Rise and Fall of the Liberal Consensus | In Person (Ryan Ranch) (Closed)

Course Description:

In 1900, the idea that the federal government could be an active participant in the social and economic lives of Americans was relatively new. Historically, the prevailing view was that of classical liberalism in which the reach of government was to be quite limited while the dominant institutions were businesses, churches and voluntary associations. However, over the course of the twentieth century, this changed as the federal government became an increasingly important actor in international relations and the domestic economy. Beginning in the 1960s, and then accelerating over the next few decades, the elements of the liberal consensus came under attack until the consensus became dissensus. Dr. Steven W. Hughes examines the driving forces behind this transition from classical to modern liberalism and how it affected the nature of American politics.