To Empower People: From State To Empower People: From State to Civil Societyto Civil Society

Peter L. Berger and Richard John Peter L. Berger and Richard John NeuhausNeuhaus

Central ProblemCentral Problem

Desire for government servicesDesire for government services Strong dislike of government and bureaucracyStrong dislike of government and bureaucracy

Societal ConceptionsSocietal Conceptions

MegastructuresMegastructures Private LifePrivate Life Mediating StructuresMediating Structures

Examples of MegastructuresExamples of Megastructures

The StateThe State Corporations, Big BusinessCorporations, Big Business Educational BureaucracyEducational Bureaucracy Organized ProfessionsOrganized Professions

Problems with the Megastructures Problems with the Megastructures

Alienating to individuals.Alienating to individuals. Not helpful in providing meaning, fulfillment, Not helpful in providing meaning, fulfillment,

or identity to the individual.or identity to the individual. Viewed as unreal or malignantViewed as unreal or malignant

Problems with Private LifeProblems with Private Life

IsolatingIsolating Cannot be relied upon – unstableCannot be relied upon – unstable

Examples of Mediating StructuresExamples of Mediating Structures

NeighborhoodNeighborhood FamilyFamily ChurchChurch Voluntary AssociationVoluntary Association

Value of Mediating Structures Value of Mediating Structures

Bridge gap between private life and Bridge gap between private life and megastructuresmegastructures

Give stability to private lifeGive stability to private life Provide meaning and value to megastructures; Provide meaning and value to megastructures;

If meaning is lost, democracy suffers.If meaning is lost, democracy suffers. Provide moral basis to political order, so order Provide moral basis to political order, so order

is secured through consent not coercionis secured through consent not coercion

LiberalismLiberalism

Tends to be blind to the functions of mediating Tends to be blind to the functions of mediating structuresstructures

Greater concern for the individual and a just Greater concern for the individual and a just public orderpublic order

Defends private rights Defends private rights fromfrom the mediating the mediating structures (hostile to the idea that religion has structures (hostile to the idea that religion has public rights and public functions)public rights and public functions)

ConservatismConservatism

Held mediating structures in high regard Held mediating structures in high regard before the 18th centurybefore the 18th century

Now has a tendency to revoke modernityNow has a tendency to revoke modernity Sensitive to the alienations of big government, Sensitive to the alienations of big government,

but blind to the same effects of big businessbut blind to the same effects of big business

Proposition 1Proposition 1 Mediating structures are essential for a vital Mediating structures are essential for a vital

democracydemocracy If mediating structures didn’t generate and If mediating structures didn’t generate and

maintain values, the State would. When values are maintain values, the State would. When values are determined top-down, the government is determined top-down, the government is authoritarian, not democratic.authoritarian, not democratic.

Proposition 2Proposition 2

Public policy should protect and foster Public policy should protect and foster mediating structures.mediating structures.

Proposition 3Proposition 3

Public policy should utilize mediating Public policy should utilize mediating structures for the realization of social structures for the realization of social purposes. purposes. Risk of government cooption of mediating Risk of government cooption of mediating

structures structures Goal is to expand government services without Goal is to expand government services without

increasing government oppressivenessincreasing government oppressiveness

EmpowermentEmpowerment

Feeling of powerlessness caused by faceless Feeling of powerlessness caused by faceless controlling institutions with different values controlling institutions with different values than the individualthan the individual

Easier for the affluent to resist the Easier for the affluent to resist the encroachment of the megastructuresencroachment of the megastructures

Policy based on the mediating structures aims Policy based on the mediating structures aims to empower poor people to do the things the to empower poor people to do the things the more affluent can already domore affluent can already do

NeighborhoodNeighborhood

Good NeighborhoodsGood Neighborhoods

SafeSafe SanitarySanitary Chosen freelyChosen freely Have varying degrees of social cohesion. Have varying degrees of social cohesion.

