laissez-faire

Examples of laissez-faire in the following topics:

• Laissez-Faire and the Supreme Court

  • During the Lochner Era, the Supreme Court advocated a laissez-faire economic policy.
  • This was a reference to a book in which Spencer advocated a strict laissez-faire economic philosophy.
  • The term "laissez-faire" refers to an economic environment in which transactions between private parties are free from government interference such as regulations, privileges, tariffs, and subsidies.
  • Smith saw laissez-faire as a moral program, and the market its instrument to ensure men the rights of natural law.
  • Thus, this era could be characterized as laissez-faire.

• Laissez-Faire Versus Government Intervention

  • Historically, the U.S. government policy toward business was summed up by the French term laissez-faire -- "leave it alone. " The concept came from the economic theories of Adam Smith, the 18th-century Scot whose writings greatly influenced the growth of American capitalism.
  • But it was his advocacy of laissez-faire practices that earned him favor in America, a country built on faith in the individual and distrust of authority.
  • Laissez-faire practices have not prevented private interests from turning to the government for help on numerous occasions, however.
  • American history has seen the pendulum swing repeatedly between laissez-faire principles and demands for government regulation of both types.

• Jackson's Democratic Agenda

  • Andrew Jackson expanded suffrage, encouraged settlement of the West, and encouraged the economy through laissez-faire policies.
  • Jacksonian democracy was built on the general principles of expanded suffrage, manifest destiny, patronage, strict constructionism, Laissez-Faire capitalism, and opposition to the Second Bank of the United States.

• The Development of Sociology in the U.S.

  • Ward is most often remembered for his criticism of the laissez-faire theories advanced by Herbert Spencer and popular among his contemporaries.
  • Ward disagreed with Spencer and Sumner and, in contrast to their laissez-faire approach, promoted active intervention.
  • While classical liberalism (featuring such thinkers as Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill) had sought prosperity and progress through laissez-faire policies, Ward's "American social liberalism" sought to enhance social progress through direct government intervention.
  • The thing that made Ward most attractive in the 19th century, his criticism of laissez faire, made him seem dangerously radical to the ever-cautious academic community in early 20th century America.
  • Ward was basically replaced by Durkheim in the history books, which was easily accomplished because Durkheim's views were similar to Ward's but without the relentless criticism of lassiez faire and without Ward's calls for a strong, central government and "social engineering".

• Leadership in Groups

  • Leaders are usually categorized along a continuum, at one end of which lies the Laissez-faire leader, in the middle the Democratic leader, and at the other end the Authoritarian leader.
  • Laissez-faire is French for "let do."
  • A Laissez-faire leader takes a laid back or hands-off approach.
  • However, if a group is in need of direction, then a laissez-faire style may result in frustration and inefficiency.
  • The Democratic style of leadership falls somewhere in between Laissez-faire and Authoritarian styles.

• Hoover and the Limits of Individualism

  • Hoover emphasized that rugged individualism was not laissez-faire, and that it in fact denounced laissez-faire economics.

• Conservatism

  • Historically, the term referred to combination of economic liberalism, which champions laissez-faire markets, with the classical conservatism concern for established tradition, respect for authority, and religious values.
  • Libertarian conservatives generally support strict laissez-faire policies such as free trade and oppose any national bank, regulations on businesses, environmental regulation, corporate subsidies, and other areas of economic intervention.

• State-Centered Theories

  • The laissez-faire era of United States economic history, which occurred around the turn of the 20th century—when the government generally left the economy unregulated—reflects a belief in market-driven theories of inequality.
  • Laissez-faire policy led to corporate monopolies and a vast gap between the wealth of capitalist business owners and wage laborers.

• Liberalism

  • Liberalism espouses a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, and can encompass ideas such as free and fair elections, free trade, private property, capitalism, constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free press, and the free exercise of religion.
  • It advocates civil liberties with a limited government under the rule of law, private property, and belief in laissez-faire economic policy.
  • Novak, liberalism in the United States shifted in the late 19th and early 20th century from classical liberalism (endorsing laissez-faire economics and constitutionalism) to "democratic social-welfarism" (endorsing such government involvement as seen in the New Deal).
  • Roosevelt, whereas in Europe it is more commonly associated with a commitment to limited government and laissez-faire economic policies. " Consequently in the U.S., the ideas of individualism and laissez-faire economics previously associated with classical liberalism, became the basis for the emerging school of right wing libertarian thought.

• Styles of Leadership

  • The laissez-faire leadership style was first described by Lewin, Lippitt, and White in 1938, along with the autocratic leadership and the democratic leadership styles.
  • The laissez-faire style is sometimes described as a "hands off" leadership style because the leader delegates the tasks to the followers while providing little or no direction.
  • Lassiez-faire leaders allow followers to have complete freedom to make decisions concerning the completion of their work.
  • The lassiez-faire leader using guided freedom provides the followers with all materials necessary to accomplish their goals, but does not directly participate in decision making unless the followers requests the leader's assistance.