Prev Next
Featured Quizzes
Politix Daily Headlines
Featured Debates
Issues

See all 17 issues

People
White House

See all people

EURO-AMERICA

Top Economist: America, Welcome to Europe

The US will embrace the EU's social welfare policy, but here's how Republicans can stay ahead

Next>

by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: fitsnews.com

Obama's re-election could very well mark a shift in American attitudes toward a more expansive role for the government, says economist Edward Glaeser at Bloomberg. Indeed, a more European role for government.

But two characteristics peculiar to America hold such change back, according to Glaeser: our political institutions and our racial diversity. The checks and balances built into our Constitution and our non-proportional form of representation prevent a strong, centralized welfare state from emerging. At least very easily. And our ethnic diversity, a veritable rainbow compared to northern Europe, undermines the sense of public solidarity required to implement a broader welfare state.

Like this article? B Vote Up
?

Do you think the US will become more like Europe on social welfare? And if so, what can Republicans do to stay in the game?

Comments (view in Forum)

  • Post Removed by Moderators

  • View all 16 replies >

  • u
    tomincali
    !
    the globalist thinking will bring us down. we do not need to keep up with the joneses stay local do local. competing with the rest of the world for what? we already bring the world here and are schools show what it has caused.
  • MRMacrum
    !
    I think it is inevitable that we will embrace more of the social make up prevalent in Europe. Either that or contrary to what the Right says, we will slide further down the economic rabbit hole. A healthy population is a more productive one.

    As to what role can the Republicans play - well I think this guy is onto something. The Right could become our Financial managers making sure we live within our means. But first they need to lose their social agendas and drop the economic class warfare they are waging.
  • u
    RobertJHarsh
    !
    So how does the right get votes to get into office? You said one thing: be a welfare state like europe, but be fiscally responsible about it. Tell me how that is suppose to work. I still want to know what incentives the producers are going have to be given in order for them to even bother keeping businesses open in the first place. I see zero incentive to run a business in America knowing that 50-60-70% of my profits are taken to feed the non-producer class that is projected to be around 65% in 10 or so years. Why would I do that?!?!?!?!?! That is like shooting off my foot on purpose and running a marathon and calling foul when I can't even run.
  • u
    AceLuby
    !
    It would also help if they actually lived w/in their means. In my state the GOP declared bankruptcy and whenever they get control nationally they have spent like drunken sailors. What I don't get is how they get the label of 'fiscally responsible' when they have yet to show it ever?
  • u
    AceLuby
    !
    @RobertJHarsh Profit is still an incentive in Europe, just as it is here. You do understand what 'profit' is right? It's the money you earn ON TOP of paying yourself a salary, paying everyone else, investing in your company, etc... and it's nowhere near 50% like you claim.

    Also, what is this 'non-producer' class? What do hedge fund managers 'produce'? What do stock traders 'produce'? What do CEO's 'produce'? They are the true 'non-producer' class. The local janitor that doesn't get paid enough to pay taxes and is told by their Walmart employer how to apply for govt assistance are the real producers. The Walmart CEO who pays himself an outrageous wage to figure out ways to skirt paying taxes and shift cost to taxpayers, and pay employees minimum wage is the real 'non-producer'.
  • MRMacrum
    !
    @RobertJHarsh - again with the dire predictions of doom and gloom. I know that you have it figured out to your satisfaction. I was only calling the future as I saw it. I may be wrong. I often am. But with a population that seems intent on growing at the pace this one is, I don't see a purely Capitalistic model as being able to handle it. Under your model I would expect our society to begin to look like the two class societies of say South America of the 1960s. The middle class will all but disappear. And finally it is not like I wish this on us. I would like nothing else than to enjoy the economy we had when we were the top dog. But that is going to change as more economies from across the ponds rise. We haven't helped ourselves either by shipping our manufacturing base lock stock and barrel to Asia, the latin countries and anywhere else cheap labor is found.
  • u
    RobertJHarsh
    !
    @MRMacrum 55% of this country is NON-PRODUCER. That is today, right now, at this very moment in time. The middle class is dropping into that class. Now I agree, the outsourcing and whatnot have been to America's detriment, but I do not see the Democrats offering any solution other than TAXING the producers. I would agree with you if Obama punished the outsourcers, punished those on welfare, passed laws to encourage business startups, but he is doing NONE of that. You, Ace, and Neo's "ostrich" approach is not going to work.

