That Broader Definition of Liberty: The Theory and Practice of the New DealThat Broader Definition of Liberty synthesizes a political theory of the New Deal from the writings of Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry Wallace, and Thurman Arnold. The resultant theory highlights the need for the public accountability of private economic power, arguing that when the private economic realm is unable to adequately guarantee the rights of citizens, the state must intervene to protect those rights. The New Deal created a new American social contract that accorded our right to the pursuit of happiness a status equal to liberty, and grounded both in an expansive idea of security as the necessary precondition for the exercise of either. This was connected to a theory of the common good that privileged the consumer as the central category while simultaneously working to limit the worst excesses of consumption-oriented individualism. This theory of ends was supplemented by a theory of practice that focused on ways to institutionalize progressive politics in a conservative institutional context.Brian Stipelman, drawing upon a mixture of history, American political development, and political theory, offers a comprehensive theory of the New Deal, covering both the ends it hoped to achieve and the means it used to achieve them. |
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That Broader Definition of Liberty: The Theory and Practice of the New Deal Brian Stipelman No preview available - 2014 |
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accept American Arnold argues believed capable Carey McWilliams challenge citizens citizenship commitment conservative Constitution consumer consumption context corporate create creeds critique Deal theory Deal understood Deal's Dealers democracy Democratic Party Depression economic power Eleanor Roosevelt electorate emphasis failure FDR's fear folklore of capitalism Frances Perkins Franklin Franklin Roosevelt freedom frontier groups happiness Henry Wallace human idea ideal ideological individual industrial institutions interdependence interests labor laissez faire legitimacy legitimate liberal liberal democracy liberty limits lives Machiavelli McWilliams Mileur Milkis moral movement nature necessary necessity never nomic obligation organizations political theory populist possible practice president principles privileged problem programs progressive Progressivism quoted radical reality recognize reflect reform requires response Roosevelt administration scarcity sense Sidney Milkis social contract society Stephen Bronner symbols Thurman Arnold tion Tocqueville tradition understanding vision wages Wallace Walter Lippmann welfare