This article suggests that Social Democracy in America is driven by different forces than it is in many other western nations. There is not an ethic or a culture of Social Democracy in America like that of other nations. Social Democracy in America is driven by crises that result in policies patched together to solve specific problems. The Affordable Care Act is a classic example of how Social Democracy works in America. It was designed to fix an expensive healthcare system that fails to provide universal healthcare. It has been strongly challenged by powerful forces in America that furiously oppose any movement towards Social Democracy. Those forces have been active in efforts to dismantle the New Deal since it was forced upon them in response to the Great Depression. The Affordable Care Act has been attacked fiercely because it is part of a more general battle that has been going on in America since the New Deal.
The article concludes that nothing can really stop the development of Social Democracy in America for a variety of reasons. There will always be social crises and politicians will be forced to deal with them. Unfortunately, the politics will distort the solutions to the social problems that are being patched up. The Affordable Care Act is what results from the process. It is an inefficient solution to a serious social problem, but how could it be otherwise given the politics. Hopefully, it will improve over time. Social Security, for example, was improved despite efforts, which are still underway, to dismantle it.
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