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Home , American Creed, Egalitarianism

Torch Magazine • Spring 2016 The at Risk: The Clash of , Community and By William Shendow Sitting in church on a Sunday to our political root system is so morning as my pastor preached a extensive that we are about to sermon from Luke 13: 1-9 about the experience a decline, unable to produce biblical fig tree, I recalled that I had the fruits of our we have frequently referenced this parable in previously enjoyed. my upper level American Political Culture class. The marvelous thing The history of America’s political about the fig tree is not what one sees culture has not been one of above the ground, but rather that part unchallenged consensus around of the tree that exists below ground: its certain core values. It has been a history system of roots. The fig tree has the of conflict. Two values important to William Shendow deepest root system of any tree in the our identity—egalitarianism/ world. Like the roots of a fruit tree, community and individualism—have Dr. William Shendow, chairman of which provides the subsistence and traditionally proceeded along parallel Political Science Department and stability necessary for the tree to bear paths, but on occasion they have Coordinator of the Graduate Public Management Certificate Program at fruit, our nation depends on the roots clashed, creating an imbalance that Shenandoah University, holds a Ph.D. in of our value system for the fruits of posed a threat to the American Creed. from Virginia our democracy. As our nation goes These clashes have been intense at Polytechnic and State University, as well as through what many consider a crisis of times. Invariably, in these creedal degrees from Georgetown and Wake American values, it is an opportunity passion periods, a Forest University. to reexamine the status of our root has surfaced that restores equilibrium Beyond the bounds of academia, he has served as President of the Winchester- system, those political values which and allows our nation to move forward. Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, provided the impetus for our founding Executive Director of the Industrial and led our forbears to recognize that For reasons examined below, the Development Corporation, councilman for they were a unique people. state of today’s political culture is the of Winchester, Vice President of different from those of past periods of Bells, Inc., and as Intelligence Officer in the As a people, we have primarily been conflict between the values of Army. He earned a Bronze Star in Viet Nam. defined and united by our commitment egalitarianism/community and His paper was originally delivered to the to political . Unlike countries individualism; nonetheless, there is a Winchester Torch Club in June 2014. that define themselves in terms of their path towards a resolution of conflict racial, ethnic, religious, or some other between these two values, a path that cultural identity, the basis of America’s leads through compromise and the national identity is political ideas, an political process—a process that is American Creed that was present at the often messy, convoluted, and drawn founding, sustained us through internal out, but is fully capable of restoring a and external conflicts, and allowed us balance to the American Creed. to evolve into an exceptional nation defined by principles, not ascription. Evolution of an American Creed: Now many believe that the harsh, Englishmen in the Wilderness divisive political environment of the Most of what has been written about moment threatens the sum and our political creed traces its origins to substance of who we are as a people. ’s Declaration of Observers of this peril to our identity Independence, but even before there have been asking whether the damage were Founding Fathers, there were

12 Torch Magazine • Spring 2016 founding settlers. Samuel Huntington, habits of mind and heart, but also on of Englishmen made a separation author of much that has been written their values and . It necessary. about an American creed, says the first was survival, not political philosophy, notion of a creed can be found in the that preoccupied the minds of Many colonists were led to ask: what distinctive and dominant Anglo- America’s early settlers, but what is an American? A growing number Protestant culture of America’s early political ideas they did share were concluded that they were no longer settlers. The prevailing culture of early influenced by their environmental simply Englishmen in a wilderness, but America combined the political and experience and included beliefs in a sophisticated, special breed of man social ideas and practices inherited government that was close to the transformed by their experiences and from England with the people, a non-hierarchical society, selectively drawing upon an inherited of Protestantism practiced, most security, individualism, and a fierce tradition of thought and faith. notably, by the early Puritans. independence. They were neither English nor even European, but, rather a “new man who The men and women who first Development of a Common Identity acts upon new principles, entertains settled along the Atlantic seaboard By the middle of the 18th century, new ideas and forms new opinions,” as brought with them from England a with a more stable social, economic Hector St. John de Crevecoeur declared rich intellectual heritage that influenced and political environment, the settlers (70). The idea of a collective identity the political culture in the New World: who now resided in colonies ruled by based on certain values, an American not only a common language, but also the English crown became more aware creed, was solidified in the American Lockean concepts about , rule of that their future rested with how they consciousness with the self-evident law, government by , individual were governed. Political values and truths of Jefferson’s Declaration of , and of . The ideas came to the forefront. The Independence, values seconded by prevailing culture of the early settlers beginnings of a common identity numerous other documents, sermons, was equally influenced by their largely began emerging among the colonists, pamphlets, writings, and speeches that Protestant faith, reflecting beliefs in fueled in large part by deteriorating helped to fuel the revolution. individualism, equality, community, relations with England, a deterioration Collectively, the values contained in , and a rejection of precipitated by issues of trade, taxes, these sources became the basis of an a hierarchical social, political and security, and—most particularly—the initial American Creed and national religious order. French author Alexis de extent of parliamentary power over the identity. Tocqueville stated in Democracy in colonies and colonists. America (1835) that the Protestantism The American Creed of the early Puritan settlers who had Conflicts over political issues with America is a creedal nation. While fled their native land for the freedom to England fostered a growing belief one can make the case that America practice their faith shaped the entire among colonists that independence cannot be solely defined by a set destiny of the new nation. was the only solution. Samuel principles and values, and Huntington writes, “in terms of foreign observers of our political Americans would not have been ethnicity, language and culture primarily define America and Americans if the early arrivals had not Americans and British were one people. Americans in terms of core political been predominantly Anglo-Protestants. Hence, American independence values rather than such other cultural Likewise, Americans would not have required a different rationale for identities such as race, ethnicity and been Americans were it not for their revolution” (47). The colonists seeking religion. Defining the creed is early experience in a new land. independence sought to justify and challenging and subjective, since its key legitimize their actions by appealing to words and values lend themselves to The early settlers found themselves political ideas. Somewhat ironically, different interpretations. My own list in a land of great potential and most of these ideas could be traced to consists of ten values. opportunity, but facing challenges English concepts of liberty, law and associated with a harsh physical and government by consent. The early My list begins with the self-evident economic environment that often American voices of separation argued truths of the Jefferson’s Declaration, pitted them against a hostile native that the British government was namely, that all are created equal and population and even their fellow deviating from its own principles. endowed with inalienable or natural settlers. For America’s founding settlers, There was a growing sentiment among rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of the experience of living at the outskirts Americans that England’s treatment . Freedom is the overarching of , in a relative wilderness, of colonists and the failure to value from which most other American had a profound effect not only on their provide them the basic political rights values flow. Also on the list are the

