There are many ways in which our country is currently struggling, both from a government perspective and from the people's perspective. There is no shortage of articles or studies detailing the ways in which the country and its leaders are failing us.
A recent article by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times discussed the report of the State of the Nation Project—written by a bipartisan group of experts—that assessed the state of our country on 31 measures. Bottom line, it found that too many people do not feel good about their lives, about other people, or our institutions. This is a nationwide phenomenon; the worst performers may be red states in the South, but liberal states in the North and West have the same problems. And it's not a function of prosperous versus less-prosperous states.
So what is the problem? When people don't feel good about themselves, about others, or the institutions of government, it is evidence of a malaise of the spirit. Given that our country has the worst income inequality since the days of the robber barons in the late 1800s, given the ever-increasing role of technology in our lives (screen time and AI) and its negative impact on our psyche, and given the angry negativity of the President we've had for 6 of the last 10 years, it is not surprising to me that people feel the way they do.
It is also not surprising that people in more liberal and prosperous states don't fare much better because the above three factors are present everywhere. For example, certain states may be more prosperous overall and yet have worse income inequality than states that are not prosperous overall.
1. We can't do anything about the increasing impact of technology in the life of our country and in our work lives. We live in a global economy, and we need to make use of the technology that is available to others in order to remain competitive and have a strong economy. We do, however, have control of technology in our personal lives and in the lives of our children. And there is movement in that direction in several states.
But even without state rules about the use of smartphones and computers by children, both in school and out, parents have the ability to set standards for their children and themselves. It is important, though, that such rules are not perceived by children as disciplinary or arbitrary; the rules must be consistent with the general ethos of the family.
2. The government certainly can do something about the increasing income inequality. The most basic cause of increasing income inequality is that the income of corporate CEOs has skyrocketed in the past few decades while the income of corporate workers has stagnated, adjusted for inflation.
While taxing the rich is one way of redistributing income and supporting government programs, what we really need to do is put more dollars into the hands of workers, and for that, we need now, as in the growth years of the 20th century, strong unions. Government, when led by Republicans, has done much to weaken unions, and the impact has been grave on the working man.
Corporate leaders say that because of globalization and competition from low-wage countries, they must keep American wages down. But if you look at the increase in profits of corporations during this period, you'll see there is plenty of money around to pay workers more despite globalization. Investors just won't be happy if profits are lowered.
3. Finally, the government can, with new leaders, reset the ethos of the country. It can return our country to the ethos of the Founding Fathers and to our founding principles. Those are principles that are brimming with positive spirit and hope. Look at the words, again, of the Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . . .”
There is not a negative thought present. It is that spirit with which our government and the people need to be reborn and reinvigorated.
Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address that the nation should dedicate itself "to a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." We do have a government "of the people" in that the people—or at least some of them—vote for their representatives. "By the people" is more problematic; in a country as large as ours, it is truly impossible for the people to be directly involved, other than by choosing their representatives.
But in too many ways, we do not have government "for the people." Instead, the government is first and foremost for corporations and the rich. Certainly, the government does much to support the average person, people of color, and the poor, but Congress has never had as its guiding principle "government for the people."
The need to return to our founding principles is central to the Mission statement that I proposed for the Democratic Party in my book, We Still Hold These Truths, and have promoted for the last 20 years:
“To build a country of greater opportunity where:
- each and every American has a real chance to experience the promises made in the Declaration of Independence: ‘that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’ ;
- government meets its responsibility as set forth in the Declaration—‘to secure these rights’—; and
- all citizens have a shared responsibility to support the government’s efforts to secure these rights and promote the public good, each according to his ability.”
The words of the Declaration of Independence are the moral philosophy, the heart, the soul of American democracy. This is, or at least until recently was, America’s common faith. Democrats must restore that faith and spirit in the people.
Ronald L. Hirsch is a teacher, legal aid lawyer, survey researcher, nonprofit executive, consultant, composer, author, and volunteer. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Chicago Law School and the author of We Still Hold These Truths. Read more of his writing at www.PreservingAmericanValues.com
