industrial workers; etc.). Wilson claimed that the
emergence of large business corporations required
the national government to control the economy for
the benefit of common people. This LEFTIST IDEOLOGY
was expanded by the Democratic Party during the
1930s NEW DEALunder President Franklin D. ROO-
SEVELT.
Wilson’s Liberal social conscience came from his
PRESBYTERIAN CHRISTIANupbringing and the Calvinist
theology that made politics a kind of ministry. His IDE-
ALISMthat Christian ethics should guide public policy
also extended to his international peace efforts during
World War I. Trying to negotiate a fair treaty between
the Allies and Germany, President Wilson advocated
the Fourteen Points of European peace. He believed
that an international organization (the League of
Nations—a predecessor to the United Nations) could
prevent future wars. The U.S. CONGRESS however
refused to ratify U.S. participation in the League of
Nations, much to Wilson’s disappointment.
Woodrow Wilson, a Virginian, was educated at
Princeton and Johns Hopkins Universities and served
as a college professor before entering politics (as gov-
ernor of New Jersey and then president of the United
States). His main book was A History of the American
People(1902).
Further Readings
Blum, J. M. Woodr ow Wilson.Boston: Little, Brown, 1956.
Grayson, C. T. Woodrow Wilson.New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, 1960.Winthrop, John (1588–1649) English/Ameri-
can statesman
As the first governor of Massachusetts (1630–49),
Winthrop’s political thought reflected the PURITAN
views of government as commissioned by and
accountable to God. As John CALVIN, he saw gover-
nors (or “magistrates”) as serving a CHRISTIANmin-
istry as important as church ministers. Leaders may
be elected democratically by the people, but they
serve God first, not the popular or even majority
interests. This perspective is shown in Winthrop’s
“Little Speech” of 1639, showing the COVENANTview
of CHURCH AND STATEin Puritan New England. In it,
he distinguishes two kinds of LIBERTY: natural and
moral. Natural liberty, in this view, is people doing
whatever they want (good or evil). Moral or “CIVIL”
LIBERTYis that freedom to choose to do what is right
(“the same kind of liberty where-with Christ hath
made us free”). Natural liberty, for Winthrop,
expresses humans’ corrupt, sinful nature. Moral lib-
erty reflects the regenerated Christian life. The state
and law should represent only moral (or “federal”)
liberty—enjoining the Bible precepts of goodness,
justice, and morality. Sinful humans resent and resist
the moral law and the government authority that
enforces it, but rulers must not submit to the sinful
desires of natural humanity but uphold the high stan-
dards of Christian morality. Godly CITIZENs will gladly
submit to the moral authority of the STAT E, recogniz-
ing the Christian commonwealth as a gift and instru-
ment of God.
Winthrop, in his book The History of New England
from 1630 to 1649, sees America in terms of God’s
providence, a “City on a Hill” (like Jerusalem), and
therefore protected by Christ but continually attacked
and tempted by Satan. If Americans humbly and obe-
diently serve God, repenting when they sin, the
Almighty will protect and prosper them, but if they
become proud, vain, sinful, and disdainful of God’s
LAWS, the Lord will punish them. This providential,
covenant view of American politics leads to an Ameri-
can CIVIL RELIGIONand is still expressed by the CHRIS-
TIAN RIGHT.308 Winthrop, John
Woodrow Wilson.(LIBRARY OFCONGRESS)