tion, a conservative think tank, and the author of 11
books. Notable among his writings are The Book of
Virtues, The Children’s Book of Virtues,and The Death of
Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals,
which reached number one on theNew York Times
best-seller list. His latest book, The Educated Child: A
Parent’s Guide,reflects his emphasis on the issues of
educational reform and the decline of morality in U.S.
society. Dr. Bennett served as President Reagan’s chair-
man of the National Endowment for the Humanities
and secretary of education and as President G. H. W.
Bush’s drug czar. Dr. Bennett emerged as a leading
conservative political figure in the 1980s, serving
under Presidents Reagan and Bush. After leaving gov-
ernment, he has continued to speak out strongly and
controversially about social issues, U.S. education,
national character, and the values that strengthen and
preserve society.
Empower America reflects the values most
commonly associated with the writing and philosophy
of Bennett. Specifically, the organization and its
cofounder/codirector are devoted to ensuring that gov-
ernment actions foster growth, economic well-being,
FREEDOM, and individual responsibility. To this end,
Bennett has continued his high-profile efforts against
government BUREAUCRACYand monopolies since leav-
ing government in 1990. He has identified several
areas, such as educational reform, tax reform, internet
and technology, social security reform, and national
security, on which he wishes to have an impact. To
each of these fields, he brings a conservative perspec-
tive, encouraging self-sufficiency and personal respon-
sibility.
Bennett’s efforts to improve the U.S. system of edu-
cation are thematically driven by what he calls the
Three C’s: choice, content, and character. The current
education system, according to Bennett, is failing
American children, and much of the federal govern-
ment’s involvement in education during the past sev-
eral decades has been intrusive and misguided: That’s
why attempts to return control to parents and commu-
nities are so important. Such a view led Bennett to
conclude, like many of his conservative counterparts,
that the Department of Education should be dramati-
cally reduced or eliminated in favor of STATE-led initia-
tives and control.
In addition to his work with Empower America,
Bennett leads several organizations dedicated to restor-
ing social conscience. Although he is a well-known
Republican, Bennett has consistently reached across
party lines to pursue important common purposes. He
works closely with Senator Joseph Lieberman, a
Democrat, on the issues of popular culture and world-
wide religious persecution. Bennett and former Demo-
cratic senator Sam Nunn are cochairs of the National
Commission on Civic Renewal. Most recently, Bennett
and former Democratic governor Mario Cuomo were
named cochairs of the Partnership for a Drug-Free
America.Further Reading
Bennett, William J. The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the
Assault on American Ideals.New York: Free Press, 1998.Bentham, Jeremy (1748–1832) British philo-
sopher, jurist, and political reformerAs a UTILITARIANphilosopher, Bentham related good-
ness or ethics to sensory happiness (pleasure and
pain) in the tradition of Thomas HOBBES. He believed
that social good was “the greatest happiness for the
greatest number.” This philosophy has DEMOCRATIC,
even SOCIALIST, tendencies because it measures JUSTICE
by the majority’s material condition. In its time, it was
considered very radical, as justice in 18th-century
England was seen as defined by an ARISTOCRACYof
superior knowledge and wealth. Bentham’s materialist
utilitarian thought defines goodin terms of economic
goods rather than cultural, intellectual, or spiritual
values.
The practical reforms emerging from Bentham’s
philosophy included more humane penal institutions,
parliamentary reform (universal suffrage, secret bal-
lots, annual elections), and criminal procedure. Ben-
tham was critical of the traditional English legal
system of William BLACKSTONEand of John LOCKE’s
NATURAL RIGHTSphilosophy. He called individual natu-
ral rights “simple nonsense” and imprescriptible right
“nonsense upon stilts.” By this, he attacked individual
rights from God or Nature because for him demo-
cratic government was necessary to secure these
rights. This follows the British tradition that individ-
ual rights are dependent on and limited by society, not
contrary to or against society. Unlike Locke or the
American view of “inalienable rights” from God, Ben-
tham’s emphasis on the community basis of rights
leads to WELFARE STATEand socialist conceptions of
individual rights granted by society (and potentially
taken away by society).Bentham, Jeremy 33