The Rise of Progressive Government and the Decline of Morality

The growth of government has politicized life
and weakened the nation’s moral fabric.
Government intervention—in the economy, in
the community, and in society—has increased
the payoff from political action and reduced the
scope of private action. People have become
more dependent on the state and have sacrificed
freedom for a false sense of security.
The most obvious signs of moral decay in
America are the prevalence of out-of-wedlock
births, the breakup of families, the amorality of
public education, and the eruption of criminal
activity. But there are other signs as well: the
decline in civility, the lack of integrity in both
public and private life, and the growth of litigation
as the chief way to settle disputes.
One cannot blame government for all of
society’s ills, but there is no doubt that economic
and social legislation over the past 50 years has
had a negative impact on virtue. Individuals lose
their moral bearing when they become dependent
on welfare, when they are rewarded for
having children out of wedlock, and when they
are not held accountable for their actions. The
internal moral compass that normally guides
individual behavior will no longer function
when the state undermines incentives for moral
conduct and blurs the distinction between right
and wrong.
More government spending is not the
answer to our social, economic, or cultural problems.
The task is not to reinvent government or
to give politics meaning; the task is to limit government
and revitalize civil society. Government
meddling will only make matters worse.
If we want to help the disadvantaged, we
do not do so by making poverty pay, by restricting
markets, by prohibiting school choice, by discouraging
thrift, or by sending the message that
the principal function of government is to take
care of us. Rather, we do so by eliminating social
engineering and welfare, by cultivating free markets,
and by returning to our moral heritage.