Freedom Reclaimed

Book excerpt: A political scientist examines how the meaning of freedom has changed in American discourse—and how we can reclaim our most treasured value. The vision of American freedom that the Founders enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is very different from the free-market idea of freedom that is ascendant today. In Freedom Reclaimed, John E. Schwarz examines the profound implications of this shift in political rhetoric. Schwarz shows how the three-decade shift toward free-market freedom has brought economic hardship to the majority of Americans and suffering to the political life of the nation. As the nation moves further away from its impelling original commitment, most Americans now have only limited access to the freedom the Founders envisioned. In policy discussions on employment, education, social issues, and health care, Schwarz recasts our understanding of what freedom means and involves. He then sets forth a program that can help America return to its ennobling vision and resume its historic journey.