2 December 2008, 10:07 pm
Question: Conservatives like leaving social policy at the local level, where programs can be adapted to local circumstances. Liberals say that if you do that, the problems will never be addressed. Explain who has the better argument and why? My Discussion:: Conservatives have the better argument because social policy is only truly effective at the local level. The problem with the liberal argument is that when you mass address a social problem, you make blanket policies that do not cover the intricate details of that demographic. For example, some school programs. Federally mandated educational programs that provide funding for daycare for teen parents is just wasted funds when you provide it for a school with no teen pregnancy. Also, you have social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, which is a state by state issue and has no business in the federal courts. It should be up to the individual states to decide where they stand on these issues, the Federal government is to remain neutral. The purpose of the Federal government is to provide unity and stability among the States, and the States responsibility is to govern the people. The liberal philosophy derives more from Plato while the conservatives come more from Aristotle's view. Aristotle believes in starting small, so in application no one knows better how to deal with a social problem than those who are facing it themselves. Another example of a blanket policy tha would be ineffective would be an energy policy. If the government was to decide that in order to better the enviroment we were all going to switch to solar power, this would not work in the state of Washington or Alaska even though southern California and Nevada would do great. Ultimately, our country is to large and diverse to effectivly solve our social problems in Washington D.C. It is up to each individual state and community to decide how to handle and solve their problems.... Read More »
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