Transformations of American Liberalism

At least since the Civil War, the dominant meaning of American liberalism has undergone significant transformations. This course considers the contested development of American liberalism, broadly construed, as a political vision as well as a practical governing program. A conventional account of ideological development complements the trajectory of state-building, from a nineteenth-century outlook championing contracts, private property, and free trade to a program favoring social mobilization and welfare during the Progressive Era and New Deal-- followed by the late twentieth-century breakdown of this activist liberalism in favor of an individualist neoliberalism supportive of tax cuts, deregulation, and privatization. The readings and discussions will critically consider this narrative. Aside from the standard themes of political economy, topics will include criminal justice, foreign policy, civil rights, partisan realignments, and the relationship between political culture and ideology.