Polarization and the Politics of Personal Responsibility
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 208
ISBN-13: 9780190239817
Subjects: Liberty; Responsibility; Polarization (social science); Political parties, united states; Right and left (political science); Political planning; United states, social conditions; United states, social policy; United states, politics and government
Description: America is divided by two clashing views about individual responsibility. Liberals see many people as not completely responsible for the situation they are in, their opportunities limited by their class, race, and sex. Distribution of outcomes is therefore seen as unjust, and the government has to help offset the limits people face. In contrast, conservatives believe individuals can and must live their lives with a presumption of personal responsibility for what happens. Government assistance is not seen as valuable, but as creating dependency and ultimately crippling to those who receive it.