Can anyone give me an example of a policy which, when enacted into law, was unpopular, proved to be more expensive and less effective than advertised, and which became popular and effective over time through incremental improvements? Off-hand I can’t think of any.
Negro equality?
I think that’s a pretty hard case to make. My recollection of Eisenhower’s federalizing of the National Guard in Little Rock in 1957, for example, is that opinion was sharply divided with some strongly in favor of the president’s actions and a somewhat smaller percentage very strongly against. Or, said another way, it wasn’t generally unpopular but it was very unpopular with some people.
On the other hand a Gallup poll in 1948 found that 63% of the people opposed Truman’s desegregation of the armed forces. So I’m not really sure.
Medicare, except for the unpopular part, and it has increased in popularity.
Steve
Medicare was popular from its inception. It doesn’t meet the criteria I’m looking for–policies that became popular in continuing approximation after being unpopular initially.
Interesting question. Surely there are some, although if you insert “major” or “significant” before policy you might indeed end up with the null set.
The obvious follow up question is: Can you name the unpopular, less effective and more expensive policies that were repealed?
I was thinking of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments which were not popular, but passed in part due to the South’s withdrawal, military oversight over reconstruction, and partisan politics. IOW, I don’t think the policies were popular themselves in the North, and when the political and economic costs of enforcing them increased, interest waned.
I wouldn’t argue that race and slavery are not sue generis though.
I think you’re obviously looking for an example to which you can compare the ACA. I can’t think of any either, but part of that is the different political environment now vs. when most ‘signature’ legislation was written (Social Security, Medicare, and so on).
NO ONE – even those that wrote the ACA, or libertarians or socialists or liberals or conservatives – if asked to come up with a “clean sheet” health care system would come up with anything resembling the ACA. It is a product of a hypermature political system, where Obama tried (and, if we’re being honest, failed) at navigating so many groups (politicans in both parties, organized medicine, medical device manufacturers and hospitals, private insurers, people who like their private insurance, etc. etc. etc.).
I can’t think of another policy that existed in such an over-built policy environment. Certainly not social security, or the ag bill, or medicare.
I can think of one right off the top of my head: long-term care coverage (enacted and repealed under Reagan).
TimH:
I like that phrase and may even borrow it. I think it suits what I was getting at here with this:
Dave, feel free to borrow or take it. Your other comment is spot on. It’s almost farcical at times – “libertarian” tea-party Republicans at odds with Democrats over the farm bill, with the tea partiers arguing that we should have a “clean” bill (that only subsidizes farmers and keeps it from functioning anything like a free market), versus one that also includes food stamps.
Back to your original question, I think that the issue isn’t policies becoming more “popular,” merely more accepted. For example, the 16th amendment was massively controversial – and unpopular – in its day. Now no one in or near the halls of power would seriously advocate eliminating income taxes. They have become become – for better or for worse – a fabric of American life. That is “success,” not popularity per se.
“It is a product of a hypermature political system”
Well, if our current bout of political indigestion is the product of a “hypermature political system”, how would you characterize the political system of the 19th century? One that produced far, far more ferocious battles than any of the pissant foodfights we’re seeing now. A political system whose failure culminated in the most ferocious battle we’ve ever had to endure?