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108-654: In February 1927, President Calvin Coolidge issued a call to the Big Five Powers to meet in Geneva to confront the issue of naval rivalries, as a result of discussions about naval arms limitations at League of Nations disarmament meetings. Britain and Japan accepted the invitation, but France and Italy (the other nations which had signed the Washington Treaty) declined. The Washington Treaty had defined

216-511: A Congregational mystic who had a neo-Hegelian philosophy. Coolidge explained Garman's ethics forty years later: [T]here is a standard of righteousness that might does not make right, that the end does not justify the means, and that expediency as a working principle is bound to fail. The only hope of perfecting human relationships is in accordance with the law of service under which men are not so solicitous about what they shall get as they are about what they shall give. Yet people are entitled to

324-557: A non-interventionist foreign policy while supporting lower taxes and less government spending . As of 2020, 39% of Americans polled considered themselves "economically conservative". Because of its close proximity to the United States, the term has entered the lexicon in Canada. In many other countries, economic liberalism or simply liberalism is used to describe what Americans call fiscal conservatism. Fiscal conservatism

432-615: A 35% income tax rate for corporations. The 1993 Budget Act also cut taxes for fifteen million low-income families and 90% of small businesses. Additionally during the Clinton years, the PAYGO (pay-as-you-go) system originally introduced with the passing of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 (which required that all increases in direct spending or revenue decreases be offset by other spending decreases or revenue increases and

540-561: A candidate in his state senate district, Coolidge won reelection against his Democratic opponent by an increased margin. In the 1913 session, Coolidge enjoyed renowned success in arduously navigating to passage the Western Trolley Act, which connected Northampton with a dozen similar industrial communities in Western Massachusetts . Coolidge intended to retire after his second term as was the custom, but when

648-476: A federal oath. This second oath-taking remained a secret until it was revealed by Harry M. Daugherty in 1932, and confirmed by Hoehling. When Hoehling confirmed Daugherty's story, he indicated that Daugherty, then serving as United States Attorney General , asked him to administer the oath without fanfare at the Willard Hotel . According to Hoehling, he did not question Daugherty's reason for requesting

756-456: A fiscal conservative and expressed his definition of the term at the 2007 British Conservative Party Conference, stating: To me, fiscal conservatism means balancing budgets – not running deficits that the next generation can't afford. It means improving the efficiency of delivering services by finding innovative ways to do more with less. It means cutting taxes when possible and prudent to do so, raising them overall only when necessary to balance

864-674: A fourth term, Coolidge announced his intention to run for governor. Coolidge was unopposed for the Republican nomination for Governor of Massachusetts in 1918 . He and his running mate, Channing Cox , a Boston lawyer and Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives , ran on the previous administration's record: fiscal conservatism , a vague opposition to Prohibition , support for women's suffrage, and support for American involvement in World War I . The issue of

972-580: A graduate of the University of Vermont and a teacher at Northampton's Clarke School for the Deaf . They married on October 4, 1905, at 2:30 p.m. in a small ceremony which took place in the parlor of Grace's family's house, having overcome her mother's objections to the marriage. The newlyweds went on a honeymoon trip to Montreal , originally planned for two weeks but cut short by a week at Coolidge's request. After 25 years he wrote of Grace, "for almost

1080-541: A heart attack in San Francisco while on a speaking tour of the western United States. Vice President Coolidge was in Vermont visiting his family home , which had neither electricity nor a telephone, when he received word by messenger of Harding's death. Coolidge dressed, said a prayer, and came downstairs to greet the reporters who had assembled. His father, a notary public and justice of the peace , administered

1188-502: A little over a week later at the age of 16. The President never forgave himself for Calvin Jr's death. His eldest son John said it "hurt [Coolidge] terribly", and psychiatric biographer Robert E. Gilbert, author of The Tormented President: Calvin Coolidge, Death, and Clinical Depression , said that Coolidge "ceased to function as President after the death of his sixteen-year-old son". Gilbert explains in his book how Coolidge displayed all ten of

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1296-813: A particular emphasis. Deficit hawks emphasize balancing government budgets and reducing the size of government debt, viewing government debt as economically damaging and morally dubious since it passes on obligations on to future generations who have played no part in present-day tax and spending decisions. Deficit hawks are willing to consider tax increases if the additional revenue is used to reduce debt rather than increase spending. A second group put their main emphasis on tax cuts rather than spending cuts or debt reduction. Many embrace supply-side economics , arguing that as high taxes discourage economic activity and investment, tax cuts would result in economic growth leading in turn to higher government revenues. According to them, these additional government revenues would reduce

1404-632: A percentage of GDP are indicative of the process: Fiscal conservatism was rhetorically promoted during the presidency of Republican Ronald Reagan (1981–1989). During Reagan's tenure, the top personal income tax bracket dropped from 70% to 28% while payroll taxes and the effective tax rates on the lower two income quintiles increased. Reagan cut the maximum capital gains tax from 28% to 20%, though in his second term he raised it back up to 28%. He successfully increased defense spending, but conversely liberal Democrats blocked his efforts to cut domestic spending. Real GDP growth recovered strongly after

