The American Government is Retracting its Social Contract...

Alexis de Tocqueville, a well- known critic of democratic participation in government institutions, stated in his book, Democracy in America, that volunteerism â€Å"prompts [Americans] to assist one another and inclines them willingly to sacrifice a portion of their time and property to the welfare of the state† (Tocqueville 507). Although many members of American society still subscribe to the idea that sacrificing a part of their lives ameliorates â€Å"the welfare of the state,† many critics of volunteerism insist that the responsibility of â€Å"the welfare of the state† lies within the United States government, and not individual members of American society. Critics of volunteerism insist that the federal and state taxes that they pay†¦show more content†¦I argue this not only to call attention to the government’s deterioration of funding for social welfare programs, but also to bring attention to the need for direct relationships between th e United States government and non-profit organizations in order to resuscitate the nation’s less fortunate from denial of government assistance. I prove this argument by addressing Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal Policy because that was when social welfare programs became necessary for basic human survival. I then use John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address to note when volunteerism historically gained popularity. In addition, I analyze the Peace Corps, a federally-sponsored program that Kennedy created, by proving that presidents use volunteering as ulterior motives to gain political clout. Next, I show how Ronald Reagan transferred social welfare responsibility from federally-sponsored programs to non-profit organizations, and describe how that transfer created a distance in the relationship between the government and its citizens. Then, I connect how direct relationships between 2 By Americans, I am referring to all people living within the United States, not just citizens. 3 governments and non-profit organizations relate to the concept of volunteerism by using George W. Bush’s continued attempt to solicit freeShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesand Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform