The Forgotten Man

E53606

The Forgotten Man is an influential 19th-century political and sociological essay by William Graham Sumner that critiques government intervention and highlights the overlooked burdens placed on ordinary taxpayers.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf essay
political essay
sociological essay
associatedWith Yale University
author William Graham Sumner
countryOfOrigin United States
criticizes government intervention in the economy
redistributive policies
state-led social reform
discipline economics
political science
sociology
focusesOn burdens of taxation
ordinary taxpayer
unintended consequences of reform
genre political philosophy
social theory
hasInfluenced American political discourse
conservative thought in the United States
libertarian thought in the United States
hasSubject economic freedom
role of the state in charity
taxpayers in welfare policies
historicalContext Gilded Age United States
influencedBy classical economics
social Darwinism
intendedAudience educated American public
keyConcept costs of social legislation
individual responsibility
limited government
the "forgotten man" as the unnoticed taxpayer
language English
mainTopic classical liberalism
government intervention
individual liberty
laissez-faire
public policy
social reform
taxation
notableQuote "The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D."
partOf American political thought
philosophicalTradition classical liberalism
libertarianism
portrays the taxpayer as "C" in reform schemes
publicationCentury 19th century
publicationForm essay
workOf William Graham Sumner

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
William Graham Sumner
William Graham Sumner ("The Forgotten Man and Other Essays")
notableWork

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