The Forgotten Man

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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.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
The Forgotten Man canonical 1
The Forgotten Man and Other Essays 1

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf essay
political essay
sociological essay
associatedWith Yale University
author William Graham Sumner
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: 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
surface form: 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

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Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

William Graham Sumner notableWork The Forgotten Man
Sumner notableWork The Forgotten Man
subject surface form: William Graham Sumner
this entity surface form: The Forgotten Man and Other Essays