13 Torch Magazine • Spring 2016 values of property rights, , humanity for which American poorest 20 percent of the population. and security, which can be traced to patriots sacrificed their lives and In addition, many of the legal and English political theorists fortunes. cultural structures that enforced and Thomas Hobbes and to legal inequality of race and gender were scholar and jurist Sir William Black- being dismantled. During this period stone. Any value list of the American The American Creed Under Attack: of relative economic prosperity for creed must include egalitarianism, the The Rise and Demise of the workers and business alike, conser- value that Tocqueville said most Long Consensus vative politicians (while continuing distinguished Americans from their E. J. Dionne in his book Our Divided to emphasize a economy, European ancestors, who remained Political Heart calls the period , and individualism) largely tethered to a hierarchical social and beginning with the Progressive period chose not to oppose a robust role for political order from their feudal past. of the presidency of Theodore government that served the interests of Finally, the values of individualism and Roosevelt “The Long Consensus.” It egalitarianism, community and the community, which are often at odds lasted for nearly 100 years. The period common . but which both go back to the beliefs was characterized by a relative state of and practices of the early Puritans, are creedal passivity resulting from the When did “The Long Consensus” a necessary and important addition to balance Roosevelt crafted between begin to unravel? While there is no a list of American core values. values that had competed for prom- single event that can be said to have inence during our nation’s history, the precipitated the decline of the prevailing From the late 18th century to the late values of egalitarianism/community consensus, George Packer in his recent twentieth century, the values making- and self-interested individualism. book The Unwinding traces the up an American Creed changed little, During the period of , beginning of its demise to the early commanding widespread support even egalitarian/community interests grew. 1970s. Joe Klein, describing Packer’s during periods of bitter disagreement American capitalism and individualism book, writes, “Over the period of the over their interpretation, prioritization also flourished. The tensions between past 40 years the middle class began to and implementation. The only major these values relaxed and a consensus slide toward dissolution. The wealthy exception was the South’s effort to prevailed because it had been shown have increasingly become an isolated re-formulate the value consensus in that a balance of core values produced plutocracy secure in support of a support of slavery. shared prosperity. system which favors their interests.” Packer goes on to say that the past forty The general agreement as to existence years has been a period of “vaulting of an American Creed prompted an Rest assured, individualism and special interests”. attempt in 1917 by Congress to codify the political Economic data from the period its existence. , clerk support his conclusions. During the of the U. S. House of Representatives, environment period 1979-2007, real family income responded to a contest encouraging will change for those at the lowest income quintile American citizens to create a creed to increased by only 17%--not nearly be adopted by the Congress of the again. enough to match inflation during the United States. Page’s selection won the period. During the same period, the contest and was adopted by Congress The “Long Consensus” ushered in by income of the top 1% of earners the following year. The document, still Theodore Roosevelt continued increased 156%, and wages as a share remembered as the American Creed, relatively unabated during World War of the national income reached their reads as follows: I, the Great Depression, the New Deal lowest level since the end of World War program of his cousin Franklin, and II. Taxes grew less progressive. I believe in the United States of World War II. The period of prosperity America as a government of the between Word War II and the early The State of Our Political Culture: people, by the people, for the people: 1970’s represented a time of unprece- Challenges to Egalitarianism and whose just powers are derived from dented economic growth and middle Community the ; a class expansion. Income inequality When visited democracy in a republic; a sovereign markedly declined even as the economy America during the presidency of Nation of many sovereign States; a posted a nearly unmatched level of Andrew Jackson, he was astonished to perfect union, one and inseparable; annual GDP growth. Between 1947 note the importance of egalitarianism established upon those principles and 1979 family income grew for in America society. In his book’s of freedom, equality, and everyone, but it grew most for the introduction, he wrote, “The more I

14 Torch Magazine • Spring 2016 advanced in the study of American twentieth century has been attributed Action aimed at resolving our society, the more I perceived that the in no small part to the balance between nation’s core value differences and equality of condition is the fundamental our love of individualism and our re-establishing a balance is best directed value from which all other values seem quest for community. towards the political process in general to be derived”. A century and three and future elections in particular. quarters later, a fundamental fact about Today, many observers of American Messy, convoluted and drawn-out America is the economic inequality political culture agree that the imbal- though the political process is, it can gap. The likelihood that a person will ance between individualism and produce and has produced societal remain in the same income bracket as egalitarianism/community is so pro- value preferences capable of restoring his or her parents is greater in the nounced as to constitute a significant the American Creed. United States than in France, as well as break with the past. They contend that Denmark, Germany, Australia, , for much of our history, even in the The restoration of a balance Finland, and Sweden. Record most quarrelsome of times, Americans ultimately rests in the hands of the numbers of Americans remain poor. have avoided the kind of polarization voter. The past informs us that The census bureau reports that 15% of we now face. These observers point to outside of the mainstream Americans or roughly 46 million the intransigence and unwillingness to of our political culture is not likely to people live below the poverty line. An compromise on the part of the forces persist in our democracy. Change will equal number of Americans are of self-interested individualism as the occur when concerns reach a tipping without health insurance. This is in biggest single contributor to the divi- point, when the electorate is so sharp contrast with a growing new sive state of our political culture. They outraged with the damage of divisive- upper class with advanced , maintain that the current gap in values ness to our economic, social and sharing tastes and preferences that set is not just about the competing values political well-being as to demand them apart from mainstream America, at the center of the divide, but rather is change. Historically, when such critical and a new lower class, characterized a reflection of a bigger issue: the ques- points have been reached, election not only by poverty but also by its tion of our nation’s capacity to main- outcomes have generally been the withdrawal from America’s core tain an American Creed, a values con- impetus for change. Rest assured, the institutions. Little has changed since sensus necessary for our common political environment will change the 2007 depression. The realities of identity. That two such important core again. As a people, it is not in our societal and economic inequality are so values as egalitarianism and communi- character to move backward in our present today that egalitarianism ty are under the fiercest attack they quest for a balanced American creed. appears to be on the decline. have experienced in modern times may We will move forward on a path that lead one to conclude that the state of leads through the political process. The value of community in today’s unity of our political culture is precari- society has likewise taken a hit, despite ous at best. its equally long history as a core value Works Cited The Path Forward for the in our culture. The value of community Crevecoeur, Hector St. John de. Letters from an was a part of the Anglo-Protestant American Creed American Farmer. 1782. Harmondsworth: culture brought to our shores by the The conflict between the core values Penguin, 1981. Dionne, E, J. Our Divided Political Heart: The Pilgrims; they and other early settlers of egalitarianism/community and Battle for the American Idea in an Age of recognized full well that the values of individualism that has put the Discontent. NY: Bloomsbury USA, 2012. community and individualism must American Creed at risk is real, and its Huntington, Samuel. Who Are We? The coincide if they were to survive in the resolution is important to the Challenges to America’s National Identity. New World. When an American Creed continuity of our collective identity. NY: Simon and Schuster, 2004. was first taking shape, both values were While tension has existed between Klein, Joe. “This Is How a Nation Unwinds.” Review of George Packer, The Unwinding. embraced, and throughout our history, these two values since our nation’s Time, June 17, 2013. Americans have been divided not so founding, we have always been able to Packer, George. The Unwinding: An Inner much over whether these values are resolve our differences and restore a History of the New America. NY: Farrar, valid, but rather on how they are to be balance necessary for us to move Straus and Giroux, 2013. implemented in addressing issues of forward as a people united around the Tocqueville, Alexis de. Democracy in America. the day. Despite our individual value shared values of an American Creed. 1835. Trans. Arthur Goldhammer. preferences, we seem to have been Our past experience in maintaining a NY: Library of America, 2004. rarely comfortable with being all one balanced American Creed should or the other. The rise to power of the provide a path towards resolving our The publication of this article is funded by United States of America in the divisiveness. The Torch Foundation

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