9.3.7: New England Progressives

New England Progressives

Sharply contrasting with both traditionalists and libertarians are the beliefs of progressive- moralists who dominate the politics of New England, the Pacific Northwest, and various, scattered urban areas. Progressive-moralists place a high value on social equality, economic and environmental justice, and they are confident that collective social action, carried out by the government, is both an effective and rational means to meet their goals. The media sloppily labels this group liberals, but the term “liberal” has become so corrupted by multiple and often contradictory layers of meaning that to use the term in a college course often clouds understanding of the term more than it clarifies it.

Figure: Salem, MA. This village green is a landscape that evokes the community spirit of cooperation and collective political action that still characterizes much of New England.

Progressive moralist ideas have a very long history in New England. Early Puritans sought to improve the quality of life of the entire community through collective, or government, action. Village Greens are common landscape features of New England towns that geographers immediately recognize as evidence of the long-standing Yankee commitment to communal action. Early New Englanders often built these grassy areas in the center of towns where villagers, most of whom were also farmers, could corral and graze livestock, especially at night. These green spaces were sometimes called “cow commons' '. These prime pieces of downtown real-estate were held in common by all the residents of each village. Cow Commons were open to abuse by any farmer who fed too many of his/her own cattle on the common pasture. They might over use the common field to preserve, or even plow, their privately-owned pastures. When individuals abuse or over- use commonly held goods/services like pastures, parks, or even free napkins at McDonald's, they undermine the long-term success of the resource for their personal gain. This behavior leads to what is called the tragedy of the commons. Fear of and anger about the abuse of common resources is a central theme in American politics, one that divides progressives who are willing to risk abuses for the greater good, from libertarians who are not willing to risk sharing resources that might support abusers. The free-rider problem presented in the chapter on health geography similarly describes a situation where people benefit from the contributions of others around them.

New Englanders are generally willing to risk the abuse of government goods and services by individuals and are willing to share more of their personal wealth in order to create what they consider a better society for all. Taxes are higher in regions dominated by progressive moralists. Massachusetts, a state dominated by progressive-moralists, is often mocked as “Taxachusetts' ' by anti-tax libertarians. Progressive moralists tend to embrace Keynesian economics, an economic philosophy that calls for higher taxes, especially on the wealthy, to properly fund public services like education, parks and health care systems. Keynesian economics also encourages government intervention to ensure robust wages for the working people, so worker’s rights, minimum wage laws, and worker unions are welcomed by progressive-moralists. The environment is another concern for progressive moralists, who are willing to regulate industries in order to reduce pollution. The stricter regulations on economic policy and industrial pollution, along with higher taxes scare some industries away. The higher standard of living often evident in these regions, on the other hand, attracts industries that seek well-educated workers and high living standards for employees and executives. This effect is discussed at greater length in the economic geography chapter.

In addition to most of New England, people living in coastal Washington, Oregon, and California, along with those in Minnesota, tend to favor progressive-moralism. The cities of the Northwest and California were common destinations for migrants from New England in the 18th and 19th centuries, who established a political culture that subsequent generations have adopted. Minnesota’s collectivist traditions were probably established by the numerous immigrants to that region from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Scandinavian created a political-economic system called the Nordic Model. It’s a system considered by many progressive moralists as the international ideal for government. Scandinavian countries have, by most measures, the best standard of living of countries on earth.

Figure Oslo, Norway - Clean, efficient and inexpensive public transportation is a hallmark of government systems that invest heavily in public good, and require significant taxation.