1512-404: A pickle." Coolidge and his wife, Grace, who was a great baseball fan, once attended a Washington Senators game and sat through all nine innings without saying a word, except once when he asked her the time. As president, Coolidge's reputation as a quiet man continued. "The words of a President have an enormous weight," he would later write, "and ought not to be used indiscriminately." Coolidge

1620-668: A policeman does not strike. That night and the next, there was sporadic violence and rioting in the unruly city. Peters, concerned about sympathy strikes by the firemen and others, called up some units of the Massachusetts National Guard stationed in the Boston area pursuant to an old and obscure legal authority, and relieved Curtis of duty. Coolidge, sensing the severity of circumstances were then in need of his intervention, conferred with Crane's operative, William Butler, and then acted. He called up more units of

1728-508: A premium upon concise and short speeches. On November 2, 1920, Harding and Coolidge were victorious in a landslide, winning more than 60 percent of the popular vote, including every state outside the South. They also won in Tennessee , the first time a Republican ticket had won a Southern state since Reconstruction . The U.S. vice-presidency did not carry many official duties, but Coolidge

1836-468: A quarter of a century she has borne with my infirmities and I have rejoiced in her graces". The Coolidges had two sons: John (1906–2000) and Calvin Jr. (1908–1924). On June 30, 1924, Calvin Jr. had played tennis with his brother on the White House tennis courts without putting on socks and developed a blister on one of his toes. The blister subsequently degenerated into sepsis . Calvin Jr. died

1944-455: A ratio of 5:5:3:1.75:1.75 in the strength of capital ships (battleships and battlecruisers) between Britain, the United States, Japan, France, and Italy respectively. The USA sought to use the Geneva conference to extend this ratio to smaller craft, allowing both Britain and themselves cruisers with a total displacement of 300,000 tons, with the Japanese allowed 180,000 tons. At the same time,

2052-409: A reputation as a small-government conservative with a taciturn personality and dry sense of humor that earned him the nickname "Silent Cal". His widespread popularity enabled him to run for a second full term, but Coolidge chose not to run again in 1928 , remarking that ten years as president would be "longer than any other man has had it—too long!" During his gubernatorial career, Coolidge ran on

2160-680: A second oath-taking but assumed it was to resolve any doubt about whether the first swearing-in was valid. Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other Fiscal conservatism Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other In American political theory , fiscal conservatism or economic conservatism

2268-529: A statewide reputation as a prosperous farmer, storekeeper, and public servant. He held various local offices, including justice of the peace and tax collector and served in both houses of the Vermont General Assembly . When Coolidge was 12 years old, his chronically ill mother died at the age of 39, perhaps from tuberculosis . His younger sister, Abigail Grace Coolidge (1875–1890), died at the age of 15, probably of appendicitis, when Coolidge

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2376-508: A third-party candidacy, Perot received 18.9% of the popular vote (the largest percentage of any third-party candidate in modern history), largely on the basis of his central platform plank of limited-government, balanced-budget fiscal conservatism. While the mantle of fiscal conservatism is most commonly claimed by Republicans and libertarians , it is also claimed in some ways by many centrist or moderate Democrats who often refer to themselves as New Democrats . Although not supportive of

2484-409: Is a political and economic philosophy regarding fiscal policy and fiscal responsibility with an ideological basis in capitalism , individualism , limited government , and laissez-faire economics. Fiscal conservatives advocate tax cuts , reduced government spending , free markets , deregulation , privatization , free trade , and minimal government debt . Fiscal conservatism follows

2592-440: Is the economic philosophy of prudence in government spending and debt. The principles of capitalism , limited government , and laissez-faire economics form its ideological foundation. Fiscal conservatives advocate the avoidance of deficit spending , the lowering of taxes , and the reduction of overall government spending and national debt whilst ensuring balanced budgets . In other words, fiscal conservatives are against

2700-471: Is without any foundation." Coolidge often seemed uncomfortable among fashionable Washington society; when asked why he continued to attend so many of their dinner parties, he replied, "Got to eat somewhere." Alice Roosevelt Longworth , a leading Republican wit, underscored Coolidge's silence and his dour personality: "When he wished he were elsewhere, he pursed his lips, folded his arms, and said nothing. He looked then precisely as though he had been weaned on

2808-543: The American Federation of Labor issued a charter to the Boston Police Union. Curtis declared the union's leaders were guilty of insubordination and would be relieved of duty, but indicated he would cancel their suspension if the union was dissolved by September 4. The mayor of Boston, Andrew Peters , convinced Curtis to delay his action for a few days, but with no results, and Curtis suspended

