
Politicians. Public choice theory, work for self-interest, respond to incentives. Emotions, communications, simple issues, teams and brands, gerrymandering, voting rules, extreme positions, terminology, framing, blaming, attacks, straw man positions, own facts, stories, no costs or tradeoffs required, Overton window shifts, identity, exaggeration, end of universe, fear of low probability events, what people want to hear. Great salespeople use messaging to connect buyers and sellers.
Parties. Win elections, define issues, coordinate brand and messaging, field candidates, raise funds, allocate funds, choose candidates, build and maintain coalitions, set priorities, influence officials to support the party, define boundaries, craft legislation, manage special interests, define districts, maintain unity, manage conflicts between candidates or party wings. Parties are weaker today due to better communications technologies, direct fundraising and “direct democracy” laws.
Political subgroups. Conservative, socialist, labor, green, mainline Democrat, libertarian, nationalist, populist, social conservative, Main Street Republican, business Republican, neo-liberal, progressive Democrat. A higher share identifies as “independent” today, but a higher percentage lean left or right. Subgroups vary in their priorities and policies for economic, traditional social, business, government, international, social justice, and environment dimensions. They vary in their participation, moral bases, and willingness to compromise.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 realigned parties on a left versus right axis and Ronald Reagan consolidated the varieties of “conservatives” solidly into the Republican Party. The Democrats also adapted. Various attempts to summarize the essence of “left versus right”: sensitivity to risk/loss, nature of man good or fallen, realism versus idealism, tradition versus progress, authority versus independence, liberty versus state, proven versus progressive, local versus global, religious versus secular, Haidt’s 6 moral foundations. Many individuals and subgroups do not align cleanly on this single dimension. They oppose the simplistic, polarizing approach and argue that it works to prevent progress and gives undue power to extreme positions.
Changes in political subgroups since WWII. Southern Democrats migrated to Republican Party. Moderate Republicans migrated to Democratic Party. Labor, working class whites migrated to Republican Party. Mainstream white Democrats a smaller share of Democrats. Minorities a larger share of Democrats. Progressives a larger share of Democrats. International relations less important, but still Republican hawks and Democratic doves. Social conservatives a larger share of Republicans. Urban Democrats and rural Republicans are clustered. Big business Republicans a smaller share of the party. Democrats focused on the coasts and just 500 of 3,000 counties. Republicans fill the middle and the Sunbelt. Libertarians mostly support the Republican Party. The young lean towards Democrats, but Republicans benefit from aging. The Republican Party’s average income and education advantages have fallen. Democrats once believed that demographic benefits of more minorities, urbanization, immigrants, and education would ensure a new “permanent majority”, but offsetting changes among working- and middle-class whites as well as minority voters challenge this projection. Urban clustering, partisan gerrymandering and the constitutional rules for the Senate and electoral college provide Republicans with a 3-5% structural advantage in national politics.
Possible solutions for polarization and loss of political power by the center. Public funding of elections, nonpartisan district drawing, political parties retain one-third of primary delegates, council of elders, ranked choice voting, new centrist party, Democrats move to center, Republican party splits and moderate Republicans attract moderate Democrats, centrist organization with approval power over candidates, compromise legislation to take wedge issues out of the mix, media legislation to separate news and opinion functions, larger Supreme Court with term/age limits and some non-political appointments, agreement among billionaires and major corporations to not fund extreme candidates, non-extremist rating by a nonpartisan group like League of Women Voters, congressional agreement to delegate more issues to the states, Congress in session 14 days on, 14 days off, return of earmarks for use in persuasion of swing representatives, fundraising limits for special interest groups, Bill of Responsibilities for citizens and representatives.
Populism. Long history in the U.S. Anti-banking, anti-city, anti-elites. Farmer-labor party. Unions within Democratic Party. Disconnect between politicians, journalists, and intellectuals and the average person’s lived experience. Democracy promises that “the people” will be represented. Some political issues are abstract and remote. Some political options contrast “lived experience” with ideas and ideals. Economic changes, threats and disruptions can drive populism. Social, residential, religious, and cultural changes can drive increased populist demands for solutions. A larger, global, more complex economy undercuts security. A meritocratic economy with greater spread of economic returns coupled with a weak “safety net” drives anxiety. An economically focused society undercuts the non-economic tools used to ensure that all citizens feel respected and needed. Both parties teach their children that they can achieve whatever they seek. Working class social capital and trust are weak (Putnam).
Challenges. Citizens/voters are imperfect, treat democracy as another consumer good rather than a duty, are suspicious of “others”, have unlimited wants and focus on most recent rewards. Our political system requires tolerance, respect, trust, and compromise, but intolerance has grown. The lag between decisions and results makes political feedback imperfect. The rewards and incentives for compromise are weak. Our political system leaves morality, values and community to individuals and organizations, yet relies upon some degree of shared commitment. The decline in social capital, trust, and trust in institutions, especially among the working class, undermines the commitment of citizens to the system.
