Hartz: The liberal tradition in America
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Hartz. 1955. The liberal tradition in America.
Because Americans never struggled with feudalism, American society didn't ever have to overcome a stubborn, confining social order. Americans fought for independence, true; but they never had a social revolution, only a political one. In contrast with Europe, America is a democracy of consensus, where both parties are liberals at heart. Just as Jefferson said, we are all Republicans and we are all Federalists. Both the "liberalism" and "conservatism" in American politics are mere wings of an overarching liberal mindset.
For reasons like this, Marx and the socialists were wrong to expect a social revolution in America.
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