Coping: The Ethic of Self-Reliance

This paper demonstrates that, contrary to the expectations of many, Americans in overwhelming numbers believe they ought to take care of their personal problems by themselves rather than believing that the government ought to provide them with aid. How they believe they ought to cope with such problems-on their own or with the assistance of government-helps explain, in part, the current cynicism of citizens. This paper relies on data gathered by the Center of Political Studies in the 1972 presidential election. The persistence, the pervasiveness, and the political significance of the ethic of self-reliance are discussed.