User:ButterKnifeManTheSecond/sandbox


 * 1) As you're reading the article, do you feel that at any point my writing seems to be pushing an agenda? Does it seem to be propaganda for an argument?
 * 2) Is there any gaps in knowledge that should address? I have a hard time seeing what I'm missing but I'm sure there's something I left out.
 * 3) Should I edit the lead of the article to fit what I wrote, considering I did not write that part?

Rugged individualism, derived from individualism, is a term that indicates the ideal whereby an individual is totally self-reliant and independent from outside, usually state or government, assistance. While the term is often associated with the notion of laissez-faire and associated adherents, it was actually coined by United States president Herbert Hoover, who presided over the emerging Great Depression.

History
American rugged individualism has its origins in the American frontier experience. Throughout its evolution, the American frontier was generally sparsely populated and had very little infrastructure in place. Under such conditions, individuals would have to provide for themselves to survive. This kind of environment favored people who preferred to work in isolation from a larger community and might have shifted attitudes at the frontier in favor of individualistic thought over collectivism.

Influence on contemporary on America
The ideal of rugged individualism continues to be a pervasive part of American thought. In 2016, a poll by Pew Research found that 73% of Americans believed success in life was determined by hard work rather than forces outside of their control. Additionally, the same poll found that a 58% of Americans valued a non-interventionist government over one that actively worked to further the needs of society.

Academics interviewed in the 2020 book "Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequality," co-written by Noam Chomsky, largely found that the the continued belief in this brand of individualism is a strong factor in American policies surrounding social spending and welfare. Americans who more strongly believe in the values espoused by rugged individualism tend to view those who seek government assistance as being responsible for their position, leading to decreased support for welfare programs and increased support for stricter criteria for receiving government help. The influence of American individualistic thought extends to government regulation as well. Areas of the country who were part of the American frontier for longer, and were therefore more influenced by the frontier experience, were found to be more likely to be supportive of Republican candidates, who often vote against regulations such as gun control, minimum wage increases, and environmental regulation.

Notable utterances
In support of American laissez-faire thought:

"We were challenged with a peace-time choice between the American system of rugged individualism and a European philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines – doctrines of paternalism and state socialism. The acceptance of these ideas would have meant the destruction of self-government through centralization of government. It would have meant the undermining of the individual initiative and enterprise through which our people have grown to unparalleled greatness.": Section of Herbert Hoover's post-election speech after the 1928 US presidential election in reference to what was, in his view, excessive growth of government power during World War I under administrations before him. Faced with mass poverty in the United States during the Great Depression, president Hoover advocated against the use of government programs, which he feared would lead to mass dependence on government aid, to alleviate the issues facing the country at the time. This is the first known use of the phrase "rugged individualism."

In critique of American laissez-faire thought:

"This country has socialism for the rich, rugged individualism for the poor.": Well-known tweet by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in apparent reference to a very similar Martin Luther King Jr. quote which alleged an inequality of how government spending was seen when it was used for the poor and African Americans instead of wealthy Americans.