2916-651: The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution . "Opinions and instructions do not outmatch the Constitution," he said in his veto message. "Against it, they are void." At the 1920 Republican National Convention , most of the delegates were selected by state party caucuses, not primaries. As such, the field was divided among many local favorites. Coolidge was one such candidate, and while he placed as high as sixth in

3024-555: The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 , which granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans, and oversaw a period of rapid and expansive economic growth known as the " Roaring Twenties ", leaving office with considerable popularity. He was known for his hands-off governing approach and pro-business stances; biographer Claude Fuess wrote: "He embodied the spirit and hopes of the middle class, could interpret their longings and express their opinions. That he did represent

3132-713: The Liberal Party to create and expand the welfare state before and after World War II. Fiscal conservatism in Canada is generally referred to as blue Toryism when it is present within the Conservative Party of Canada . In Alberta, fiscal conservatism is represented by the United Conservative Party . In Ontario, fiscal conservatism is represented by the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario . The term

3240-983: The Revolutionary War and one of the first selectmen of the town of Plymouth. His grandfather Calvin Galusha Coolidge served in the Vermont House of Representatives. His cousin Park Pollard was a businessman in Cavendish, Vermont and the longtime chair of the Vermont Democratic Party. Coolidge was also a descendant of Samuel Appleton , who settled in Ipswich and led the Massachusetts Bay Colony during King Philip's War . Coolidge's mother

3348-504: The direct election of Senators . While in Boston, Coolidge became an ally, and then a liegeman, of then U.S. Senator Winthrop Murray Crane who controlled the western faction of the Massachusetts Republican Party; Crane's party rival in the east of the commonwealth was U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge . Coolidge forged another key strategic alliance with Guy Currier , who had served in both state houses and had

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3456-651: The elections gave the Republicans a majority in the House of Representatives , newly minted Speaker of the House Gingrich pushed aggressively for reduced government spending which created a confrontation with the White House that climaxed in the 1995–1996 government shutdown . After Clinton's re-election in 1996, they were able to cooperate and pass the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 which lowered

3564-538: The oath of office in the family's parlor by the light of a kerosene lamp at 2:47 a.m. on August 3, 1923, whereupon the new President of the United States returned to bed. Coolidge returned to Washington the next day, and was sworn in again by Justice Adolph A. Hoehling Jr. of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia , to forestall any questions about the authority of a state official to administer

3672-490: The president of the state senate , Levi H. Greenwood , considered running for lieutenant governor, Coolidge decided to run again for the Senate in the hopes of being elected as its presiding officer. Although Greenwood later decided to run for reelection to the Senate, he was defeated primarily due to his opposition to women's suffrage; Coolidge was in favor of the women's vote, won his re-election, and with Crane's help, assumed

3780-483: The 1982 recession, growing at an annual rate of 3.4% for the rest of his time in office. Unemployment dropped after peaking at over 10.7% percent in 1982, and inflation decreased significantly. Federal tax receipts nearly doubled from $ 517 billion in 1980 to $ 1,032 billion in 1990. Employment grew at about the same rate as population. According to a United States Department of the Treasury nonpartisan economic study,

3888-504: The American beer industry by making it legal to sell malt , hops and yeast to American home brewers for the first time since the effective 1920 beginning of Prohibition in the United States . This Carter deregulation led to an increase in home brewing over the 1980s and 1990s that by the 2000s had developed into a strong craft microbrew culture in the United States, with 3,418 micro breweries, brewpubs and regional craft breweries in

3996-776: The Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt , for vice president. The question of the United States joining the League of Nations was a major issue in the campaign, as was the unfinished legacy of Progressivism . Harding ran a " front-porch" campaign from his home in Marion, Ohio , but Coolidge took to the campaign trail in the Upper South , New York, and New England – his audiences carefully limited to those familiar with Coolidge and those placing

4104-789: The British Labour Party rather than liberal parties. Many liberal parties in Western Europe tend to adhere to classical liberalism , with the Free Democratic Party in Germany being one example. The Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom have a classical liberal and a social liberal wing of the party. In many countries, liberalism or economic liberalism is used to describe what Americans call fiscal conservatism. Fiscal conservatism in

4212-680: The British and US delegations recognized a greater shared interest and the need to cut government expenditure as a result of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. These events focused minds on the need to reach an agreement. Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr. / ˈ k uː l ɪ dʒ / KOOL -ij ; July 4, 1872 – January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of

4320-508: The CBO estimated that the Bush tax cuts added about $ 1.5 trillion to deficits and debt from 2002 to 2011 and it would have added nearly $ 3 trillion to deficits and debt over the 2010–2019 decade if fully extended at all income levels. A third group makes little distinction between debt and taxes. This group emphasizes reduction in spending rather than tax policy or debt reduction. They argue that

