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The Ford Foundation and the Reinvention of American Liberalism, 1968-2000


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Authors

Collings-Wells, Samuel  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1868-0345

Abstract

This dissertation examines how the Ford Foundation reinvented American liberalism after 1968. As the largest philanthropic organization in the United States, Ford played a hitherto under-appreciated role in reshaping liberal policy toward poverty, crime, and racial inequality. This dissertation shows how the Ford Foundation, responding to growing concerns about a conservative ‘white backlash’, embarked on a self-conscious effort to reinvent liberal policymaking toward crime and urban poverty. Through funding a network of think tanks, community groups, and financial intermediaries, the Ford Foundation pioneered a new liberal strategy to fight poverty and crime, made up of two key components: Firstly, a commitment to ‘broken windows’ policing - an aggressive strategy of law- enforcement that argued the police should focus their attention on low-level ‘disorder’. And secondly, an embrace of public-private partnerships to revive distressed communities through a process of community development. While most histories of post-1960s liberalism have focused on Congress or the Presidency, this dissertation argues that in order to understand the evolution of American liberalism after 1968, we must shift our attention to the nonprofit sector of philanthropic foundations and community groups.

Description

Date

2023-09-17

Advisors

Preston, Andrew

Keywords

liberalism, United States, philanthropy, policing, criminal justice, urban studies, history

Qualification

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Awarding Institution

University of Cambridge
Sponsorship
Arts and Humanities Research Council (2280793)
AHRC (AH/X001989/1)

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