Many political choices are inherently values based and contentious. Political choices often involve limited resources and require trade-offs. Capitalist systems drive consolidation of income and wealth. The income and wealth in the US are so high at the top that the incentive to preserve them through politics is very high. The ad revenue and click based media system reinforce extremist tendencies in politics. The single left-right, red-blue team basis for politics overlaps with many dimensions of personal identity and is self-reinforcing.
Hope for the future. The U.S. economy continues to grow, providing jobs, wages, choices, goods and services, tax revenues, low unemployment, and a weakened business cycle. Growth buffers political conflicts and demands. Resources address the budget deficit and allow for the investments to offset the side-effects of globalization, improve job security, offer respect to all workers and cap inequality.
The U.S. has an encouraging history of political leadership and social progress (Meachem), innovations in social institutions and progress in science and management science, allowing organizations to better meet their needs. The U.S. has world leading organizations that innovate to meet changing and conflicting needs. There are thousands of great leaders in U.S. organizations. States, government agencies, the military, universities, and large not-for-profits demonstrate winning ways for politics and program delivery. Some states have adopted “good government” initiatives and found ways to cooperate in addressing the pandemic. More and more countries around the world are successfully adopting the classic liberal model of representative democracy plus mixed capitalist economies, lending credibility to their overall effectiveness despite their shortcomings.
The very top economic elite have an incentive to make our political model function and maintain credibility and support despite contradictory incentives to maximize their share of income. The US, Europe and China collectively have an incentive to define a new world order that preserves the benefits globalization, prevents war, and addresses global challenges like climate change. The professional and managerial class in the U.S. has a strong incentive to maintain a system in which they thrive, even if they must give up some income, embrace compromises and oppose their chosen political party from time to time.
Our political system has built-in “checks and balances” and protections for self-preservation. The failures of polarization may drive some political parties, first at the state level, to change their approaches. Interparty conflicts may disrupt the simplistic liberal versus conservative axis and encourage individual policy voting once again. One party or the other may lose so much from its extreme postures that it will be forced to move towards the center.
If national politics remains severely partisan and dysfunctional, a nonpartisan movement may push to restrict the scope of national politics. Our federal system is built to delegate topics to the states. Technocratic organizations like the OMB and Federal Reserve Board have demonstrated basic competence. Other functions could be moved outside of direct politics. The U.S. has a strong religion, not-for-profit and volunteer sector that could grow, especially given the number of retired people.
Generational politics is growing. The elderly want to protect their retirement benefits and home values. Young adults are struggling with housing costs, student loans, health costs, social security funding, budget deficits and climate change. The cycle of new generations might produce individuals with greater interest in compromise and results. An aging population might provide more voters with a wiser long-term perspective. Overall, these generations could change the way we look at politics.
The newer generations might provide a greater sense of community versus individualism. American pride might be tapped to rise above partisan differences and re-establish a government that works for the people. A modern religious revival could promote key values, trust and community required for better politics. The suburban professional class’s secular values could become standard for the nation, re-establishing the shared community values needed as a basis for aspirational politics. Objective news is already available if citizens would choose it. “Good news” sources that provide expert, historic and cross-national perspective are also available to guide well-meaning voters with open minds. Multicultural examples of success are available in several U.S. states and provide a model for how the historically dominant culture can thrive alongside others as it loses its political advantage.
In 2022, 34% of those aged 25+ in the US had completed bachelor’s degrees. Indiana lagged the national average at 30%. Nearby Kentucky (28%), Ohio (32%), Michigan (32%) and Illinois (38%) were near the national average. Nine east coast states (VT, NJ, CT, NH, NY, VA, DC, MD and MA) plus CO and WA exceeded 44%.
The Census Bureau provided a nice interactive map to display county level data from the American Community Survey for 2015-19. They used 40% as the cut-off for the very highest educated counties.
Focusing on Indiana and its 4 adjacent states, there were just 15 counties with 40%+ bachelor’s degree completion rates among the 485 counties (3%). Hamilton County was in first place at 56%, tied with suburban Detroit’s Washtenaw County. Columbus suburb Delaware County was in third place at 54%. Suburban Chicago’s DuPage County and Indy’s Boone County tied for fourth place at 49%. Detroit’s Oakland County (47%) claimed sixth place, while Indiana’s Monroe County (46%) snagged seventh place. Franklin and Warren counties in Ohio, Leelanau County in Michigan, Champaign, McLean and Lake counties in Illinois, and Oldham and Fayette counties in Kentucky earned honorable mention.
Hamilton County ranked in 16th place overall (99.5 percentile) among all 3,100 counties nationally.
Of the top 20 counties, 5 had populations below 25,000. The greater DC/Baltimore area claimed 7 of the top spots: Arlington, Alexandria, Howard, Fairfax, Loudon, Montgomery and DC. Denver suburban Boulder and Douglas counties won two places. New York and San Francisco placed in the top 20. Marin, CA, Williamson, TN and Orange, NC claimed the other 3 top spots.
Hamilton County is in very fine company. It’s bachelor’s degree percentage increased from 56% in the 2015-19 average to 61% in the 2017-21 average.
Good News 