4428-601: The Hampshire County area retired and successfully encouraged Coolidge to run for his seat for the 1912 session; Coolidge defeated his Democratic opponent by a large margin. At the start of that term, he became chairman of a committee to arbitrate the " Bread and Roses " strike by the workers of the American Woolen Company in Lawrence, Massachusetts . After two tense months, the company agreed to

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4536-582: The National Guard, restored Curtis to office, and took personal control of the police force. Curtis proclaimed that all of the strikers were fired from their jobs, and Coolidge called for a new police force to be recruited. That night Coolidge received a telegram from AFL leader Samuel Gompers . "Whatever disorder has occurred", Gompers wrote, "is due to Curtis's order in which the right of the policemen has been denied…" Coolidge publicly answered Gompers's telegram, denying any justification whatsoever for

4644-431: The Senate by an increased margin in the 1914 elections, Coolidge was reelected unanimously to be President of the Senate. Coolidge's supporters, led by fellow Amherst alumnus Frank Stearns , encouraged him again to run for lieutenant governor. Stearns, an executive with the Boston department store R. H. Stearns, became another key ally, and began a publicity campaign on Coolidge's behalf before he announced his candidacy at

4752-471: The US was the minimum required to win a war against the US. Since the 70% ratio had not been achieved with battleships, it was particularly important to retain it for cruisers. However, since the British and American delegations were unable to reach agreement, Japanese objections were not crucial to the failure of the summit. In the end, the participants at the conference failed to reach a binding agreement regarding

4860-525: The USA wanted to avoid further restrictions on the sizes of individual ships. Under the Washington Treaty, each nation was allowed to build cruisers of up to 10,000 tons displacement carrying 8-inch guns. In practice this had also become a minimum figure, with navies competing to design cruisers of exactly 10,000 tons displacement. The US's negotiating position, on which it was unwilling to compromise,

4968-429: The United Kingdom was arguably most popular during the premiership of Conservative Margaret Thatcher . After a number of years of deficit spending under the previous Labour government, Thatcher advocated spending cuts and selective tax increases to balance the budget. As a result of the deterioration in the United Kingdom's public finances—according to fiscal conservatives caused by another spate of deficit spending under

5076-543: The United States forms the historical foundation for modern fiscal conservatism. Kathleen G. Donohue argues that classical liberalism in the 19th century United States was distinct from its counterpart in Britain: [A]t the center of classical liberal theory [in Europe] was the idea of laissez-faire . To the vast majority of American classical liberals, however, laissez-faire did not mean no government intervention at all. On

5184-462: The United States , serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican lawyer from Massachusetts , he previously served as the 29th vice president from 1921 to 1923 and as the 48th governor of Massachusetts from 1919 to 1921. Elected vice president in 1920 , he succeeded to the presidency upon the sudden death of President Warren G. Harding in August 1923. Elected in his own right in 1924 , Coolidge gained

5292-628: The United States . In the United States, the term liberalism has become associated with the welfare state and expanded regulatory policies created as a result of the New Deal and its offshoots from the 1930s onwards. Fiscal conservatives formed one of the three legs of the traditional American conservative movement that emerged during the 1950s together with social conservatism and national defense conservatism. Many Americans who are classical liberals also tend to identify as libertarian , holding more cultural liberal views and advocating

5400-427: The United States by the end of 2014. Public debt as a percentage of GDP fell rapidly in the post-World War II period and reached a low in 1974 under Richard Nixon . Debt as a share of GDP has consistently increased since then, except under Carter and Bill Clinton . The United States national debt rose during the 1980s as Ronald Reagan cut tax rates and increased military spending. The numbers of public debt as

5508-430: The budget, and only in combination with spending cuts. It means when you run a surplus, you save it; you don't squander it. And most importantly, being a fiscal conservative means preparing for the inevitable economic downturns – and by all indications, we've got one coming. While the term "fiscal conservatism" would imply budget deficits would be lower under conservatives (i.e., Republicans), this has not historically been

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5616-429: The burden on the taxpayer, writing "it is to the property of the citizen, and not to the demands of the creditor of the state, that the first and original faith of civil society is pledged. The claim of the citizen is prior in time, paramount in title, superior in equity. The fortunes of individuals, whether possessed by acquisition or by descent or in virtue of a participation in the goods of some community, were no part of

5724-400: The case. Economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson reported in 2016 that budget deficits since WW2 tended to be smaller under Democratic Party presidents, at 2.1% potential GDP versus 2.8% potential GDP for Republican presidents, a difference of about 0.7% GDP. They wrote that higher budget deficits should theoretically have boosted the economy more for Republicans, and therefore cannot explain

5832-479: The contrary, they were more than willing to see government provide tariffs, railroad subsidies, and internal improvements, all of which benefited producers. What they condemned was intervention in behalf of consumers. Economic liberalism owes its ideological creation to the classical liberalism tradition in the vein of Adam Smith , Friedrich Hayek , Milton Friedman , Ayn Rand , and Ludwig von Mises . They provided moral justifications for free markets. Liberals of

