Alastair Hill finds some important advice for both Barack Obama and David Cameron on the ‘policy moods’ in Britain and America

Hill, Alastair

English

LSE Research Online

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/2011/04/10/book-review -w ho-cares-public-ambivalence-and-government-activism/?pfstyle=w pApril 15, 2011Book Review: Who Cares? Public Ambivalence &Government Activism from the New Deal to the secondgilded ageAlastair Hill finds some important advice for both Barack Obama and David Cameron on the‘policy moods’ in Britain and America.Who Cares? Public Ambivalence & Government Activism. Katherine S. Newman andElisabeth S. Jacobs. Princeton University Press. April 2010.Find this book at: Google Books Amazon LSE LibraryOn the face of it, Who Cares? is a rather strange name for a book about politics and not least for astudy which focuses on public sentiment towards political agendas. Nevertheless, in analysingpublic opinion in three distinct periods of American political history, Katherine Newman andElisabeth Jacobs set out some interesting observations for contemporary policy-makers.The first period is FDR’s New Deal, an era often regarded byhistorians as one in which public opinion was broadly behind theimplementation of generous social policies. In contrast the analysispresented in the first part of the book suggests that Rooseveltencountered a great deal of resistance towards many aspects of theNew Deal. Through analysis of government letters and polling,Newman and Jacobs assert that the majority of American publicopinion was actually largely ambivalent, or even opposed to many ofFDR’s social reforms. Chapter two goes on to suggest that a similartrend was prevalent during Johnson’s ‘Great Society’ reforms. WhileJohnson received favourable public support initially, Newman andJacobs contend that he too also later encountered widespreadpopular resistance. What is more intriguing however is the analysisoffered in the book’s third chapter which suggests that similar trendsexisted in periods in which conservative American Presidents soughtto buck the trend towards a more active U.S. welfare state. Like FDRand Johnson, Reagan and later the Bush’s all encountered strongresistance to their own attempts at reform.Based on this analysis Newman and Jacobs assert that contemporary policy-makers should bear inmind two important factors in judging what type of policy public opinion will be prepared to accept.The first is James Stimson’s conception of ‘policy mood’. This is the idea that when governmentpolicy veers too far in one direction, public opinion demands a swing back the other way. Secondly,there is the V.O. Keys conception of ‘latent opinion’. This is defined as the public opinion that mightexist in the future based on the cumulative effect of policies on public opinion. Governments maytemper particularly radical reforms, or change the timing to get the bad news out of the way early, ifthey believe that latent opinion will turn against them and affect their electoral chances in the future.From these two insights the book concludes with some strong advice for the Obama administration.In the face of rampant inequality as a result of years of Republican supply-side policies increasingboth the pre and post tax incomes of the richest in American society, the books conclusion is thatthe ‘policy mood’ in the United States is as ready as it will ever be for radical liberal reforms.Newman and Jacobs strongly urge Barrack Obama to not act now to avoid missing the window ofopportunity for government activism in the face of rising social problems.Yet at the time of writing there is little to suggest that Obama’s term will be much more than amissed opportunity. In contrast, across the Atlantic the coalition government in the United Kingdomis continuing to implement its own programme of radical reforms. However rather than enhancinggovernment activism, the widespread pushing back of the frontiers of the British state is now in fullflight, and whilst resistance in public opinion is growing, after 13 years of highly centralised Labourgovernment the ‘policy mood’ is arguably at its most favourable for such reforms.The British coalition seems to have heeded the book’s advice aptly then, whereas Obama’sadministration will likely fail to meet the gauntlet laid down by Newman and Jacobs. British coalitionMinisters look only too eager not to miss their opportunity for radical reforms – unpopular or not.Alastair Hill graduated from the LSE in 2010 with MSc Political Theory, and now works for apolitical consultancy company.

Book review: who cares?: public ambivalence & government activism from the New Deal to the second gilded age

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