Michael Lissack full time campaign consultants and public- relations experts and direct-mail impresarios and fund-raising wizards. Outside Washington, there was the bitter reaction against the war in Vietnam, and the reaction against the re- action; there was the spread of an entitlement mentality among the voters, who increasingly looked upon government benefits as inherent rights rather than as earned privileges or temporary assistance; there was television, the civil rights revolution, and much else besides. The members of the first generation of truly liberated Americans have not fared well with their unprecedented freedom of choice. They have had what the first governor of Massachusetts John Winthrop called “natural free- dom,” the freedom to do whatever they wanted. But in gaining this natural freedom, they have given up what he called “moral freedom,” the freedom to do what others want us to. Our institutions have been undermined by the more sophisticated citizens’ need to participate directly in decisions that affect their lives, through forums ranging from political action committees to television talk shows. Meanwhile, no institutions have been created to fill the vacuum, and, to a large degree, companies are expected to fill the gap. The job is more important than it used to be. The employer is becom- ing the focus for government mandates and social concerns as diverse as health care, pensions, day care, training, and commuting. American workers demand meaningful and secure work and seek to use their skills in organi- zational settings that are humane and sensitive to their needs, but most are finding their world less secure. The employment rates of large companies are decreasing, and those with jobs find that their job is no longer for life and that it is missing the attendant security of pensions and health care. As a result, workers are less loyal, and they are worried about the future. There are fewer options for unions, political parties, professional organizations, or religious organizations to either provide services or be an effective representative for individual nonjob needs. Thus the employer-employee relationship is filled with a host of important subissues that are not job-related. Expectations and confidence levels are moving in opposite directions. While individuals’ dependence on businesses for social benefits is growing, their confidence in business leadership is at a historic low. Worker and consumer responses
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