  • View all 17 replies >

  • u
    RobertJHarsh
    !
    Whoever wrote this article thinks a lot like I do. He knows the racism against the GOP is rhetoric, he knows that a welfare state is on the horizon, he knows the minorities are demanding gimmedats, and he places the GOP at a position of being the party of fiscal responsibility yet they will fail because the majority of the people want a gimmedat state.
  • Jeff_Woehrle
    !
    Republicans can stay ahead? How about having the republic survive? Republicans have pointed to the fiscal disaster in Europe for years and blaming the entitlement culture for Europe's decline.

    Nonsense, said the liberals. Now there are more takers voting in America than contributors. Are we really shocked that austerity measures here will have no traction?

    Nah, just borrow more money! Let the next generations pay for today's excess! No problem at all!
  • DARSB
    !
    "...changing US demographics reveal an increasingly Latino population that is more hospitable to state aid..."

    I'm not sure why this would be a concern for the Republicans when so many of them are retirees ALREADY receiving government benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. Seems a little like that selfish Randian attitude, "I got mine, screw you."
  • mimi57
    !
    We are becoming like Europe, and we will most likely go the way of Italy, Greece and Germany...This was the intent of Obama's administration. Now we'll just wait and see how much "fun" socialism really is.(sarcasm)
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    Liberals don't believe what you wrote. Yet, everything you said is exactly true. One important thing to note is that we are the leaders of the free world. We are the world's policemen who keep bad actors in check. This was not the role of Italy, Greece and Germany. Once we completely collapse, who will stop Iran from having a nuclear bomb? Who will stop tyrant dictators from running amok? Who will stop Syria, North Korea, and many rogue nations in Africa? We as Americans had a critical, important decision to make back on Nov. 6th. It's terrifying that we made such a bad pick.
  • o
    IraqWarVeteran
    !
    @Neo_NtheMatrix Iran? If you are anti-world's cops theory then stop the support for another war in Middle East. Israel will implement us into a serious and imminent war, costing the Afghan and Iraqi wars combined. In fact, thousands of Americans lives lost in the wars already, so why shall I support war-mongering Netanyahu? Iranians are ready for strike back our bases in Afghanistan, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and so does the Gulf Nation implemented into Arab-Persian-Jewish-American war.
  • mimi57
    !
    @IraqWarVeteran If we don't help Israel, It will be a big mistake on our part...as you know Israel is surrounded by
    enemies who want to wipe them off the map, and us also. Maybe they can defend themselves, but Obama will not
    help them, so I guess we'll wait and see. Israel doesn't kill Americans, their enemies do...and we are their enemies too. We are Infidels just as the Israelis are, we've always helped Israel, now, they're on their own...I
    don't think this will end well.
  • u
    Buckfan4life2
    !
    If we do give in and become a socialist country I will never reguard our stares and stripes as the flag for the new America. They can get them another damn piece of cloth and make them a new one. The men who died for my flag didn't sacrafice their life to become a socialist state. To hell with you liberals!
  • Keyjo
    !
    Has it ever occurred to anyone that a lot of the anti-Europe sentiment is just capitalist fear mongering? In Europe, companies are held more responsible for the well being of their employees.
    Note that those so called, socialist European nations have a higher quality of life and happier, more satisfied population as a whole. They often have a higher education standard, longer life expectancy. In Denmark, they have what is called Flexicurity.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexicurity

    The Common Principles of Flexicurity
    (1) Flexicurity is a means to reinforce the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, create more and better jobs, modernise labour markets, and promote good work through new forms of flexibility and security to increase adaptability, employment and social cohesion.
    (2) Flexicurity involves the deliberate combination of flexible and reliable contractual arrangements, comprehensive lifelong learning strategies, effective active labour market policies, and modern, adequate and sustainable social protection systems.
    (3) Flexicurity approaches are not about one single labour market or working life model, nor about a single policy strategy: they should be tailored to the specific circumstances of each Member State. Flexicurity implies a balance between rights and responsibilities of all concerned. Based on the common principles, each Member State should develop its own flexicurity arrangements. Progress should be effectively monitored.
    (4) Flexicurity should promote more open, responsive and inclusive labour markets overcoming segmentation. It concerns both those in work and those out of work. The inactive, the unemployed, those in undeclared work, in unstable employment, or at the margins of the labour market need to be provided with better opportunities, economic incentives and supportive measures for easier access to work or stepping-stones to assist progress into stable and legally secure employment. Support should be available to all those in employment to remain employable, progress and manage transitions both in work and between jobs.
    (5) Internal (within the enterprise) as well as external flexicurity are equally important and should be promoted. Sufficient contractual flexibility must be accompanied by secure transitions from job to job. Upward mobility needs to be facilitated, as well as between unemployment or inactivity and work. High-quality and productive workplaces, good organisation of work, and continuous upgrading of skills are also essential. Social protection should provide incentives and support for job transitions and for access to new employment.
    (6) Flexicurity should support gender equality, by promoting equal access to quality employment for women and men and offering measures to reconcile work, family and private life.
    (7) Flexicurity requires a climate of trust and broadly-based dialogue among all stakeholders, where all are prepared to take the responsibility for change with a view to socially balanced policies. While public authorities retain an overall responsibility, the involvement of social partners in the design and implementation of flexicurity policies through social dialogue and collective bargaining is of crucial importance.
    (8) Flexicurity requires a cost effective allocation of resources and should remain fully compatible with sound and financially sustainable public budgets. It should also aim at a fair distribution of costs and benefits, especially between businesses, public authorities and individuals, with particular attention to the specific situation of SMEs.
  • u
    KyleMFb
    !
    If people say we are becoming like Europe we have a lot to do to accomplish that we have to get the best health care in the world we have to stop throwing so many people in prison after all this is the land of the free what joke that is we have to develop our green energy up to par with them crazy Europeans we have to end all the financial inequality that america has we also have to start taking care of our people better we have to stop playing police men all over the world bc alls we do is make things worse there really just to many things that we have to accomplish before we can say we have become Europeanized this country's no different then 4 years ago
  • u
    KyleMFb
    !
    @Politicskid no not exactly I'm just simply stating America is the same America that it was 4 years ago and America could never be as good as Europe
  • Politicskid
    !
    @KyleMFb You call riots and mass inflation "good"? Also, most hardworking people don't like they're cash to be redistributed. For the most part, the European system discourages hard work.
  • u
    KyleMFb
    !
    @Politicskid no I'm glad I'm a American but there's to many bad things about America and there problems that Europe doesn't have

  • View all 6 replies >

  • o
    goldmoneyparty
    !
    The Nation must rise above what I call the “pair of opposites” Horns of the Devil kind of thinking. It is said the Devil has Two Horns…conservative speak and liberal speak. Actually both horns are needed, just as a car needs both an accelerator and a brake. Wisdom is knowing what to apply, and when. Offer 10M tax free to a think tank or person who can suggest something never thought of before. Enact a flat tax that has no cliff. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Switch the Nation to Natural Gas, like yesterday! Make Boone Pickens the Secretary of Energy. But most of all Rise Above the liberal-conservative position papers and start thinking about the proper policies that will make our Nation work like a finely tuned machine with some liberal parts, some conservative parts, and some NEW parts. We build great cars. Now let's build a great nation again.

    sez Mr. P
    http://www.goldmoneyparty.com
  • Politicskid
    !
    Yep. Here's what Republicans need to do: Be bold. Call the democrat a socialist. Accuse him of buying votes. And if you lose, don't say he played a fair campaign if he accused you of murder and manipulated voters in your concession speech.
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    I hope American moves in that direction. As to Repubicans, if they stayed with the original princples Jefferson supported - no foriegn entanglements, small agragian fovused govt, etc. they will have a lot of clout, and be able to determine the out come on many issues, and act as fiscal monitors to expose corruption, fight waste and mismanagement, and play a very useful role, even in programs they oppose.

    If they continue on the current course they will become a party of the tantrum children. Increasing waning in influence, rarely able to win on policy and always kicking up a fuss. They will continue holding an increasingly smaller part of congress, be able on occasion to obstruct or kill key measures, but for the most part be ignored in terms of making policy while being applauded in select media outlets like right wing talk radio and fox tv...