Getting Conservatives To Care About Community

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Frank Meyer of National Review pioneered the idea of fusionism which sought to reconcile the philosophical differences between the three major branches of conservatism: traditionalism, anti-communism, and libertarianism.  These three forces were brought under the umbrella of National Review and become modern conservatism.  Later neo-conservatism and the religious right would also be “fused”  into this tradition.  In my view, the time is right for a new sort of fusionism; one that will reconcile classical conservatism with an old (although until recently forgotten) philosophy of communitarianism into a new conservatism for the 21^st century.

Communitarianism was created officially in the 1990’s by the sociologist Amitai Etzioni but its roots lie in the old civic republicanism of conservative founding fathers like John Adams.  This theory is distinct from the Lockean Liberalism of Jefferson in that it seeks to achieve a balance between the rights of the individual and society.  It does not view the individual as a merely an isolated economic agent whose only association with society is free and voluntary.  This perspective, believes that citizens are shaped and formed by their societies and communities and that with their rights and liberties come great responsibilities and obligations.  This philosophy attempts to free individuals from the wilderness of the market place. This does not mean fascism as some would suggest because it doesn’t see the state as the sole entity either. Its chief aim is to rediscover the forgotten third sector that Tocqueville talked about in his Democracy in America.  This sector the civil society sector includes institutions like families, churches, civic leagues, and book clubs.  It seeks to reinforce people and society (not just individuals) by promoting community values.

For too long, America has been dominated by a liberal mindset which suggests individuals are the sole entities in the world and are completely free and independent of everyone else.  This is true of both the left and the right.  Etzioni often quotes a famous poll in which Americans overwhelming say they want increased spending on government services like healthcare, education, and the military but then simultaneously say they want cuts in their taxes.  With such ideological consistency it is no wonder the United States has a national debt hovering over $13 trillion.  Too many people want to take and not give.  The issue, however, is not simply one of economics.  America needs an invigorated sense of community spirit and civic virtue that would make founding fathers like John Adams and George Washington proud.

In translating this view into practical politics, there is much that can be done and it is perfectly reconcilable with traditional conservative positions.  The ultimate goal is to empower and reinvigorate communities and locally based institutions. The first and most basic institution that ought to be strengthened is the family. David Frum, in his book Comeback, proposed increasing tax credits for married couples with children.  This is an excellent first step in the right direction.  Conservatives should embrace legislation to support things such as maternity leave, tax credits for daycare, and other family friendly policies.

Other potential policies could be embracing Nixon’s New Federalism and decentralizing many functions of the federal government down to the state and local level (or even to private organizations) through block grants or faith-based initiatives (both secular and religious).  These programs (which need not be government programs but can receive public funding) can also adopt so-called “workfare” criteria and job training in order to truly help people.  This allows us to dismantle the big bloated centralized welfare state without tossing the people dependent on these programs into the streets.  It allows us to empower them to become independent and be able to “fish for a lifetime.”

These policies might seem old and tired but they are entirely new in that the tone is no longer “get the government out of YOUR pocketbook or bedroom” but rather allow government to empower and energize communities to solve their own problems (while effectively getting out of the way).  The objective is not to simply get government out of the welfare business but to take an active step in helping people in the best way it can.  Conservatives need to adopt a more proactive policy in helping people instead of just leaving them alone to the barren marketplace.  This does not mean abandoning the market-oriented policies of conservatism but instead suggests that we temper the private sector and the public sector with the civil society sector.  It is reminiscent of President Bush’s compassionate conservatism but with a more expansive vision for the future of America.

Conservatives talk of wanting to shrink the size of the federal government and they would be able to accomplish this by embracing communitarian thinking.  This new fusionist philosophy can help solve many of society’s problems and foster a more civic minded approach that remembers that people are not born into isolation but are as Aristotle says “political animals”.