Common Good

Friends,

National politics can feel so distant to us in spite of the daily news coverage and politicians trying to read our minds to win our votes and ask for contributions. The current Harris/Walz campaign, however, has helped me feel the national arena is closer to my small town comfort level. It is easy for me especially to identify with Tim Walz as he reminds me of my classmates, teachers and neighbors in Rootstown, Ohio, where I grew up. But there is a wider appeal of their campaign to me. I am concerned, of course, how they stand on public policy, but I am more interested in their attempt to imagine and lead a government more committed to serving the common good. A recent blog by Heather Cox Richardson*, a socio-political historian, has been very helpful to me in this regard, and I want to share my own interpretation of some of her thoughts on the topic.

One of my favorite political heroines is Francis Perkins, the small town girl who grew up in Maine who rose to be the primary visionary for what became the New Deal under FDR. (The building that houses the Department of Labor in DC where my son works is named after her.) In contrast the widely accepted primary role of government was to manage economic relationships between labor, capital, and resources, Perkins held that a primary role of government is not just to protect property, it was to protect community. She emphasized that children, women, elderly, and disabled Americans, among other marginalized sectors, were as valuable to the community at the time as the male workers and wealthy men who employed them. As Secretary of Labor she promoted the 1935 Social Security Act which introduced old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, support for maternal and child welfare, and public health services, among other social welfare policies. In other words, she envisioned a transformation of government that went beyond the assumed primary role of regulation of markets and jobs to emphasize a primary role of supporting the common good. 

Whether at a local or national level, the combination of associating government and community as synonymous needs is foundational for then establishing policies that reflect the vision for a community-based government. The right to vote, of course, is the way a democratic society is privileged and responsible to see that government above all serves the common good. I would like to believe the central mission of government, to protect the safety and welfare of its community, is not a liberal or conservative value. For me it is a simple truth that what defines our healthy and just civic lives is whether we can pool our resources and distribute them to assure public safety and humane care for all. Part of that responsibility, yes, is the support and regulation of a vital economy, but when government leadership and laws are skewed primarily to promote the successful protection of financial welfare we all suffer ultimately, even those who most benefit from increased power and wealth. And this, sadly, is a pervasive, current reality in our culture.

Like the small town values that grounded Francis Perkin’s vision of government, I want to support political platforms and candidates who are comfortable with evaluating any policy option as to whether it serves the welfare of our community. Conversely, policies and candidates that attempt to unravel community cohesion and mutuality need to be opposed. We simply must recognize the fundamental truth that women, immigrants, and slaves were crucial for developing the infrastructure of our nation, and in gratitude for all the sacrifices and oppression these people experienced we need to honor their legacy by creating a government that respects their contributions and assures that all who follow the support, respect and dignity they deserve as a government priority. 

Beginning with each of us, can we expand our sense of inclusion and compassion to all within our various governmental communities that transcends the idea of us and them? We all recognize the deep moral and functional impact of divisiveness in our communities, and it is our responsibility to use our personal lives, our voices, and our involvement of our governments to envision a more acceptable vision. Yes, I am a dreamer perhaps, but my dream of creating and maintaining a beloved community, supported by a government that prioritizes the common good, is the most honorable and worthy dream that has, at least in large part, guided morality and vision of the creation of the experiment that we call the United States. This coming election gives us an opportunity to support a more inclusive vision of a community dedicated to serving the common good.

Peace,
Tom
_______
* Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American newsletter, August 24, 2024