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Should we abandon the American idea—individual liberty, equal opportunity, and earned success—and construct a "new foundation" modeled on the European-style social welfare state? President Barack Obama asserts that the foundations of America's economy are built on sand and that America must build a "new foundation" on the solid rock of
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an ever-expansive and intrusive central government. Representative Paul Ryan outlined the stark differences between this progressivist vision for America and the Founders' principles of free-market democracy, which are based on a moral understanding of human freedom and choice. Ryan advanced the call to action espoused in Arthur Brooks's The Battle (Basic Books, June 2010), which argues forcefully against the progressivists' efforts to abandon our nation's timeless principles. Ryan has put forth a comprehensive reform plan, "A Roadmap for America's Future," aimed at reclaiming the promise and prosperity of our exceptional nation.
| 10:30 a.m. | Registration | |
| 11:00 | Introduction: | Arthur C. Brooks, AEI |
| 11:05 | Address: | Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) |
| 11:30 | Question and Answer | |
| 11:45 | Adjournment |
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WASHINGTON, JULY 21, 2010--Arguing for a return to the foundational principles of American government, Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) laid out the intellectual basis for his "Roadmap for America's Future" in a speech at AEI Wednesday. Ryan observed that the nation has been drawn into a looming debt and entitlement crisis by a progressive vision that rejects the Founders' notions of limited government and free enterprise in favor of a European-style social welfare state. His "Roadmap" aims to reform the tax code and entitlement programs and embraces the principles of sound money, private ownership, individual choice, and consumer-driven markets. America is at a "tipping point," he argued, and recapturing its spirit of liberty and entrepreneurship requires a reconsideration of the moral proposition that all people have the capacity to guide their own lives and seek fulfillment in achievement and work.
- "The progressivist tale is wrong because it misstates the very nature of free enterprise. It presumes that free enterprise is materialistic and selfish. The free market is a game of chance. Success or failure depends on the luck of the draw, and the edge goes to the ruthless. The system of free enterprise is unfair, as it so goes. The moral is this: government must step in to redistribute the wealth and equalize the results for all. But the prosperity of America finds its real source, not in government, but in democratic capitalism. People investing, working, and saving in private enterprise. . . . Of course we understand that circumstances beyond anyone's control have an impact. But the human factor in gaining reward is merit: people whose imagination, drive, technical understanding, sensitivity to popular demands, and old-fashioned hard work and sweat earn their success. They have a natural right to what they earn."
--Representative Paul Ryan - "And now we have reached a fork in the road, challenged to make a choice between two paths. And there will be no turning back. The alternative to European-style social welfare [and] unlimited government is still the timeless foundations of America--where government's high but limited mission is to secure the natural rights of all. In economics, our foundational principles are the basis for free markets, free enterprise, free labor, and competition. Striving for success and achievement, justice, trust: these are inherent elements in human happiness. I developed my battle plan, the "Roadmap for America's Future," as a fresh approach, but guided by the foundational principles of private ownership, individual choice, and consumer-driven markets which Arthur proposes in his book."
--Representative Paul Ryan - "We see where we're going with these kinds of economic policies and the social pathologies and the cultural crises that follow. So I would argue a huge contributor to fixing that is to get this economic situation under control [and] make sure that we don't move toward a nation of takers versus makers, but we give people a system that encourages them to go out and make the most of their lives, tap their potential, to fulfill their self-responsibility to them, their families, and their Maker. So you could argue that this is a social effort as well because what it does is it reembraces the principle of the dignity of the individual person, and not vice versa, which is really the ultimate goal of the progressivist social welfare state."
--Representative Paul Ryan
--ROHIT PARULKAR
Speaker biographies
Arthur C. Brooks is the president of AEI. Until January 1, 2009, he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy at Syracuse University. He is the author of eight books and many articles on topics ranging from the economics of the arts to applied mathematics. His most recent books include The Battle: How the Fight Between Free Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America's Future (Basic Books, May 2010), Gross National Happiness (Basic Books, 2008), Social Entrepreneurship (Prentice-Hall, 2008), and Who Really Cares (Basic Books, 2006).
Paul Ryan is currently serving his sixth term representing Wisconsin's first congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, where he works to bring fiscal discipline and accountability to the federal government. Mr. Ryan is also a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, Social Security, health care, and trade laws. He has focused his recent legislative efforts on addressing long-term U.S. fiscal crisis: the explosion of entitlement spending. Prior to entering Congress, Mr. Ryan worked at Ryan Incorporated Central, a family-owned construction firm based in Janesville, Wisconsin. He was previously an aide to former U.S. senator Bob Kasten (R-Wisc.), an economic adviser and speechwriter for former vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp and former drug czar William Bennett, and a legislative director in the U.S. Senate.
