by Mike Gray

Using as his starting point the famous quotation from John Adams—”Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”—Adam Graham on Pajamas Media explores the question of just where reform should begin:

What Adams suggests is the people’s character impacts our government’s character. The early generations of Americans were independent-minded folks. Help for those in need came from the church, the family, or the community. Citizens expected only a few limited functions to be performed by the state.
In 21st century America, we expect the government to provide Social Security retirement and disability, unemployment insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, and Pell Grants. Parents expect their children to have a free public education through thirteen years of school.

Graham’s conclusion:

We cannot effect a permanent reduction in the size and scope of government, or meaningful government reform, unless we change our culture’s demand for the government to provide our every need …. [and] those on the right who think conservative goals for limited government can be achieved through passing economic legislation are spitting in the wind. We will never have a limited government until we have a culture that allows for one.

For Graham, then, attitudinal culture change must precede structural political change.

He ends by suggesting “a more holistic approach” to reform. His article is here.