Chapter 1 -- Introduction--Norton August.pdf
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Chapter 1 -- Introduction--Norton August.pdf

Chapter1--Introduction--NortonAugust.pdf

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CHAPTER1PROLOGUE:VALUESANDPERSPECTIVESFinaldraftJuly2009ThisBookrevolvesaroundthreebroadkindsofquestions:$Whatkindofsocietyisthis?$Howdoesitreallywork?Whyisitthewayitis?$Inwhatwaysdoesitneedchangingandhowcanthosechangesbebroughtabout?Thefirstofthesequestionsislargelydescriptive.Inordertoknowwhatkindofsocietythisiswewillhavetocompareitwithothersocietiesanddescribeitscentralinstitutions.ThiswillinvolvebothidentifyingsomeofthethingswhichmaketheUnitedStatesaveryspecificsocialworld,butalsothingsthatitshareswithothercontemporarysocieties.Thesecondquestionismoreanalyticalandtheoretical.OurjobwillbetoexplainarangeofattributesofAmericansociety,notsimplydescribethem.Wewanttoopenthe“blackbox”ofdifferentinstitutionsandseehowtheywork,whatconsequencestheyhave.Todothisweusebothempiricalfindingsandkeyelementsoftheorydrawnfromsociology,politicalscienceandeconomics.Thethirdquestionisheavilyethicalandpolitical.ItinvolvescomingtotermswithvaluesandvisionsofthemoralstandardsthatshouldbeembodiedinAmericansociety.Answeringthisquestionwillinevitablybehighlychargedpoliticallyandmorally,sincetherearesharplycontendingmoralstandardsbywhichsocialinstitutionscanbejudged.WhatwehopetodoisclarifyasbestwecantheimplicationsforsuchmoralandpoliticalissuesoftheexistingrealitiesofAmericanSociety.WritingabookoncontemporaryAmericansociety,intendedprimarilyforpeoplewhogrewupthere,posesaninterestingchallenge.Inordertogrowupandliveinasociety,peoplehavetolearnagreatdealabouthowitworks,abouttherulesofthegame,andaboutthenatureofthesocietyinwhichtheylive.Intheordinarycourseofexperiencingthesocialworld,everyonealsodevelopstheories,eveniftheyarepartialandincomplete,aboutwhytheirsocietyisthewayitis.Mostofthereadersofthisbookarealreadyatleastamateurexpertsonitssubjectmatter.Theyhaveideasaboutwhatkindofsocietythisis,andexplanationsformanyspecificquestionswewillexploreinthisbook:$WhyispovertyapersistentproblemintheUSA?$Whyisthereaconsensusamongthemajorpoliticalpartiesthattaxesshouldbe