5940-529: The country's economic boom to help struggling farmers and workers in other flailing industries, and there is still much debate among historians as to the extent to which Coolidge's economic policies contributed to the onset of the Great Depression . John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was born on July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch , Vermont —the only U.S. president to be born on Independence Day . He

6048-651: The county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts . In 1897, Coolidge was admitted to the Massachusetts bar , becoming a country lawyer . With his savings and a small inheritance from his grandfather, Coolidge opened his own law office in Northampton in 1898. He practiced commercial law, believing that he served his clients best by staying out of court. As his reputation as a hard-working and diligent attorney grew, local banks and other businesses began to retain his services. In 1903, Coolidge met Grace Goodhue ,

6156-486: The creditor's security, expressed or implied. ... [T]he public, whether represented by a monarch or by a senate, can pledge nothing but the public estate; and it can have no public estate except in what it derives from a just and proportioned imposition upon the citizens at large". Although all fiscal conservatives agree generally on a smaller and less expensive government, there are disagreements over priorities. There are three main factions or subgroups, each advocating for

6264-492: The debt in the long term. They also argue for reducing taxes even if it were to lead to short term increases in the deficit. Some supply-siders have advocated that the increases in revenue through tax cuts make drastic cuts in spending unnecessary. However, the Congressional Budget Office has consistently reported that income tax cuts increase deficits and debt and do not pay for themselves. For example,

6372-556: The distribution of naval tonnage. The question of limitations on cruiser tonnage was raised again at the London Naval Conference of 1930, resulting in the London Naval Treaty . The London Conference succeeded where Geneva failed, with the US being permitted a larger number of heavy cruisers than Britain, but Britain being permitted a larger number of light cruisers. Agreement was reached in part because

6480-517: The end of the 1915 legislative session. Coolidge entered the primary election for lieutenant governor and was nominated to run alongside gubernatorial candidate Samuel W. McCall . Coolidge was the leading vote-getter in the Republican primary, and balanced the Republican ticket by adding a western presence to McCall's eastern base of support. McCall and Coolidge won the 1915 election to their respective one-year terms, with Coolidge defeating his opponent by more than 50,000 votes. In Massachusetts,

6588-497: The genius of the average is the most convincing proof of his strength." Scholars have ranked Coolidge in the lower half of U.S. presidents. He gains nearly universal praise for his stalwart support of racial equality during a period of heightened racial tension in the nation, and is highly praised by advocates of smaller government and laissez-faire economics; supporters of an active central government generally view him far less favorably. His critics argue that he failed to use

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6696-539: The government expanding beyond its means through debt, but they will usually choose debt over tax increases. They strongly believe in libertarian principles such as individualism and free enterprise , and advocate deregulation , privatization , and free trade . In his Reflections on the Revolution in France , Edmund Burke argued that a government does not have the right to run up large debts and then throw

6804-496: The greater GDP growth under Democrats. As a result of the expansion of the welfare state and increased regulatory policies by the Roosevelt administration beginning in the 1930s, in the United States the term liberalism has today become associated with modern rather than classical liberalism. In Western Europe, the expanded welfare states created after World War II were created by socialist or social-democratic parties such as

6912-467: The incumbent Democrat retired. He was well liked in the town, and defeated his challenger by a vote of 1,597 to 1,409. During his first term (1910 to 1911), he increased teachers' salaries and retired some of the city's debt while still managing to effect a slight tax decrease. He was renominated in 1911, and defeated the same opponent by a slightly larger margin. In 1911, the State Senator for

7020-579: The lieutenant governor does not preside over the state Senate, as is the case in many other states; nevertheless, as lieutenant governor, Coolidge was a deputy governor functioning as an administrative inspector and was a member of the governor's council. He was also chairman of the finance committee and the pardons committee. As a full-time elected official, Coolidge discontinued his law practice in 1916, though his family continued to live in Northampton. McCall and Coolidge were both reelected in 1916 and again in 1917. When McCall decided that he would not stand for

7128-533: The local Republican committee nominated Coolidge for election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives . He won a close victory over the incumbent Democrat, and reported to Boston for the 1907 session of the Massachusetts General Court . In his freshman term, Coolidge served on minor committees and, although he usually voted with the party, was known as a Progressive Republican , voting in favor of such measures as women's suffrage and

7236-473: The major tax bills enacted under Reagan caused federal revenue to fall by an amount equal to roughly 1% of GDP. Although Reagan did not offset the increase in federal government spending or reduce the deficit, his accomplishments are more notable when expressed as a percent of the gross domestic product. Federal spending fell from 22.2% of the GDP to 21.2%. By the end of Reagan's second term, the national debt held by

