In order to reinstate America's political dominance, modern U.S. leaders must assert moral character regardless of the bleak political climate, according to government professor Lucas Swaine. Speaking to a packed audience in Dartmouth Hall on Saturday morning, Swaine denounced past presidents for drastic military actions such as "firebombing" civilians, releasing diseases on enemy communities and deliberately using overly-cruel weapons to terrorize foreign populations.
"Some people are declaring that America is losing its political greatness," Swaine said. "I'm going to outline what leaders should do to restore that greatness."
Swaine defined moral character as a disposition to be truthful and trustworthy, be ready to uphold commitments and refrain from acting in cruel ways. Character which individuals can build by "shouldering commitments" spurns temptations to take immoral action, he said.
"A person's character is his or her normal pattern of thought and action, especially with respect to issues concerning the happiness of others and decisions of moral choices," Swaine said. "Character shapes a person's actions."
Swaine cited arguments proposed by several notable American figures, including former President Calvin Coolidge, who said that character is the "foundation of the state," and philosopher Thomas Nagel, who criticized leaders for even considering taking immoral military action.
"The American president should be someone strongly disposed to reject and resist [immoral decisions]," Swaine said.
Moral character is fundamental to any discussion of leadership, according to Swaine. Presidents can honor treaties, help allies and prompt leaders to be "tough" on rogue states and international outlaws, Swaine said.
Although Swaine said leaders should be free to act morally, he acknowledged that institutional checks and balances sometimes prevent them from choosing the most morally sound plan of action.
Swaine offered several guidelines to help direct leaders' thinking. Leaders should be ready to provide justification for their actions, especially to those affected by government policies, he said. Leaders need to take ownership of their actions rather than blame failure on others, and should surround themselves with watchful advisers, especially in moments of "moral or constitutional weakness."
Strong moral character among leaders not only musters support from citizens, but can also encourage other countries to build institutions that support democratic values, Swaine said.
"Leaders with good, strong moral character can mitigate low levels of trust, which makes for a morally better version of patriotism," he said. "People want these types of leaders, who are not hypocritical and who are symbols against immorality."
Citizens are well aware of their leaders' moral values, as demonstrated by voters' frustration when presidential candidates "flip-flop on issues," Swaine said.
"This comes from a dissatisfaction with leaders' lack of ability to stick with their commitments," he said. "Citizens become angry that an official has broken trust it reaffirms the fact that citizens have moral expectations of their leaders."
Citizens also tend to choose leaders who attend church, reflecting a desire for moral character that "authentic religiosity" supposedly provides, Swaine said.
When proposing ways in which citizens can measure presidential candidates' moral character and vote accordingly, Swaine warned against simply accepting proclamations of good character, instead urging voters to examine actions that demonstrate a politician's character. Doing so enables individuals to verify candidates' sincerity by comparing what they say to how they act, Swaine said.
Although it is a fact of political life that the president will at some point have to issue orders that result in the loss of innocent lives, leadership positions should not be reserved only for those willing to get their hands dirty, according to Swaine.
"Political action could be better fitted with sound moral principles," he said.
Moral character ultimately reflects the country's founding ideals and "aspirational values," Swaine said.
"It's basic human decency and human conscience, and an expanded understanding of American interests," he said.
Swaine's lecture, "Moral Authority: What Should America's Political Leaders Be Willing to Do?" is the second of the five-part Fall 2011 Faculty Chalk Talk lecture Series, "Election Issues 2012: Hot Topics in National Politics."
