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CATEGORY: ECONOMY (9 MIN)
A huge number of Americans in the 2024 election said the economy was the most important factor in deciding their vote. It’s a simple idea: if items cost more, especially compared to wages, people want change. But fixing an economy isn’t a simple problem. The financial health of a nation relies on a host of factors—and those include some vital non-economic principles.
Samuel Gregg, writing in Law & Liberty, delves into the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, the French writer best known for his seminal work Democracy in America. Gregg focuses on perhaps a less-studied relationship: the connections between Tocqueville’s famous mores (cultural norms and habits) and the economic prospects of a nation.
Gregg notes that Tocqueville actually had a substantial economic background. He read contemporary tomes on political economy and knew some of the most important economic influencers of his day. But Gregg points out that instead of focusing on purely economic thinking, Tocqueville wanted to understand how cultural mores affected a society’s economy.
According to Gregg, Tocqueville concluded that unless the mores of a people change in favor of a government’s chosen economic policies, “it will be a struggle to maintain such economic and legal reforms in place over the long term.” Gregg thus argues that it’s important to study economics together with cultural norms, since the relationship between the two has vital implications for a nation.
Read Gregg’s article right here.
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Weekly Poll
Do you think America needs major economic reforms?
[A] Yes
[B] No
[C] Not sure
RESULTS: 11/7/2024
Were you surprised by Trump’s convincing victory?
[A] Yes - 46%
[B] No - 49.4%
[C] Not sure - 4.6%
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CATEGORY: POLITICS (7 MIN)
Economic ideas are not only connected to cultural norms but also to political behavior. Various political bodies may organize themselves like businesses and adopt management principles from the corporate world. One of those ideas is the existence of a management class—a class of people who oversee human resources to accomplish certain goals.
For The American Mind, Michael S. Kochin argues that the managerial class has become somewhat dated due to the rise of solo entrepreneurial owners and an excess of managers who took too much control. As one example of the latter phenomenon, Kochin points to managers who oversaw the response to the COVID pandemic by enforcing vaccine and mask mandates with draconian rules.
Kochin believes managers rely on “indicators” to measure their success. He defines such indicators as “numerical proxies for results that are difficult or impossible to quantify or simply beyond their control.” But Kochin notes that the proxies do not always correlate to actual success—adherence to rules doesn’t always mean that the rules helped.
Kochin sees the current managerial state as harmful to the family, unhelpful to inspire progress, and destructive to the confidence of major American institutions, especially the military. Managers who serve for a long time often are able to cover up the fact that they aren’t “even especially good at their jobs,” according to Kochin. He urges a rebirth of “leadership and vision.”
Read Kochin’s piece here.
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CATEGORY: VIDEO
In this insightful clip from an episode of Conservative Conversations, Senator Marco Rubio—soon to be Secretary of State—shares his views on America's economic approach and the challenges posed by China. This conversation offers a chance to learn more about the future Secretary of State's perspectives on economic resilience, trade strategy, and China’s global influence.
If you're interested in understanding the priorities of America's future Secretary of State, this interview provides valuable insights.
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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
Carnal Curriculum: Harvard Hosts Twelfth Annual Sex Week via The Harvard Salient
“In a dazzling display of postmodern educational priorities, Sexual Education by Harvard College Students (SEHCS), a recognized student organization here at Harvard, recently launched its twelfth annual Sex Week—a veritable carnival of carnal knowledge designed to enlighten students about the multifaceted world of disordered human sexuality. Running from October 28 to November 3, this festival of free love (and free sex paraphernalia) is held in classrooms across campus—the benefactors of which are likely, and rightfully, rolling in their graves.”
Free Speech Leaders Discuss Present and Future of the Movement on its 60th Birthday via The Jefferson Independent
“On October 17, 2024, UVA’s Old Cabell Hall was home to Free Speech @60, a discussion on the present and future of free speech. The event was put on jointly by Think Again, a free speech and viewpoint diversity initiative here at UVA, and UVA’s Heterodox Academy branch, a nationwide organization founded by Johnathan Haidt to promote intellectual diversity and curiosity. It featured a discussion with Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press, facilitated by Mitch Daniels, former Indiana governor and former president of Purdue University."
New Theology Class Engages Church Teachings on Gender via The Irish Rover
“This fall, the theology department offered a new class titled “Catholicism and the Sexes.” As outlined in the course description, the course seeks to provide students with an opportunity to learn about the development of the Church’s teaching on the significance of the difference between men and women, as well as its response to alternative ideas over time, such as contemporary feminist conceptions of sexual difference.”
BYU Professor Quotes Scripture to Condemn Trump Voters via The Cougar Chronicle
“BYU is one of the most politically diverse universities in the United States, with conservatives, moderates, and liberals making up large shares of the student body. Many students in Dr. Cardon’s class likely voted for President Trump; the blatant hostility shown to Trump voters thus creates a risk of sowing the seeds of dissension and conflict among his students. Indeed, using scripture to publicly condemn one’s political enemies does little to soothe tensions after a competitive election season.” |
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CATEGORY: POLITICS (5 MIN)
One of the innovations—and tensions—of the American experiment is the relationship between the federal government and the 50 states. State governments have a similar connection with county and city governments, and those local bodies have tension with the average American. At each level of governance, surrounding people and organizations battle for control with some major seat of power.
For this week’s article from the Modern Age website, Allan C. Carlson defines the concept of “centralization” in an excerpt from American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia. Carlson generally defines the term as “the growth in power and authority of the modern state” at the expense of local institutions and norms. Carlson tracks the development of this idea through philosophical history, including discussions of Rousseau, Bentham, and Marx.
Carlson also mentions the major critiques of centralization. He notes that Edmund Burke, in Reflections on the Revolution in France, bemoaned the growth of the power of Paris to the detriment of provincial rule and “little platoons.” According to Carlson, Alexis de Tocqueville said that centralization is linked with an obsession over uniformity and equality.
Carlson believes, though, that conservatives have struggled to determine whether capitalism increases or decreases centralization. Some say that corporations protect “individuals from state authority in a manner similar to that of families,” while others see modern corporations “as a key factor in the construction and growth of the centralizing state.”
What do you think? Read Carlson’s entry here to learn more.
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Thought of the Day:
“Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.”
- Alexis de Tocqueville
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Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club
It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club!
For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.
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