Self-Interest and Public Interest

A core idea of our book is that self-interest isn't everything. Political motivations involve a complicated and shifting mix of self-interest and public interest.  Michael Barone offers a couple of examples:

People like to do well, but they also want to do good.

Let me cite two professions which that worked to put themselves out of much business, out of altruism.

Firefighters are the first example. Firefighter unions and other organizations have actively promoted safer building codes, restrictions on use of flammable materials and unsafe building materials.

These firefighters have lifted the charred bodies of dead children out of burnt-out buildings. They have seen families destroyed by needless fires.

They have worked to prevent such tragedies. And worked successfully: There are many fewer fires than there used to be.

Firefighters have done themselves out of business. They spend most of their time now on routine services which less expensive EMS personnel could handle, and their unions struggle to prevent layoffs.

Another altruistic profession is dentistry. For many decades dental groups have promoted fluoridation of water. They have vigorously encourage people to brush — and floss — thrice daily.

In their practices, they have seen the pain people suffer from because of defective teeth and painful abscesses. They want to reduce such suffering.

As a result, Americans have far fewer cavities and dentists have far less routine work than they did some years ago. In response, they have developed new specialties — peridontry, enamelizing, orthodonture.

George W. Bush Remarks

A major theme of our textbook is that self-interest does not explain everything in politics. In remarks at the dedication of his presidential library, former President George W. Bush touched on this theme:

In democracy, the purpose of public office is not to fulfill personal ambition. Elected officials must serve a cause greater themselves. The political winds blow left and right, polls rise and fall, supporters come and go. But in the end, leaders are defined by the convictions they hold. And my deepest conviction, the guiding principle of the administration, is that the United States of America must strive to expand the reach of freedom.

I believe that freedom is a gift from God and the hope of every human heart. Freedom inspired our founders and preserved our union through civil war and secured the promise of civil rights. Freedom sustains dissonance bound by chains. Believers huddled in underground churches. And voters who risked their lives to cast their ballots. Freedom unleashed creativity, rewards innovation and replaces poverty with prosperity. And ultimately freedom lights the path to peace. Freedom brings responsibility.

Independence from the State does not mean isolation from each other. A free society thrives when neighbors help neighbors. And the strong protect the weak. And public policies promote private compassion. As President, I tried to act on these principles everyday. It wasn't always easy and it certainly wasn't always popular.

To Thine Own Self Be True

A major theme of our book is that self-interest does not explain everything in politics. But it does explain a lot. One case is a Tennessee lawmaker who sponsored a resolution honoring himself. In Nashville, WSMV-TV reports: WSMV Channel 4

National v. Local Considerations in House Elections

A major theme of our book is that politics is not just about self-interest. A new Gallup survey is consistent with that theme:

By 55% to 39%, more registered voters say a candidate's stand on national issues -- rather than his or her ability to help people at the district level -- is what matters more to them in voting for Congress. The percentage naming issues as the more important factor is the highest recorded on this measure in the nearly two-decade-long Gallup trend, although similar to that seen at points in the last two midterm election years.

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The maxim that "all politics is local" -- most famously advanced by the late House Speaker Tip O'Neill -- may have once been an accurate characterization of the relationship that congressional candidates had with their constituents. In that vein, as recently as 1994, significantly more registered voters said that delivering for their district was more important to the way they viewed congressional candidates than were national issue stances. However, since 1994 -- perhaps because of the nationalization of that election with the Republicans' Contract With America -- Americans' voting priorities have flipped.

In a year when voters rank the federal budget deficit as high as terrorism as a top concern, the implications are clear. Twenty years ago, candidates for Congress might have ingratiated themselves with voters by bulleting all of the federal spending projects they either had delivered to the district, or would support if elected. Today, such messages may be more likely to spark constituents' concerns about the effect the spending involved could have on the national debt.

Saul Alinsky

Today would have been Saul Alinsky's 101st birthday. Alinsky was a community organizer whose followers left a major impact on urban politics. President Obama received his early training in community organizing from Alinsky disciples. An article in The New Republic describes the Alinsky connection. Although Alinsky identified with the political left, some conservatives have been taking their cue from him.

Alinsky taught very effective political tactics, but his philosophy of politics was incomplete. He argued that politics rested entirely on self-interest, but his own career was a dramatic example of someone acting on his own vision of the public good.