Jim Kelly University High School

Brands defines liberalism as the increased role of the federal government in the lives of Americans. The proliferation of government involvement is an abhorrent idea to most Americans. Our own history along with the history of our British political heritage stresses the distaste for government involvement. For the most part, Americans have been able to take care of themselves on the domestic level. Many hated the welfare system ushered in during the New Deal. Indeed Newt Gingrich and the freshman Republicans tried to dismantle the New Deal once and for all in the early 1990s.

If we dislike government involvement and programs, then why have they been so pervasive since the Declaration of Independence. According to Brands "wars have agendas of their own" and the Continental Congress had to make incursions upon the power of the colonies turned states for the good of the nation. For example they took on certain treasury and planning functions. The Articles of Confederation would finally emerge and have as its focus domestic issues including coining money to a ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory. From Lincoln's disregard for habeas corpus to Wilson's war boards, the federal government was invited into the lives of Americans on the threshold of conflict and stayed well beyond settlement of each conflict. The initial government involvement came because national security is the single thing that Americans cannot accomplish independent of government. As Brands states "no one does defense like the feds". Government stayed in our lives expanding into domestic issues because the door was opened and some American invited government to sit down and make itself comfortable.

WWII repeated the pattern of WWI. Government acted and reacted at the domestic level out of a need to ensure national security. From the "V" mentality of gardens, conservation, and hard work to the internment of Japanese Americans, government presence was pervasive. The end of WWII would begin the longest conscious and concerted effort by the government to remain highly involved in national security. The perennial passion that the Russians have for geopolitical solutions not only for their national security but also their economy would spark the Cold War and make withdrawal of US troops in post war Europe problematic.

This new national security effort, the Cold War is described by Brands as the "New Theology", a so called anti communist manifesto. The ministers preached in the church of the Pentagon, their sacrament was power, and much of their activity was secret. The Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, Joe McCarthy, the NSC and the CIA all expanded the reach and influence of government not only in foreign policy but also domestic affairs.

What made Cold War Liberalism more pervasive was the fact that the consequences of a "hot" war meant mutual assured destruction at the hands of the nuclear monster for the US and the Soviets. With such high stakes in the balance, no one dare question government leadership. When JFK linked the cold war to freedom abroad as well as freedom at home, to door for domestic intervention swung more widely open. LBJ followed the domestic programs initiated by JFK with the Great Society. With the focus on civil rights, many Americans found their choices regarding everything from apartment rentals to employee hiring influenced by federal legislation and rules.

The beginning of the end of the Cold War begins in the Nixon administration. With programs like Vietnamization and efforts like detente, Nixon began to dismantle government involvement in national security. Helped by his legal problems caused by Watergate, the War Powers Resolution made it clear that Congress wanted to control and limit government intervention in foreign countries. The two subsequent presidents, Carter and Reagan, tried to revive liberalism. Carter from a moral viewpoint and Reagan through the arms race appealed to Americans to support intervention or at least respond to perceived Soviet expansion and arms buildup. The response was flat. The boycott of the 1980 Olympics and the grain embargo implemented by Carter was met by American skepticism. During the "spend them to death" arms buildup by Reagan, many Americans feared the financial repercussions that this government spending would trigger.

Up to this point, I have summarized Brands's thesis. While I can appreciate the power of his examples it is difficult to evaluate the validity of his thesis. First of all, since 1898 the US has been more or less constantly involved with conflict or at least seriously thought about and planned how to address conflict. In my opinion, the theory holds on this single point; Americans are pragmatic conservatives. "What government does well they are willing to let government do". This view could envision a parallel liberal movement in the area of domestic* affairs independent of any national security issues. Some contend that the civil rights movement was linked to our passion to liberate and equalize people in foreign lands when we are not equal at home. It is quite ridiculous to link civil rights with the perception that the world had about our consistency regarding civil rights. The civil right movement has a logical life of its own. It simply had to happen in order to square with our political culture.

We will have to wait for many years to see if parallel domestic liberalism is a valid thesis. The tragedy of 9/11 committed us to address the war on terrorism in a new more aggressive way. Already the Patriot Act has challenged the civil rights of Americans. Once again we will blindly follow our leaders, at least initially, as they move towards interventions in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Simultaneously, the government may move towards equality for gays and lesbians. We may see increased federal involvement in local school districts, affirmative action, SEC regulations, etc. Would this government involvement occur without the war on terrorism? We will have to wait for that answer. We will have to wait for an extended time of peace.

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