Adam Silver | A Democrat thrives in a conservative era

On Jan. 20, 2013, President Obama will begin the second term of his historic presidency. Although Obama won the election, the ground beneath both parties reveals that Democrats and Republicans have shifted more to the right than ever.

Gone are the days of Republican pragmatists like Nixon and Eisenhower and the days of liberals like FDR, Kennedy and Johnson. The presidents from the last three decades paint a different picture — Democrats like Clinton and Obama became moderates in office while Republicans like Reagan and the Bushes have been trickle-down ideologues.

Our generation is more confused than ever. Should government stay out of the way of the individual? Or should it help those in need and build communities?

This election, the Republican Party avoided the confusion and went with the individual. At the Republican National Convention, groups chanted, “We built this!” Romney, Ryan and a chorus of Republicans preached that government ought to stay out of the way so individuals can do more.

The problem with this argument is that it forgets millions of Americans who have tried, but can’t make it on their own. They have been cast as the 47 percent, as welfare dependent. But — more often than not — they are people in your lives, they are your loved ones.

They are students who are attending college through Pell grants. They are children who are guaranteed health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program. They are bankers who need a Washington bailout. They are the rich and poor who, in times of need, have turned to the government.

Obama and the Democrats struck a new chord. Instead of picking either the individual or community, they’ve embraced both. For them, it is the power of the individual to make it on his own and the need of strong communities to help those who can’t.

Government should be a place that connects the unemployed with opportunities, the sick with care and the marginalized with rights. Obama’s propositions don’t put government in the way. Helping parents put food on the table and emergency rooms ensure care doesn’t prevent the likes of Warren Buffet (and Mitt Romney) from succeeding in the business world.

Gov. Romney and the Republican Party tiptoed into the shrinking space between social Darwinism and modern Republican ideology. Romney wanted to assure individuals’ the right to succeed — even if it meant shrinking programs that help those desperately in need.

Instead of creating a dichotomy between individuals and the community, Obama has found space for both.

This is embodied in an Obama policy that applies to all of us: higher education.

Obama has made it easier for you and me to pay Penn’s tuition by allowing loans to be repaid over time as a percentage of my income. Under this plan, government stays out of our way while making it even easier to pay for college.

For others, Obama plans to reinvest in community colleges and technical schools to equip students with skills to thrive in a modern economy. On this issue, Obama has given space for successful individuals and has used government to help those in need.

The same goes for Obamacare. Nothing changes for you if you already have insurance — the government stays out of your way. If you can’t afford insurance or aren’t offered it due to pre-existing conditions, the the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is there to help.

While Obamacare will require an increase in taxes, it will reduce the deficit.

Governance comes at a cost, but if that collective cost is less than the social benefit, government solutions must be pursued.

While the American Project is certainly a compilation of individual projects, each individual counts. How can we take pride in the success of the greatest Americans if we do not take responsibility for the struggles of the most vulnerable?

The past four years have been some of the most challenging of this century. But the country is moving out of these hard times and into a new era. While it will remain a conservative era, Democratic governance — and Obama — will thrive within it.

Adam Silver is a College junior and masters of public administration candidate from Scottsdale, Ariz. His email address is adamsilver0601@gmail.com. “The Silver Lining” appears every Wednesday.

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