One of my semester highlights here at the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs was the debate between former presidential candidates, Howard Dean and Rick Santorum, took the stage at Bailey Hall in Cornell University on October 18, 2012 to discuss the role of government in a free market society. This presidential election has been described not just as a debate between Republicans and Democrats, but also a discussion about the fundamental role the government plays in American society.  Howard Dean and Rick Santorum exemplified the political division in current topics regarding the nation and advocated for very different proposals for how the nation should be governed. Former Vermont governor, a physician, and a 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, Dean chaired the Democratic National Committee between 2005-09. Dean was among the first national candidates to use the Internet for campaign organizing and fundraising.  Santorum, a lawyer, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990 and served as a Pennsylvania senator from 1995-2007. During the past presidential elections, he suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and later endorsed nominee Mitt Romney.

A schism in ideology was apparent as soon as discussion began on the politicians’ interpretation of the Constitution.  As the chosen politician to initiate with the opening statement, Santorum said that he believed in limited government. He stated that the United States Constitution is “a limiting document, not an empowering document.” Staying true to his religious convictions, he claimed that rights are bestowed from God rather than the government or a set of politicians. Conversely, Dean claimed that the government should provide rights to all American citizens, which include marrying whomever one loves. Dean emphasized that the Constitution is a “living document, meant to be changed.” He also posited that slavery was once part of the Constitution, but was later abolished. In addition, the fact that the founders included a way to amend the document shows that the founders meant for it to be a living document; one that is meant to change as the country and the democracy changes.

There were similarities when it came to the role of government in education, where both politicians agreed that there is a need for government to play a role. Dean argued that student loans and access to funds for higher education would become the country’s next big issue, and Santorum supported the old system of using banks as middlemen for such loans. They both spoke about the idea of the government investing in research to aid innovation. The politicians also deliberated about some of the political issues that are in the vanguard of Americans’ minds, including the role of government in higher education and the health care system.

Overall the debate was an intellectual discussion consisting of both substance and critical thinking. The rhetoric was based more on health care, education and fiscal policy rather than the role of government for instance in terms of federal and local intergovernmental relations and public administration. Nevertheless it got away from the topic of the role of government; it did hit many of the major issues discussed in the United States politics today and also in the rest of the world.