Conscience of a Conservative (1960) Assignment | Custom Assignment Help

Prompt: Explain how Goldwater justified opposition to federal civil rights legislation in Chapter 4. Then explain Goldwater’s thoughts on education in Chapter 9. After addressing these two chapters, explain how his two positions in these chapters are consistent with Goldwater’s states’ rights principled conservatism (Chapter 3, though you can also use Chapters 1 and 2, as well). Answer using the relevant text as evidence. Do not use outside sources or contemporary examples. Doing either or both will result in a low score, if not a 0. Primary/Only Source: Goldwater: Conscience of a Conservative (1960) Word Range: 500-600 ( 50 or so more is fine… Just don’t have a complete 3rd page) ***I’ve attached 2 similar papers for reference as well as notes from my professor**

on education in Chapter 9. After addressing these two chapters, explain how his two positions in these chapters are consistent with Goldwater’s states’ rights principled conservatism (Chapter 3, though you can also use Chapters 1 and 2, as well). 

DK:

The central aspect to focus on in these readings is Barry Goldwater’s defense of states’ right.  This constitutional guaranteed aspect, that bolsters the ideas behind federalism, is intended to make government more locally responsive and accountable to “the people”.  Thus, for a Paper 6 Prompt: Explain how Goldwater justified opposition to federal civil rights legislation in Chapter 4. Then explain Goldwater’s thoughts conservative like Goldwater, the people retain much more of their freedom / liberty.  You are all more than welcome to disagree with Goldwater.  Given past assignments I know may of you will.  But I advise to not dismiss the arguments as uninformed or stupid.  They are not.  Goldwater’s positions are meant to promote (believe it or not) diversity of thought and optimal inclusion of peoples’ freedom.  It’s important to understand how he arrives at these conclusions.  NOW, do these views actually bring about these outcomes? This is an entirely different consideration all together.

I think history has shown in hindsight (and I tend to agree), that much of Goldwater’s principled conservatism was incorrect.  I think the YouTube clip above does a fair job explaining this.  Sometimes a society can use its democratic freedoms to subject their neighbors, that happen to be a minority, to egregious injustices.  And without government stepping in, for the greater good (in this case securing civil rights and equal access to education for the black community) it is unlikely certain injustices can ever be equitably resolved.  But, even in addressing such obvious social injustices, does this open the door for government overreach and abuse of power? Yes, yes it does.  Is any real political solution ever perfect?  No, no they are not.  This is why learning these things is so important.  People get worked up at their neighbors and dismiss them as a racist or a social justice warrior.  But in real life there are no easy solutions and the first step to progress is to understand the perspective your neighbor is coming from.

Chapter 4: And Civil Rights

“[T]he country is now in the grips of a spirited and sometimes ugly controversy over an imagined conflict between States’ Rights, on the one hand, and what are called ‘civil rights’ on the other.” (31)

“A civil right is a right that is asserted and is therefore protected by some valid law.  It may be asserted by the common law, or by local or federal statutes, or by the Constitution; but unless a right is incorporated in the law, it is not a civil right and is not enforceable by their instruments of the civil law.” (32 – 33)

“Despite the recent holding of the Supreme Court, I am firmly convinced – not only that integrated schools are not required – but that the Constitution does not permit any interference whatsoever by the federal government in the field of education.”  (34)

“If we condone the practice of substituting our own intentions for those of the Constitution’s framers, we reject, in effect, the principle of Constitutional Government: we endorse a rule men, not of laws.” (36)

Goldwater support states preserving their rights to determine intrastate political matters, such as education policy.  Here he is referring to the federal mandate to desegregate school.

Best way to resolve the problem would be for the Congress to propose a Constitutional amendment à Why would someone fighting for civil rights legislation benot inpoliticalfavor of a Constitutional amendment????

****Goldwater personally agrees with the decision of Brown v. Board of Education and dislikes segregation.  BUThe says:

“I am not prepared, however, to impose that judgement of mine on the people of Mississippi and South Carolina or to tell what methods should be adopted and what pace should be kept in striving toward that goal.  That is their business, not mine.  I believe that the problem of race relations, like all social and cultural problems, is best handled by the people directly concerned. Social and cultural change, however desirable, should not be effected by the engines of national power.” (37)

Chapter 9: Some Notes on Education

DK:

In this chapter Goldwater goes through his problems with a federally funded national primary educational system. Conspicuously missing in the discussion though is any mention of civil rights (equal treatment from the government) regarding education.  I will come back to this point shortly.  But Goldwater’s main focus is that money, coming from the federal government, is not FREE money.  It is still taxpayers’ dollars, just from all the states collectively and not a particular state.  And, as such, the federal government must apply mandates and restrictions when doling out such fund.  It must do so, so as not to fund educational programs irresponsibly.  This fundamentally undermines the freedom of the state’s, and hence the citizens of those states, to make important education decisions for themselves and their families.

He ends the chapter (and I am paraphrasing) by discussing that education is not meant to train the “whole character of a person.”  This is a reasonable assertion in my estimation.  I take (and you may disagree) Goldwater’s point to be that the educational system is not meant to instill the values in people that seem to be needed to combat many social ill (racism, economic inequality, etc.).  We learn morality from other sources (he says our families and churches).  School is only meant to train the mind, and then people use their freedom to decided how to apply that acquired knowledge.  BUT this seems to miss the point that the opportunity (or civil rights) needed to have a worthy education must be secured (guaranteed) in the first place. And regarding race, this was not, and perhaps still is not the case.

Like our previous readings, much of this thinking is not truly philosophical.  It is much better and fairly understood as public policy prescription.  And this is why even if you disagree with these views, there are undoubtedly a few points you agree with and understand.  Real politics is murky, there are rarely uncontroversial solutions to problems.  Goldwater is trying to articulate an ethos to governing that is in line with founding ideals of the United States.  And, as another whimsical turn of politics in practice, many of conservative Barry Goldwater’s arguments are currently being utilized by many liberal politicians.  Many Democratic Party politicians have been invoking states’ rights arguments when defen