7344-408: The nation and some of Coolidge's speeches were published in book form. He faced the same opponent as in 1918, Richard Long, but this time Coolidge defeated him by 125,101 votes, more than seven times his margin of victory from a year earlier. His actions in the police strike, combined with the massive electoral victory, led to suggestions that Coolidge run for president in 1920. By the time Coolidge

7452-465: The nation had seen a rising star. Although he usually acted with deliberation, the Boston police strike gave him a national reputation as a decisive leader, and as a strict enforcer of law and order. Coolidge and Cox were renominated for their respective offices in 1919 . By this time Coolidge's supporters (especially Stearns) had publicized his actions in the Police Strike around the state and

7560-566: The presidency of a closely divided Senate. After his election in January 1914, Coolidge delivered a published and frequently quoted speech entitled Have Faith in Massachusetts , which summarized his philosophy of government. Coolidge's speech was well received, and he attracted some admirers on its account; towards the end of the term, many of them were proposing his name for nomination to lieutenant governor. After winning reelection to

7668-560: The previous Labour government, the late-2000s recession and by the European sovereign debt crisis —the Cameron–Clegg coalition (Conservative–Liberal Democrats) embarked on an austerity programme featuring a combination of spending cuts and tax rises in an attempt to halve the deficit and eliminate the structural deficit over the five-year parliament. In Canada, the rise of the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation pushed

7776-415: The public increased by almost 60% and the total debt equalled $ 2.6 trillion. In fewer than eight years, the United States went from being the world's largest creditor nation to the world's largest debtor nation. In the 1992 presidential election, Ross Perot , a successful American businessman, ran as a third-party candidate. Despite significant campaign stumbles and the uphill struggles involved in mounting

7884-572: The record of fiscal conservatism , strong support for women's suffrage , and vague opposition to Prohibition . His prompt and effective response to the Boston police strike of 1919 thrust him into the national spotlight as a man of decisive action. During his presidency, he restored public confidence in the White House after the many scandals of the Harding administration . He signed into law

7992-399: The reduction of the 10,000-ton and 8-inch limit for newly constructed cruisers. The British estimated they needed 70 cruisers totalling 560,000 tons displacement (i.e. averaging 8,000 tons each), almost twice the total tonnage of the American proposal. The principal Japanese concern was to avoid a repetition of the 5:5:3 ratio. The Japanese naval staff felt that a fleet 70% the size of that of

8100-518: The rewards of their industry. What they earn is theirs, no matter how small or how great. But the possession of property carries the obligation to use it in a larger service... At his father's urging after graduation, Coolidge moved to Northampton, Massachusetts , to become a lawyer. Coolidge followed the common practice of apprenticing with a local law firm, Hammond & Field, and reading law with them. John C. Hammond and Henry P. Field, both Amherst graduates, introduced Coolidge to practicing law in

8208-469: The same philosophical outlook as classical liberalism . This concept is derived from economic liberalism. The term has its origins in the era of the American New Deal during the 1930s as a result of the policies initiated by modern liberals , when many classical liberals started calling themselves conservatives as they did not wish to be identified with what was passing for liberalism in

8316-494: The social distinction, wealth, personal charm and broad circle of friends which Coolidge lacked, and which would have a lasting impact on his political career. In 1907, he was elected to a second term, and in the 1908 session Coolidge was more outspoken, though not in a leadership position. Instead of vying for another term in the State House , Coolidge returned home to his growing family and ran for mayor of Northampton when

8424-608: The somewhat fiscally conservative Third Way advocating Democratic Leadership Council , is a prime example of this as his administration along with the Democratic-majority congress of 1993 passed on a party-line vote the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 which cut government spending, created a 36% individual income tax bracket, raised the top tax bracket which encompassed the top 1.2% earning taxpayers from 31% to 39.6% and created

8532-583: The strike – and his response launched him into the national consciousness. Newspapers across the nation picked up on Coolidge's statement and he became the newest hero to opponents of the strike. Amid of the First Red Scare , many Americans were terrified of the spread of communist revolutions, like those that had taken place in Russia , Hungary , and Germany . While Coolidge had lost some friends among organized labor, conservatives across

8640-571: The successful period of economic growth known as the Roaring Twenties . However, his actions may have been due more to a sense of federalism than fiscal conservatism as Robert Sobel notes: "As Governor of Massachusetts, Coolidge supported wages and hours legislation, opposed child labor, imposed economic controls during World War I, favored safety measures in factories, and even worker representation on corporate boards". Contrary to popular opinion, then-Republican President Herbert Hoover

8748-788: The symptoms listed by the American Psychiatric Association as evidence of major depressive disorder following Calvin Jr.'s sudden death. John later became a railroad executive, helped to start the Coolidge Foundation, and was instrumental in creating the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site . Coolidge was frugal, and when it came to securing a home, he insisted upon renting. He and his wife attended Northampton's Edwards Congregational Church before and after his presidency. The Republican Party

