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philosophy of economic individualism, the val-

(the Maddox-Lilie populists), and 25 percent

ues of competition; they have accepted the eco-

might be conservative on economic issues

and liberal on cultural issues (libertarians).7

nomic virtues of capitalist culture."11 And

Samuel Huntington: "Prevailing ideas of the

In 1982 the Baron Report, a newsletter written

American creed have included liberalism, indi-

by the late Alan Baron, and National Journal,

vidualism, equality, constitutionalism, rights

under the direction of public opinion analyst

against the state. They have been opposed to

William Schneider, began using a more

hierarchy, discipline, government, organiza-

sophisticated, three-dimensional analysis of

tion, and specialization."12 McClosky and

members of Congress, recognizing that many

members "are not liberal or conservative

Zaller sum up a key theme of the American

across the board." They chose about a dozen

ethos in classic libertarian language: "The prin-

issues each from economic, social, and for-

ciple here is that every person is free to act as he

eign policy and rated members of Congress as

pleases, so long as his exercise of freedom does

not violate the equal rights of others."13

liberal or conservative on each dimension. A

few (though only a few) members had liberal

While an instinct for freedom may be a uni-

ratings on economics and conservative scores

versal human value, the commitment to polit-

on social issues, or vice versa, thus earning the

ical liberty is not universal. Even in liberal-cap-

designation "populist" or "libertarian."8

italist Europe, liberty is embraced less fully

than in the United States. McClosky and

Zaller cite a 1982 Gallup poll: "When asked

Land of the Free

whether personal freedom or equality was

It's no surprise that many Americans hold

more important, Americans preferred free-

libertarian attitudes since America is, after all, a

dom over equality by a margin of 72 percent to

country fundamentally shaped by libertarian

20 percent. In Western Europe, by compari-

values and attitudes. In their book It Didn't

son, only 49 percent chose freedom while 35

Happen Here: Why Socialism Failed in the United

percent chose equality."14 Those differences

States, Seymour Martin Lipset and Gary Marx

write, "The American ideology, stemming

are persistent. In "Views of a Changing World

from the [American] Revolution, can be sub-

2003," the Pew Global Attitudes Survey

sumed in five words: antistatism, laissez-faire,

reported: "Fully 58% of Americans say it is

individualism, populism, and egalitarianism."9

more important to have the freedom to pur-

sue personal goals without government inter-

Herbert McClosky and John Zaller made a sim-

ference, while just 34% say it is more impor-

ilar point in 1984: The "American ethos" is a

tant for government to guarantee that no one

combination of capitalism and democracy,

is in need. In most other nations, majorities

which "evolved side by side as part of a com-

embrace the opposite view"--by 62 percent in

mon protest against the inequities and petty

It's no surprise

France and Great Britain, 57 percent in

tyrannies of Old World monarchism, mercan-

that many

Germany (only 52 percent in former West

tilism, and the remnants of feudalism. Both

Americans hold

Germany), and 71 percent in Italy.15 Some

aimed to free the individual from the dead

hand of traditional restraints and to limit the

people recognize but bemoan our libertarian

libertarian

power of the rich and well-born to exploit the

ethos. Professors Cass Sunstein and Stephen

attitudes since

less privileged."10 Richard Hofstadter wrote:

Holmes complain that libertarian ideas are

America is

"astonishingly widespread in American cul-

"The fierceness of the political struggles in

ture."16

American history has often been misleading;

a country

for the range of vision embraced by the prima-

Much political change in America occurs

fundamentally

ry contestants in the major parties has always

within those guiding principles. Even our

been bounded by the horizons of property and

radicals, Lipset and Marks note, have tended

shaped by

enterprise. However much at odds on specific

to be libertarian rather than collectivist.

libertarian values

issues, the major political traditions have

America is a "country of classical liberalism,

and attitudes.

shared a belief in the rights of property, the

antistatism, libertarianism, and loose class

5