Bad NeighborhoodsBad Neighborhoods

Bad neighborhoods can be:Bad neighborhoods can be: IgnoredIgnored Dismantled and redistributedDismantled and redistributed

Threatening to non-poorThreatening to non-poor Doesn’t make poor less poor, just moves them aroundDoesn’t make poor less poor, just moves them around May make the poor feel worse, since their poverty will May make the poor feel worse, since their poverty will

show in starker contrast by new proximity to non-poorshow in starker contrast by new proximity to non-poor Transformed Transformed

Policy GoalsPolicy Goals

Sustain diversity of neighborhoods. Sustain diversity of neighborhoods. Counter destruction of neighborhoods caused Counter destruction of neighborhoods caused

by court judgments that treat all communities by court judgments that treat all communities alikealike

ChallengesChallenges

Neighborhoods empowered to impose their Neighborhoods empowered to impose their values on individuals can be coercive and cruelvalues on individuals can be coercive and cruel Government intervention necessary to protect Government intervention necessary to protect

elementary human rights (race). elementary human rights (race). Conflict between individual and communal Conflict between individual and communal

rights due to the unjust extension of policies rights due to the unjust extension of policies deriving from racial dilemma. deriving from racial dilemma.

Racism as community characteristicRacism as community characteristic

Focus public policy on neighborhood-defined Focus public policy on neighborhood-defined neighborhood development to bring up poor neighborhood development to bring up poor communities. communities. As they achieve middle class goals, racism will be reduced As they achieve middle class goals, racism will be reduced

or separated from other discrimination and will be more or separated from other discrimination and will be more easily prosecuted.easily prosecuted.

Achievement of individuals doesn’t necessarily mean Achievement of individuals doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll move out of poor neighborhoods. they’ll move out of poor neighborhoods.

Media, churches, schools, government, etc. must continue Media, churches, schools, government, etc. must continue and intensify efforts to educate against racial bias.and intensify efforts to educate against racial bias.

Specific RecommendationsSpecific Recommendations Return tax money in non-categorical ways to be spent as neighborhoods Return tax money in non-categorical ways to be spent as neighborhoods

deem necessarydeem necessary Since we can’t force private financial institutions to make money available Since we can’t force private financial institutions to make money available

to poor neighborhoods,to poor neighborhoods, We need a new version of the Federal Housing AdministrationWe need a new version of the Federal Housing Administration Property tax regulations should be changed to encourage home improvement. Property tax regulations should be changed to encourage home improvement.

Strengthen neighborhoods by giving them more responsibility for law Strengthen neighborhoods by giving them more responsibility for law enforcement. enforcement. Funding for part-time employment of parents to police schools and public Funding for part-time employment of parents to police schools and public

places.places. Open up unused airwaves to regional, ethnic, and elective groups to fight Open up unused airwaves to regional, ethnic, and elective groups to fight

media homogenization media homogenization Taxation policies and postal regulations should support neighborhood Taxation policies and postal regulations should support neighborhood

newspapersnewspapers

FamilyFamily

Redefined, but not in declineRedefined, but not in decline

High divorce rate, but also high remarriage High divorce rate, but also high remarriage raterate

Includes foster parents, lesbian and gay Includes foster parents, lesbian and gay parents, etc.parents, etc.

Policy Goal 1Policy Goal 1

Recognize family as an institutionRecognize family as an institution Society has a vested interest in how values are Society has a vested interest in how values are

transmitted to the next generation. transmitted to the next generation. Weak families produce uprooted individuals, Weak families produce uprooted individuals,

which make for ideal recruits for authoritarian which make for ideal recruits for authoritarian movements.movements.

Policy Goal 2Policy Goal 2

Oppose policies that expose the child directly Oppose policies that expose the child directly to state authority without the mediation of the to state authority without the mediation of the family family Experts have relevant and helpful expertiseExperts have relevant and helpful expertise Experts do not love or have long-term open ended Experts do not love or have long-term open ended

commitment to individual childrencommitment to individual children

Policy Goal 3Policy Goal 3

Restore some control of education and Restore some control of education and economics that has been stripped away by economics that has been stripped away by modernizationmodernization

EducationEducation

State has a coercive monopoly on education.State has a coercive monopoly on education. Low-income parents have the least say about what Low-income parents have the least say about what

happens to their kids in school. happens to their kids in school. Personnel of the education establishment are upper Personnel of the education establishment are upper

middle class. middle class. They teach their upper middle class values.They teach their upper middle class values. Disparage the ways of life of the poorDisparage the ways of life of the poor Teach contempt for the parents and self-contempt.Teach contempt for the parents and self-contempt.

Best way to break up the monopoly is to allow choiceBest way to break up the monopoly is to allow choice