From Choices and Echoes in Presidential Elections (Benjamin I. Page):
In 1956, Adlai Stevenson put forth the idea during his presidential campaign for National Health Insurance, using federal aid to make voluntary insurance available to everyone.
In 1964, Barry Goldwater included planks to make Social Security 'flexible' and 'voluntary'.
And I thought these were new ideas. In reading history, I see that we keep retreading old ground in our quadrennial elections. No wonder the issues seem so entrenched that we can no longer get at the roots and work towards meaningful resolutions. The real stops to our desires, however, must be congress: Their recalcitrance on passing legislation for which there is majority popular support continues today - read any report of how current Health Care legislation has stalled. (61% support full Health Coverage to all today, up from 51% in 1956.)
(In 1960, Goldwater also published a book titled: "Conscience of a Conservative". Now I know where Krugman got his title.)
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