8856-486: The tax rates the same, while trimming $ 4 million from expenditures, thus allowing the state to retire some of its debt. Coolidge also wielded the veto pen as governor. His most publicized veto prevented an increase in legislators' pay by 50%. Although he was personally opposed to Prohibition, he vetoed a bill in May 1920 that would have allowed the sale of beer or wine of 2.75% alcohol or less , in Massachusetts in violation of

8964-416: The time, in contrast to modern ones, disliked government authority and preferred individualism . They saw free market capitalism as the preferable means of achieving economic ends. In the early 20th century, fiscal conservatives were often at odds with progressives who desired economic reform. During the 1920s, Republican President Calvin Coolidge 's pro-business economic policies were credited for

9072-441: The top capital gains tax rate from 28% to 20% and the 15% rate to 10%. After this combination of tax hikes and spending reductions, the United States was able to create budget surpluses from fiscal years 1998–2001 (the first time since 1969) and the longest period of sustained economic growth in United States history. American businessman, politician and former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg considers himself

9180-462: The true cost of government is the level of spending not how that spending is financed. Every dollar that the government spends is a dollar taken from workers, regardless of whether it is from debt or taxes. Taxes simply redistribute purchasing power; it does so in a particularly inefficient manner, reducing the incentives to produce or hire and borrowing simply forces businesses and investors to anticipate higher taxes later on. Classical liberalism in

9288-434: The union leaders on September 8. The following day, about three-quarters of the policemen in Boston went on strike. Coolidge, tacitly but fully in support of Curtis' position, closely monitored the situation but initially deferred to the local authorities. He anticipated that only a resulting measure of lawlessness could sufficiently prompt the public to understand and appreciate the controlling principle – that

9396-508: The voting, the powerful party bosses running the convention, primarily the party's U.S. Senators, never considered him seriously. After ten ballots, the bosses and then the delegates settled on Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio as their nominee for president. When the time came to select a vice presidential nominee, the bosses also made and announced their decision on whom they wanted – Sen. Irvine Lenroot of Wisconsin – and then prematurely departed after his name

9504-532: The war proved divisive, especially among Irish and German Americans . Coolidge was elected by a margin of 16,773 votes over his opponent, Richard H. Long , in the smallest margin of victory of any of his statewide campaigns. In 1919, in reaction to a plan of the policemen of the Boston Police Department to register with a union , Police Commissioner Edwin U. Curtis announced that such an act would not be tolerated. In August of that year,

9612-535: The wide range tax cut policies that were often enacted during the Reagan and Bush administrations, the New Democrat coalition's primary economic agenda differed from the traditional philosophy held by liberal Democrats and sided with the fiscal conservative belief that a balanced federal budget should take precedence over some spending programs. Former President Bill Clinton , who was a New Democrat and part of

9720-422: The workers' demands, in a settlement proposed by the committee. A major issue affecting Massachusetts Republicans that year was the party split between the progressive wing, which favored Theodore Roosevelt , and the conservative wing, which favored William Howard Taft . Although he favored some progressive measures, Coolidge refused to leave the Republican party. When the new Progressive Party declined to run

9828-522: Was 18. Coolidge's father married a Plymouth schoolteacher in 1891, and lived to the age of 80. Coolidge's family had deep roots in New England . His earliest American ancestor, John Coolidge emigrated from Cottenham , Cambridgeshire , England , around 1630 and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts . Coolidge's great-great-grandfather, also named John Coolidge, was an American military officer in

9936-545: Was a plan to build 25 heavy cruisers of 10,000 tons displacement (250,000 tons total). Britain, by contrast, was prepared to accept parity with the US in its cruiser fleet, so long as the Royal Navy was able to maintain the very large cruiser force, if necessary of smaller and cheaper ships, which it felt was necessary to protect the long trade routes and imperial commitments of the British Empire . Britain proposed

10044-495: Was a unifying cause for a significant caucus of Republicans through even the presidencies of Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower . Barry Goldwater was a famous champion of both the socially and fiscally conservative Republicans. In 1977, Democratic President Jimmy Carter appointed Alfred E. Kahn , a professor of economics at Cornell University , to be chair of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). He

10152-569: Was aware of his stiff reputation; indeed, he cultivated it. "I think the American people want a solemn ass as a President," he once told Ethel Barrymore , "and I think I will go along with them." Some historians suggest that Coolidge's image was created deliberately as a campaign tactic, while others believe his withdrawn and quiet behavior to be natural, deepening after the death of his son in 1924. Dorothy Parker , upon learning that Coolidge had died, reportedly remarked, "How can they tell?" On August 2, 1923, President Harding died unexpectedly from

10260-486: Was chosen City Solicitor by the City Council. He was elected for a one-year term in 1900, and reelected in 1901. This position gave Coolidge more experience as a lawyer and paid a salary of $ 600 (equivalent to $ 21,974 in 2023). In 1902, the city council selected a Democrat for city solicitor, and Coolidge returned to private practice. Soon thereafter, however, the clerk of courts for the county died, and Coolidge

