The Social Contract

This page will expand upon ideas introduced in the Covenant for a New America page – particularly as it concerns the partnership between government and governed. We seek to establish a system where the gulf between ‘government’ and ‘governed’ will disappear, where the mutual rights and responsibilities of all members of society – including its institutions of government – become like those of a family, joyfully assumed for the mutual benefit of all.

The idea of “social contract” is in low regard these days – many contend that it’s unacceptable to surrender any personal freedoms – or privileges – for the good of the whole. Imagine, however, if you applied this thinking to a family – as we seek to form a new Family of Americans. No such bond can hold together without willingness on everyone’s part to surrender some personal desires for the family in general. The rewards for this cooperation – love, safety, a sense of belonging – even a higher material standard of living in most cases – far outweigh any loss that one might feel about what they’re asked to give up.

What characterizes a strong social contract? Its features include:

• Government provides work and educational opportunities where the private sector is unable to do so – the shining example being the WPA of the 1930’s, which provided employment and skills training to over three million – and left behind a legacy of public works that serve us to this day.
• Government provides a safety net to ensure that those least advantaged have basic needs met for nutrition, housing, education and health care. There is room for discussion about what constitutes “basic needs”, and where to draw the line between handouts that disempower the individual, and supports that help peoples’ lives to become more independent and resilient – but the concept is universally accepted that government has responsibilities to help those most in need.
• Government protects the citizen from violence, exploitation and  fraud by unscrupulous businesses and individuals
• Government maintains infrastructure in good condition and expands infrastructure as needed to serve the public good
• Elected officials engage in meaningful, truthful dialog with each other and their constituents – including those with whom they disagree
• Citizens agree to abide by the laws of their community and country
• Citizens help democracy to work by voting and being informed about candidates and issues
• Citizens pay a modest level of taxation ¹ to finance government operations that serve their interests, and those of the nation as a whole. Income taxes are strongly graduated based on income so that all pay a fair share relative to their ability to pay.

A strong social contract helps to ensure the greatest level of prosperity for society as a whole – and here we use the term “prosperity” in a broad sense to include:

• Material prosperity: The material wealth of the society is broadly shared, allowing small towns and businesses, as well as urban neighborhoods, to thrive. Employment levels are the highest that the society can provide, given its overall level of wealth. The good of the community is considered in weighing the benefit of business investments.
• Prosperity of opportunity: Opportunities abound for the creative gifts of each individual to be developed, whether that takes the form of college education, apprenticeship, occupational training, etc. Young people can begin their working life with confidence that hard work and integrity will be rewarded.
• Prosperity of relationship and security: Strong communities engender a sense of belonging – knowing, respecting, and caring for the well-being of those you meet in your neighborhood, your workplace, your daily activities. Crime rates are lower because people are looking out for each other. Strong relationships exist between community and law enforcement agencies, so people feel safe from arbitrary maltreatment by authorities.
• Prosperity of spirit: Religious life is encouraged in a society where all faiths and spiritual paths are equally respected – and: The fundamental motivation of a spiritual life, our shared birthright as members of God’s family, can be more deeply felt in an atmosphere of mutual regard, while at the same time helping to strengthen the bonds of society.

Consider that the period of time when the social contract in the United States was strongest – from the establishment of the New Deal in 1933 to 1980 (when the current erosion of the social contract began in earnest), was also the time when the United States was strongest – and wealthiest – as a society. In those 47 years, Americans overcame the Great Depression; helped to save the world from the threat of global tyranny in World War II; made great advances towards racial and gender equality; and achieved the highest overall standard of living in its history (peaking around 1970). These were the fruits of cooperation – not of unrestrained individualism ².

As the vocabulary.com definition states, all are empowered by taking part in the social contract. The ‘freedom’ to act at whim without concern for one’s impact on others – whether in a family or in society at large – is a false notion of freedom… and its result is to generate a prison of fear that confines everyone, including those who refuse to accept any limitations to their actions.

1. The term “modest” is used here to contrast with “low”. The idea that Americans pay high taxes, relative to citizens of other countries, is false. Note, for example, this chart published by Money magazine, showing that the overall tax burden of Americans is nearly the lowest of any developed country: http://time.com/money/4862673/us-tax-burden-vs-oecd-countries/. Our bargain-basement tax rates carry a plethora of hidden costs, evidenced by the decline of our quality of life, and greatly increased level of social and economic stress, in recent decades. It’s no accident that the U.S. enjoyed its highest overall level of prosperity at a time when tax rates for high-income individuals were significantly higher, and tax rates for the lowest wage-earners somewhat lower, than they are today.
2. To see how much ground we have lost since the 1970’s, consider the prospects for a young person starting a family today with respect to home ownership; for raising a family without a crushing burden of debt; for enjoyment of leisure time and the pursuit of creative endeavors; and for feeling that they are a valued member of society with a voice in its decisions – and compare it to that of their parents or grandparents. Nothing stops us from recovering what we had then – and going far beyond. We need only reject the myth that a society based on mutual respect and cooperation is “bad for business”. Quite the opposite is true.