What Happened to Civic Virtue?

by Mustang

Good character while participating in our system of government — Civic Virtue — is what preserves our values and principles (individually, communally, and nationally).  Sadly, we appear not to have had civic virtue in our country for a very long time — and some will argue that we’ve never had it at all … an argument based on the belief that men are incapable of virtue.  I hope that’s not true, but I admit that I am beginning to lose my confidence.

Our Constitution presumes that certain virtues exist among “the people,” with self-restraint being one of them.  In this sense, of course, I am speaking of keeping our eye on a higher goal than the pettiness of party politics.  Call it “service to others” at some cost to ourselves.

The problem, or so it seems to me, is not so much that our political parties have changed so drastically over the past 100 years — which indeed they have — but rather that “we the people” have changed so much over the past 100 years.  Suppose Benjamin Franklin correctly identifies virtue as temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, tranquility, chastity, and humility. In that case, I fail to see where we, either as individuals or collectively, have maintained it.  Even worse, I don’t know what to suggest as the means for reclaiming it.  When Americans no longer have the capacity for thinking for themselves, when “group think” takes over (as it has), then where do we go from there?

Political parties today, as expressions of who we are, what we believe, and how we intend to achieve that, seem to have no common goals beyond obtaining and keeping power.  Toward that end, in the present, we may discern a change in voter attitudes (emphasis on “may”), but the mechanism for corruption among the ideologues and apparatchiks remains intact.  Technology more or less guarantees that the corruption of our electoral system will become worse — and that over time, “we the people” will have even less say about our Republic.  My lack of confidence comes from the realization that so long as a voter’s party retains power, then there is nothing for them to worry about because the ends have justified their means.

I ask myself, how is it possible that the American people — left and right — have such little regard for members of Congress throughout their congressional term and yet reelect them election-cycle after election-cycle?  It is incredible.  It doesn’t matter if the electoral system is corrupt so long as “our party — our guy” wins.  Has “perceived self-interest” replaced civic virtue?  My guess — predicated on the fact that less than one percent of our population is willing to stand up for a purpose greater than themselves — is “yes.”  If any of this is true, then do we have any reasonable expectations that our Republic will long endure?

Photo:“A Wall at the National Constition Center” by Why Tuesday? is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Mustang also blogs at Fix Bayonets and Thoughts From Afar