Paternalism

Paternalism meaning

Leadership styles among Western democracies and politics vary and can be classified in several ways. Two of the most common are the conservative and liberal leadership styles. Liberal leadership is characterised by individualism, placing an emphasis on a person's right to make decisions independently. Conservative-style leadership follows a more traditional approach in which government officials make decisions from the vantage point that they know what's best for everyone. This is known as paternalism.

Types of Paternalism

Paternalism is often criticised for interfering with individual freedoms. Knowing the different types of paternalism allows us to better understand how paternalistic decisions impact these freedoms. Gerald Dworkin characterised the various forms of paternalism by defining them in terms of hard or soft, broad or narrow, weak or strong, pure or impure and moral or welfare.

^{Table 1 – Types of Paternalism.}

Paternalism in Government

One of the historic approaches to paternalism in government comes from the monarchy. In the past, kings proclaimed themselves as the fathers of the kingdom and their subjects as their loyal sons. This concept comes from their divine right to rule in all the kingdoms, and in medieval times, they held supreme authority in most decisions.

Usually, dictators and authoritarian figures use a cult of personality to portray themselves as the father of the nation viewing themselves as 'all-knowing' in taking decisions for their country.

Fig. 1 – Photo of Joseph Stalin.

One-nation conservatism

One-nation conservatism is a type of British conservative ideology that has paternalistic characteristics. Like traditional conservatism, it advocates for the preservation of traditional practices and institutions, but it also underscores the importance of social and economic welfare programmes that aid those less fortunate. Proponents of one-nation conservatism political philosophy encourage society to work together, calling on the wealthy to align their interests with all classes within society.

Fig. 2 – Benjamin Disraeli.

List of Paternalistic Laws in the U.K.

The United Kingdom has implemented several paternalistic laws and programmes under One-Nation Conservatism. The following sections highlight some of the most important ones.

Employers and Workmen Act of 1875

This Act was proclaimed during Disraeli's administration to give equal importance and protection to employers and employees. Before this Act, any breach of contract from the employees was subject to criminal law, with the possibility of imprisonment. Any violation of contract from the employers made them to civil law, resulting in just a fine.

Conspiracy and Protection of Property of 1875

Another Act proclaimed during Disraeli's administration, fully legalised trade unions subject to criminal law for actions that would be legal if done by an individual. This protects workers from protesting for their rights and levelling the playing field against employees.

Paternalism in U.S. politics

Throughout U.S. history, there have been many examples of political paternalism -- on behalf of the government and the people. Specifically, there are three critical events that were justified by paternalism: The occupation of the West, slavery, and women's suffrage.

Manifest destiny is the idea that God destined the U.S. to expand and spread democracy to all of North America. After the Louisiana Purchase, U.S. citizens believed that meant occupying the western part of North America. Millions moved west and established countless towns along the way. In the process, they expelled Native Americans from their homes, believing American land would only prosper under their care. They even convinced the natives to fall under their supervision, as they would grow by adhering to the ways of the Union.

Paternalism and Slavery

Paternalism also justified the practices that kept slavery alive. Enslavers argued that the African slaves came from extreme poverty. The premise was that by working under them, they would thrive through work, as they remained fed, bathed, and with a roof over their heads in exchange for living at the mercy of their masters.

Paternalism and women's suffrage

Opponents of women's suffrage justified denying women the right to vote based on the premise that voting required education and education required women to be away from their families. This, they argued, would make their lives significantly harder. Therefore, giving women the right to vote would mean making their lives harder.

List of Paternalistic Laws in the US

This section will highlight two paternalistic laws in the US of major importance.

Prohibition

Prohibition was a constitutional ban enacted from 1920 to 1930 in the United States. Also referred to as the Volstead Act, it prohibited the production, sale, consumption, and transportation of alcoholic beverages.

The Act was supported by the Temperance Movement, which sought to eliminate alcohol consumption based on moral grounds, as they thought alcohol led to corruption, violence, and alcoholism. However, the Act was unsuccessful, as it led to organised crime and the black market sale of alcohol.

The Patriot Act

The Act was enabled by Congress under George W. Bush in 2001 after the 9/11 terror attacks. The controversial Act allows for increased surveillance of US citizens in the name of national security (e.g., making it legal to detain individuals suspected of terrorism or terrorist plots indefinitely without trial.

Paternalism Examples

Paternalism can be seen everywhere in your daily life: rules in the workplace, film ratings, and geo-restrictions, among others. You could argue that any limitation made on behalf of your well-being could be considered paternalism if it is decided by only one party. History quickly reminds us that these policies are older than the term.

The Ford Motor Company imposed these intrusive measures to support the Prohibition movement, as Henry Ford believed that alcohol reduced the efficiency of his workers. By promoting these rules and establishing wages and specific work hours, he thought he was doing the best for his workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided another clear example of paternalism.

Another modern example of paternalism can be seen in a recent landmark Supreme Court decision in the United States.