Comparing Philosophies:
Background readings on Conservative and Progressive ideas:
P 12-19 (The Real World of Liberalism)
and then as examples: pp190-194; 215-216; 217-225
What kinds of things are seen as social problems, and what kinds of things are seen as individual problems? Give specific examples from the readings.
What is the difference in philosophy about the role of government in solving social problems? That is, what do the different philosophies see as the way the government should be used, or not be used, to solve social problems?
What are the differences in the specific government policies used by conservatives vs. the policies proposed by progressives?
Based on our discussion of crime in class and in the book, what effects on crime might the progressive policies have? What effects migh they have on the criminal justice system?
How did the progressive era in the early 1890’s grow out of the liberal philosophy described in the first of this reading?
Look at Teddy Roosevelt’s brand of progressivism. How would ending government corruption and curbing corporate power illustrate the basic idologies of progressivism? What was the role of government in carrying out progressive ideas?
What laws and constitutional amendments did prgressives help pass?
Now read over the section on FDR. How did his program called the New Deal lead to specific policies? Which of these are you most likely to benefit from today?
The Great Society was also a large scale idea that resulted in several policies we still have today. What kinds of laws (called “acts” here) were passed? What kinds of programs? How were these linked to the basic liberal and progressive ideals in American history?
In What Unites Progressives (p.20-23), Lakoff gives a quick and easy list of the values and policy directions that contemporary progressives have in common.
Note Lakoff’s Ten-Word philosophies. How are his progressive philosophies another way of stating the core progressive philosophies and programs we have read about?