Ever since America’s founding, two of its core beliefs have competed for authority. It’s an ideological war, but it’s one that’s been waged for centuries: democracy vs. capitalism. Throughout history, democracy and capitalism’s struggle has been reflected in the movements and events of each era. In different years, different ideologies dominated the press, politics, culture, and society. And today—although unbeknownst to many—the war rages on.
Every era provides a snapshot of capitalism and democracy’s fight. In 1776, for example, Adam Smith published the Wealth of Nations. Also hot off the press, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Both manifestos gained followers, popularity, and fame. The problem? Well, they were founded on opposite beliefs. Smith’s piece supported capitalism’s individualistic talent-gets-rewarded system; in contrast, Jefferson’s Declaration uplifted democracy’s collectivist equality. Historian H. W. Brands described America’s capitalist democracy as “antagonistic” because “democracy depends on equality…[yet i]nequality drives the engine of capitalism.” Likewise, the Wealth of Nations represented the antipathy of the Declaration of Independence (and vice versa). As a result, bookstores, post offices, and public lecturing halls became the manifestos’ battlegrounds.
If the two concepts competed for hundreds of years—you might ask—why hasn’t one faced (an ideological) death? Despite the “antagonist” nature of America’s capitalist democracy, you can’t have one ideology without the other. Frankly, they’re inseparable; America couldn’t be a democracy without capitalism (or capitalistic without democracy). Because the nation promises individualism, it can’t omit capitalism and, in the same respect, the nation can’t omit democracy because it also promises equality. With no end in sight, Smith and Jefferson’s manifestos dueled into the nineteenth century, the twentieth century, and through today.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, capitalism and democracy’s war has risen to new heights. For many struggling businesses, obtaining stimulus checks represents a capitalist second chance. On the other hand, some businesses have an undemocratic advantage in obtaining that subsidization. The solution? Well, there really isn’t one. Public businesses in the United States, for example, received one billion dollars in stimulus checks originally meant for small businesses. From 1776 through the modern-day, America has functioned on opposition; capitalism and democracy are pillars of capitalist democracy, but they contradict each other. It’s an ideological war, but it’s one that’s been waged for centuries. And, by the looks of it, it isn’t stopping anytime soon.
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