Ry and I have been discussing this post, in which Nate Silver visits CPAC and concludes that conservatives really, really, really hate "government."
...Ya think? You don't need to be a math prodigy to realize that distrust of the U.S. federal government is one of the organizing principles of modern American conservatism.
The question is: Why? After all, when you pledge allegiance "to the republic" - a pledge many conservatives want to make mandatory - you're pledging your allegiance to none other than the U.S. federal government. When you stick a flag decal on your F-150, you're declaring your support for the same entity - maybe not the people who are in power right now, but certainly the system that makes the government run..
So why does the word "government" send conservatives into paroxysms of rage? Here are what I see as the prevailing theories, and some problems with each one.
1. The "Rugged Individualism" Theory
This is the idea that conservatives, by nature, are independent, self-reliant types who want to rely on their own prowess and hard work to succeed. A government that rewards "losers" and punishes "winners" is stacking the deck against rugged individualism.
Problems with the theory: Many of the most conservative-leaning businesses (and their employees) are paid directly from the government teat. This includes oil, coal, and timber companies (which rely on government leases and grants), military contractors, etc. Also, government support is essential for the success of many small businesses - the kind of businesses most likely to be run by "rugged individualists." And whether you're a small businessperson or a large, it's harder to make a profit without roads, sewers, broadband, and the like.
2. The "Small Town America" Theory
This theory basically says that conservatives tend to be homey, small-town kinds of folks who are deeply embedded in the communities around them. The federal government is big and faceless and far away, so it's less likely to cater to local values (e.g. the Ten Commandments in a courthouse, abortion restrictions, etc.) than local governments.
Problems with the theory: It's federal government spending that keeps many small towns and rural areas alive. Free highways, farm subsidies, and federal outlays for rural infrastructure mean that it's possible to live a good life in the suburbs, the exurbs, or the country. Also, this theory seems to conflict with the "rugged individualism" theory.
3. The "Government is Code for Black People" Theory
This is the idea that conservatives are mostly white people whose animating political imperative is that they don't want to live near or give any money to black people. In the 60s and 70s, the federal government forced Southern schools and towns to integrate, mandated busing programs, outlawed discrimination in housing and employment, and enacted social programs like affirmative action and welfare that had the net effect of transferring money from whites to blacks. Conservatives have never forgive the federal govt. for this.
Problems with the theory: Conservatives like the military, which has a ton of black people. Also, conservatives are anti-abortion, and abortion is the only thing keeping black fertility rates down around the level of white fertility rates (black women use abortion much more than whites), so conservatives basically want to do something that will steadily increase the percentage of black people in the U.S.
4. The "Sexual Frustration" Theory
This, of course, is a pet theory of mine. I noticed during college that most of the left-wing college students who protest every week, rain or shine, against one injustice or another were experiencing difficulties with the opposite sex (twice I pointed this out to protesters and they actually went home!). Maybe some of conservative anti-government sentiment, at least among the young, operates on a similar principle. This is not to say that people don't have real grievances against the government, but there's a reason that "angry young men" are angry, and it has little to do with marginal tax rates.
Problems with the theory: This theory doesn't seem nearly broad enough to explain the size and strength of the conservative anti-government movement, nor the fact that young people these days are much more liberal than even a few years ago.
So I'm somewhat at a loss. Maybe all of these theories are a little bit true, and the fact that they all operate in concert prevents conservatives from noticing the flaws and contradictions in any single reason for government-hating. Or maybe "government" has been presented as a bugaboo by the Rush Limbaughs of the world for so long that people accept the idea without thinking carefully about it.
Or maybe there's another reason I haven't thought of. Any conservatives out there? Want to give me some help understanding why your movement demonizes the very system of the republic for which it stands?
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