Prof. Vaughan: The Common Good Would Benefit from More Self-Interest

America is more politically divided than ever, not just in the United States Congress, but the country as a whole fractured by differing political views according to Assumption Political Science Professor Geoffrey Vaughan, D.Phil. He explores this divide and how the United States might be able to resolve it in his opinion editorial column “The Common Good Would Benefit From More Self-Interest,” which was recently published by Real Clear Politics. 

In his column, Prof. Vaughan argues that, instead of being divided in our response to problematic issues facing the country, perhaps it is a good time to focus on self-interests, which could lead to national progress. For example, Prof. Vaughan writes, “Do Democrats want to question police practices? Republicans should agree to do so – if Democrats also agree to investigate election practices. This is how politics is done, and everyone benefits from it.” This type of thinking allows individuals and politicians to progress with their own agendas, rather than spending time debating over how a problem should be handled, shared Prof. Vaughan. 

At Assumption, Prof. Vaughan, chair of the Department of Political Science, teaches undergraduate political science courses with a concentration in the discipline of philosophy, including courses on Early Modern Political Philosophy; American Political Thought; and Rome: City of Emperors, Popes, and Saints. He is currently writing a book on the meaning of American citizenship.