The Pursuit Of Happiness In A More Perfect Union

The conflict between conservatives and liberals over public economic policy appears to have become a permanent feature of the American political landscape. Conservatives seek economic solutions with the market as virtually the sole organizing economic principle, invoking individualism inspired by the Declaration of Independences right to the pursuit of happiness. Liberals look to an important economic role for a federal government established by the Constitution to promote the general welfare. In addition to the disagreement among the political class, there is also no agreement among economists, with no model reliably predicting the economic crises of recent decades. Under these circumstances, the author believes individualism and the concern for the common good may only be reconciled through policies which promote equality of opportunity or, as Abraham Lincoln expressed it, equal privileges in the race of life, with all its desirable human aspirations. The reconciliation of individualism and the common good is developed through reviews of the meaning of liberty, happiness, and their economic implications. The historical performance of the American economy is described in the context of the evolution of American federal government from one of limited economic scope, supporting laissez-faire capitalism, to the current mixed government. The more expansive role of government is described in terms of taxation policy and spending, including concerns over the national debt and its significance. With this background, the general reader is invited to follow the authors path to a policy of equality of opportunity with specific proposals for an end to poverty, assistance to children, assistance to postsecondary education and training, and commitments to social and medical security. A specific taxation policy is proposed to fund these programs while maintaining a prudent and manageable national debt. Associated with these proposals are reforms to make the federal government more representative of the people.

This book describes a fiscal plan designed to balance the federal budget without austerity or endangering the entitlement programs. It does this primarily through increasing income taxes on the wealthy by raising rates and eliminating deductions. It calls for significant savings in the cost of health-care delivery without diminishing services and an end to government waste and inefficiency. It largely eliminates poverty through raising the minimum wage, and a full employment program in which the government serves as the employer of last resort. This program is paid for by a new net-worth tax on the wealthiest 1 percent. The plan intends to improve economic equity and preserve political democracy by reducing the income/wealth disparity which exists today. The plan extends Medicare to all, eliminates payroll taxes, and funds entitlements out of the general fund. State and municipal costs are significantly reduced by absorbing Medicaid patients into Medicare, thus freeing up capital for necessary infrastructure repair and the expansion of education funding for preschool through college. Working- and middle-class families will see their first real increase in disposable income in almost thirty years through the elimination of the payroll taxes, the reduction in the personal cost of health care and the increase in the minimum wage. The full employment program and the increase in disposable income for so many will serve to stimulate the economy, bring about business expansion, and increase employment. The cost of doing business in America will be reduced by eliminating company contributions to the payroll tax, ending the need for company-paid health insurance and a reduction in the corporate tax rate. These savings will motivate bringing jobs home from overseas and increase the profit margins for American companies providing capital for research and development, modernization, and expansion.

Race, from the beginning and more than any other element, has shaped America's institutions, its economics, politics, laws, social structures, and political attitudes. Congressman Jackson considers race to be the focal point of America through the language of the economy because "the economy is the hearing aid through which Americans hear all political dialogue." In this thought provoking work, Jackson provides ample documentation and insightful analysis of the inextricable link between race and economics. More important Jackson proposes a radical economic strategy and program of new human rights that would build A More Perfect Union for all Americans and put them in a better position to come to grips with this enduring American legacy.

Cities today are the weakest link of both democracy and modern affluence. Their explosive sprawl wastes land that promotes both urban social crises and environmental decay through mass auto movement on outrageously costly freeways--contradicting the inherent role of cities to minimize even the need to travel. The immense sprawl unnecessarily assures human isolation (with the consequent dependence upon television), undermines sustainable ecology, and abandons huge areas of the old inner city. Consequently cities are waste-generating environments that arbitrarily promote production and consumption for purposeless and endless economic growth that can never satisfy human "needs". As basic organizers of life in society, cities can become inspired environments of human development. But they must be built compactly to preserve large, accessible open spaces for recreation, parks, and natural areas. Then they can underwrite an unprecedented human efficiency comparable to productive efficiency. To build such cities, a major shift is required to control their structure and eliminate urban development as merely a promotional waste by real estate speculation. Urban development authorities are required to build cities through principles of land conservation, urban spaciousness, minimal need for transportation, human efficiency, and highly congenial human spaces.

Dear Reader, Many people have wondered why I’ve been speaking out on controversial issues for the last few years. They say I’ve never held political office. I’m not a constitutional scholar. I’m not even a lawyer. All I can say to that is “Guilty as charged.” It’s true that I’ve never voted for a budget America could not afford. I’ve never raised anyone’s taxes. And I’ve never promised a lobbyist anything in exchange for a donation. Luckily, none of that really matters. Our founding fathers didn’t want a permanent governing class of professional politicians. They wanted a republic, in Lincoln’s words, "of the people, by the people, and for the people." A country where any farmer, small-business owner, manual laborer, or doctor could speak up and make a difference. I believe that making a difference starts with understanding our amazing founding document, the U.S. Constitution. And as someone who has performed brain surgery thousands of times, I can assure you that the Constitution isn’t brain surgery. The founders wrote it for ordinary men and women, in clear, precise, simple language. They intentionally made it short enough to read in a single sitting and to carry in your pocket. I wrote this book to encourage every citizen to read and think about the Constitution, and to help defend it from those who misinterpret and undermine it. In our age of political correctness it’s especially important to defend the Bill of Rights, which guarantees our freedom to speak, bear arms, practice our religion, and much more. The Constitution isn’t history—it’s about your life in America today. And defending it is about what kind of country our children and grandchildren will inherit. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about the fascinating ways that the founders established the greatest democracy in history—and the ways that recent presidents, congresses, and courts have threatened that democracy. As the Preamble says, the purpose of the Constitution is to create a more perfect union. My goal is to empower you to help protect that union and secure the blessings of liberty. Sincerely, Ben Carson

In a brilliantly conceived and elegantly written book, Rogan Kersh investigates the idea of national union in the United States. For much of the period between the colonial era and the late nineteenth century, he shows, "union" was the principal rhetorical means by which Americans expressed shared ideals and a common identity without invoking strong nationalism or centralized governance. Through his exploration of how Americans once succeeded in uniting a diverse and fragmented citizenry, Kersh revives a long-forgotten source of U.S. national identity. Why and how did Americans perceive themselves as one people from the early history of the republic? How did African Americans and others at the margins of U.S. civic culture apply this concept of union? Why did the term disappear from vernacular after the 1880s? In his search for answers, Kersh employs a wide range of methods, including political-theory analysis of writings by James Madison, Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln and empirical analysis drawing on his own extensive database of American newspapers. The author's findings are persuasive—and often surprising. One intriguing development, for instance, was a strong resurgence of union feelings among Southerners—including prominent former secessionists—after the Civil War. With its fascinating and novel approach, Dreams of a More Perfect Union offers valuable insights about American political history, especially the rise of nationalism and federalism. Equally important, the author's close retracing of the religious, institutional, and other themes coloring the development of unionist thought unveils new knowledge about the origination and transmittal of ideas in a polity.

A More Perfect Union A historical, constitutional, legal, political, cultural analysis of our beloved America. The author explores where our nation has come from, with practical suggestions for our future. Bristling with research, history, and anecdotes, its applications promise to inform and inspire.