10368-438: Was chosen to replace him. The position paid well, but it barred him from practicing law, so he remained at the job for only one year. In 1904, Coolidge suffered his sole defeat at the ballot box, losing an election to the Northampton school board . When told that some of his neighbors voted against him because he had no children in the schools he would govern, the recently married Coolidge replied, "Might give me time!" In 1906,

10476-737: Was dominant in New England at the time, and Coolidge followed the example of Hammond and Field by becoming active in local politics. In 1896, Coolidge campaigned for Republican presidential candidate William McKinley , and was selected to be a member of the Republican City Committee the next year. In 1898, he won election to the City Council of Northampton, placing second in a ward where the top three candidates were elected. The position offered no salary but provided Coolidge with valuable political experience. In 1899, he

10584-469: Was inaugurated on January 2, 1919, the First World War had ended, and Coolidge pushed the legislature to give a $ 100 bonus (equivalent to $ 1,757 in 2023) to Massachusetts veterans. He also signed a bill reducing the work week for women and children from fifty-four hours to forty-eight, saying, "We must humanize the industry, or the system will break down." He signed into law a budget that kept

10692-469: Was invited by President Harding to attend cabinet meetings, making him the first vice president to do so. He gave a number of unremarkable speeches around the country. As vice president, Coolidge and his vivacious wife Grace were invited to quite a few parties, where the legend of "Silent Cal" was born. It is from this time that most of the jokes and anecdotes involving Coolidge originate, such as Coolidge being "silent in five languages". Although Coolidge

10800-433: Was known to be a skilled and effective public speaker, in private he was a man of few words and was commonly referred to as "Silent Cal". An apocryphal story has it that a person seated next to him at a dinner said to him, "I made a bet today that I could get more than two words out of you." He replied, "You lose." However, on April 22, 1924, Coolidge himself said that the "You lose" quotation never occurred. The story about it

10908-475: Was not a fiscal conservative. He promoted government intervention during the early Great Depression , a policy that his successor, Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt , continued and increased despite campaigning to the contrary. Coolidge's economic policies are often popularly contrasted with the New Deal deficit spending of Roosevelt and Republican Party opposition to Roosevelt's government spending

11016-599: Was part of a push for deregulation of the industry, supported by leading economists, leading think tanks in Washington, a civil society coalition advocating the reform (patterned on a coalition earlier developed for the truck-and-rail-reform efforts), the head of the regulatory agency, Senate leadership, the Carter administration and even some in the airline industry. This coalition swiftly gained legislative results in 1978. The Airline Deregulation Act ( Pub.L. 95–504 )

11124-432: Was put forth, relying on the rank and file to confirm their decision. A delegate from Oregon , Wallace McCamant , having read Have Faith in Massachusetts , proposed Coolidge for vice president instead. The suggestion caught on quickly with the masses starving for an act of independence from the absent bosses, and Coolidge was unexpectedly nominated. The Democrats nominated another Ohioan, James M. Cox , for president and

11232-563: Was related by Frank B. Noyes, President of the Associated Press , to their membership at their annual luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, when toasting and introducing Coolidge, who was the invited speaker. After the introduction and before his prepared remarks, Coolidge said to the membership, "Your President [referring to Noyes] has given you a perfect example of one of those rumors now current in Washington which

11340-568: Was signed into law by President Carter on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry of new airlines from commercial aviation . The CAB's powers of regulation were to be phased out, eventually allowing market forces to determine routes and fares. The Act did not remove or diminish the Federal Aviation Administration 's regulatory powers over all aspects of airline safety. In 1979, Carter deregulated

11448-579: Was the daughter of Hiram Dunlap Moor, a Plymouth Notch farmer, and Abigail Franklin. Coolidge attended the Black River Academy and then St. Johnsbury Academy before enrolling at Amherst College , where he distinguished himself in the debating class. As a senior, he joined the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and graduated cum laude . While at Amherst, Coolidge was profoundly influenced by philosophy professor Charles Edward Garman ,

11556-549: Was the elder of the two children of John Calvin Coolidge Sr. (1845–1926) and Victoria Josephine Moor (1846–1885). Although named for his father, from early childhood Coolidge was addressed by his middle name. The name Calvin was used in multiple generations of the Coolidge family, apparently selected in honor of John Calvin , the Protestant Reformer . Coolidge Senior engaged in many occupations and developed

11664-543: Was very popular with deficit hawks ) had gone into effect and was used regularly until the system's expiration in 2002. In the 1994 midterm elections , Republicans ran on a platform that included fiscal responsibility drafted by then-Congressman Newt Gingrich called the Contract with America which advocated such things as balancing the budget, providing the President with a line-item veto and welfare reform . After

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