Early 19th-Century Views on Limited Government
In the early 19th century in the United States, government was accepted with an attitude of liberalism that led to the establishment of limited government with flexible powers. Thus, the government had little control over the economy and gave citizens greater freedom to exercise.
Challenges of Classic Liberalism
However, potential problems associated with the application of classical liberalism existed. For example, many large firms had significant economic influence, making it difficult for citizens to implement their ideas. The Industrial Revolution and rapid urbanization of the following years created new problems and questions about the role of government. For example, the government concluded that it had to intervene to help people in unstable economic conditions. Thus, labor rights laws, consumer protection laws, and tax breaks for the poor were enacted.
In addition, in the early nineteenth century, the government used acts of domestic policy to ensure equal opportunity for citizens throughout the country. Thus, free trade laws, transportation infrastructure laws, and other laws were enacted to help Americans adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Overall, the government solved problems that citizens could not handle independently.
Marx’s Critique of the Proletariat and Green’s Reform Liberalism
Marx pointed to the problems of the proletariat as one of the major obstacles to achieving social justice. He argued that the proletariat is in conditions of fear and defenselessness before the continuous exploitation of the capitalists. Under these conditions, they are forced to accept low-paying jobs and live in strange poverty.
Thomas Hill Green’s reformist liberalism suggests that the government should relieve urban workers of their hardships by giving them social and economic rights and services such as access to education, health care, pensions, etc. He also proposes government support for industry to provide affordable and profitable jobs. In contrast to traditional classical liberalism, Green places greater emphasis on the active role of the state in solving the problems of the proletariat. Unlike Marx, he sees government not as an instrument of exploitation of the proletariat, but as a tool to provide them with social and economic protection.
Why Marx’s Predicted Worker Revolt Did Not Occur
Marx predicted that urban workers would rise in highly industrialized countries such as Great Britain and the northern United States. However, this did not happen. Instead, many of these countries moved toward socialist reforms to create a more just and equitable society. For example, Great Britain passed reforms that gave unemployed workers unemployment benefits and more rights and protections for workers. In the U.S., laws were passed to protect workers’ rights, including the right to free union delegation.
20th-Century Adoption of Political Philosophies
At the end of the 20th century, the philosophy of conservatism, which was based on an understanding of natural limitations and respect for traditional social institutions, was most accepted. Conservatism aimed to preserve society’s existing structure and partially grant workers rights and freedoms without substantial reforms. This does not mean, however, that conservatism did not call for social change. On the contrary, it favored a system that would ensure increased economic prosperity for all sectors of society. Conservatism sought to achieve this goal by limiting the spread of equal rights and freedoms and some prosperity rules through support for capitalism.
Personal Perspective on Government Role
I agree most with liberalism, a political philosophy that focuses on granting workers rights and freedoms and encouraging autonomy and social mobility. This approach allows people to have more power over their lives and will ultimately lead to the development of a more just and equitable society.