"The Foundations of the American Ethos: Capitalism and Democracy"

Herbert McClosky and John Zaller
in
The American Ethos

"Two major traditions of belief, capitalism and democracy, have dominated the life of the American nation from its inception. Whether these beliefs are described as the American creed, the Lockean settlement, the American consensus, or , as we prefer, the American ethos, it is clear that capitalist and democratic values have strongly influenced the course and character of American development, and they continue to serve as the authoritative values of the nation's political culture...the values of the ethos are often in conflict....the tension that exists between capitalist and democratic values is a definitive feature of American life that has helped to shape the ideological divisions of the nation's politics."

"Despite their differences, capitalism and democracy evolved side by side as part of a common protest against the inequities and petty tyrannies of Old World monarchism, mercantilism, and the remnants of feudalism. Both aimed to free the individual from the dead hand of traditional restraints and to limit the power of the rich and well-born to exploit the less privileged. In part because of their common origins, the two traditions share many values, foremost among them a commitment to freedom and individualism, limited government, equality before the law, and rational-as opposed to feudal or merely traditional-modes of decision making."

Rossiter: "The American political tradition is basically a liberal tradition...its articles of faith, a sort of American Holy Writ, are perfectability, progress, liberty, equality, democracy, and individualism.'

Hofstadter:"...the major political traditions have shared a belief in the rights of property, the philosophy of economic individualism, the values of competition; they have accepted the economic virtues of capitalist culture as necessary qualities of man..."

"...ideological conflicts have taken place within the boundaries of the democratic and capitalist traditions...capitalism and democracy have always commanded broad support as the authoritative values of the nation's political culture..."

"Capitalism is primarily concerned with maximizing private profit, while democracy aims at maximizing freedom, equality, and the public good....Capitalism tends to value each individual according to the scarcity of his talents and his contribution to production; democracy attributes unique but roughly equivalent value to all people. Capitalism stresses the need for a reward system that encourages the most talented and industrious individuals to earn and amass as much wealth as possible; democracy tries to ensure that all people, even those who lack outstanding talents and initiative, can at least gain a decent livelihood. Capitalism holds that the free market is not only the most efficient but also the fairest mechanism for distributing goods and services; democracy upholds the rights of popular majorities to override market mechanisms when necessary to alleviate social and economic distress".

"By reason of their greater involvement in the public life of the nation, the elites also have a better grasp of how the system works and exhibit higher overall levels of support for its values than do members of the mass public".

"In arguing that the traditions of capitalism and democracy are the principal components of the American ethos, we do not mean to imply that they are the only elements of the country's political culture. Beliefs about progress and the perfectibility of man, patriotism, faith in rationalism, compassion for the needy, and religion are examples of other values with important political ramifications....We believe , however, the ideas associated with capitalism and democracy constitute the principal components of the American political culture".

Cultural traditions, once formed, take on a life of their own and can influence events in countless ways".