Why Is There No Socialism in the United States?
| Author | Theodore J. Lowi |
| Published date | 01 October 1984 |
| DOI | 10.1177/019251218400500404 |
| Date | 01 October 1984 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
369
WHY
IS
THERE
NO
SOCIALISM
IN
THE
UNITED
STATES?
A
Federal
Analysis
THEODORE
J.
LOWI
Many
theories
have
been
offered
to
explain
the
absence
of
socialism
as
a
significant
political
force
in
the
United
States.
Although
no
theory
will
satisfactorily
explain
a
"non-happening,"
this
article
offers
an
unusual
theory:
that
federalism
is
more
powerful
than
any
other
factor.
The
influence
of
the
federal
structure
is
expressed
in
at
least
two
ways.
The
first
follows
Madison’s
original
design,
that
the
states
will
be
numerous
and
so
different
from
one
another
that
a
strong
movement
in
one
will
be
difficult
to
spread
to
others.
The
second
follows
from
the
design
of
the
national
government
whose
policies
for
the
first
one
hundred
fifty
years
were
few
in
number
and
limited
mainly
to
patronage
of
individuals
and
husbandry
of
commerce.
Since
the
national
government
was
small
and
not
directly
involved
in
coercive
policies
(which
were
reserved
to
the
state),
there
was
little
to
validate
the
socialist
critique.
History
and
theory
inform
us
that
the
conditions
of
industrial
capitalism
in
the
United
States,
beginning
at
some
point
during
the
nineteenth
century,
should
have
produced
a
significant
mobilization
of
labor
around
socialism
in
a
labor
party
or a
socialist
party.
The
fact
that
no
such
mobilization
occurred
is
a
source
of
fascination
and
consternation
to
all
serious
social
scientists.
Theories
abound.
Still
another
theory
is
offered
here.
It
is
a
constitutionalist
theory;
namely,
that
federalism,
properly
understood,
is
the
primary
factor
working
its
influence
directly
as
well
as
indirectly.
Immediately
there
is
a
special
problem-using
a
theory
to
explain
a
non-occurrence.
Even
when
an
occurrence
is
well
defined,
the
specifi-
cation
of
causes
is
difficult
enough.
When
the
occurrence
is
diffuse
or
difficult
to
define,
the
problem
of
explanation
intensifies
because
the
number
of
possible
causes
increases
and
the
connection
with
the
occurrence
is
less
and
less
demonstrable.
A
non-occurrence,
which
exists
only
in
theory,
must
be
the
least
accessible
to
explanation.
One
can
state
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