Will sides with Jefferson on the importance of collective character on maintaining a free and democratic society. He argues that government cannot be indifferent to the inner lives and qualities of its citizenry. The solution to maintaining a polity capable of self-government is not so clear. Education is necessary, but there is more to it than that. Knowledge is important, but not sufficient.
Contemporary government plays a large role in the economy.
Through taxes and regulation it encourages some activities while discouraging others. As people bend to these incentives, they begin to internalize the values embodied in such actions. What these internalize values are is a legitimate concern of government. Laws prohibiting racial discrimination are not only just, but by compelling people to treat other without regard to race, we nurture a race-neutral attitude in the public. One of the most persuasive arguments against preferential treatment on the basis of race, is that it habituates people to think of each other in terms of skin pigmentation.