Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - 02170182
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED224728 AUTHOR: Merriman, W. Richard
TITLE: Citizen Attitudes toward Government, Race, Policy:
The Liberal Tradition and Racial Inequality.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1982
NOTE: 32 p.; Support for this project provided by Indiana
Univ. Graduate School. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting
of the American Political Science Association (Denver, CO,
September 2-5, 1982).
ABSTRACT: Classical liberalism shapes white Americans'
attitudes toward government policies concerning blacks.
Classical liberalism views society as competitive;
government serves as a guarantor of fair competition. The
rules of fairness in a competitive marketplace require no
arbitrary exclusion from competition and no arbitrary denial
of the fruits of success. Thus, an individual's identity is
determined by his demonstration of discipline and
responsibility in order to succeed. Public policies which
threaten this identity through "market alternatives," such
as affirmative action, busing, and programs aiding blacks,
are rejected by market liberals. Data from 1972 and 1976
national election studies suggest that white Americans
justify their rejection of market-threatening policies by
downplaying the market disabilities inflicted on victims of
past discrimination, defending the basic fairness of
contemporary competition, and asserting the potency of the
skilled, marketable competitor. While classical liberals
perceive the exclusion of blacks from the marketplace as
indefensible and support government activity to ensure
fairness of competition, they reject policy directly
influencing the outcomes of competition. The basis of policy
evaluation, then, should be the intent of the policy
concerning rules of competition rather than the
beneficiaries (blacks) or the vehicle (government).
(Author/KC)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Capitalism-; Government-Role; Majority
Attitudes
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Blacks-; *Competition-; *Policy-Formation;
*Public-Support; *Racial-Discrimination
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