The lack of agreement regarding whether America is center-left or center-right has much to do with the individual’s perspective and little to do with actuality. Liberals presume that America is center-left because there are many Americans who are receptive to social programs. On the other hand, conservatives presume that America is center-right because those who favor government intervention are reluctant to have their own taxes raised. My opinion is that America is both a center-left country when it comes to receiving certain benefit and center-right when it comes to paying for it.

America is center-left when it comes to the benefits of socialism. If you ask Americans if they are in favor of cleaner air, taking care of the poor, raising the minimum wage to a living wage, and giving free education to all, the American people say, “Yes.” In essence, the American people would say yes to everything where some kind of generosity, some kind of good cause is intended and it is from those facts that people on the left ascertain that America is center-left.

On the other hand, America is center-right when people realize that these things must be paid for by lower standards of living, less disposable income and higher taxes. Americans do not want to be taxed as much as Americans are center-left. Americans would never knowingly pay more for anything. If you ask the American public to go and spend $5 on a loaf of bread at Whole Foods when they can go to Wal-Mart and buy bread for $2–even if you told the American people that Whole Foods bread is organic—they will more than not go to Wal-Mart.

Another good indication of how the American people are center-right comes from liberal politicians. The two most recent articulate liberals are Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Liberals perceive them as caring for the poor, wanting to do much for the environment and not to mention Healthcare—all of which requires money. In both cases they refused to campaign on all American paying more in taxes. Bill Clinton won because George H. Bush said, “read my lips no new taxes” and he raised it anyway. Bill Clinton, if he was a true liberal he would have promoted the idea of more taxes on all Americans but he did not. I know about Ralph Nader for those of who may argue that the third party played a bigger role. My point her is, liberals who favor “investments” as they call it, refuse to also argue for more taxes on all Americans.

Next, we have Obama who promised tax cuts for 95% of Americans. The 5% percent of Americans who are the target to pay for these investments do not need healthcare, they do not need to send their kids to the public school– we the lower and middle class people do. I have no problem taxing the rich more, but it is ridiculous for the people who support government intervention to expect to be taxed little or none at all.

In a legitimate center-left society, the people understand that these investments come out of their paycheck. The people understand that a big portion of their money should go toward all of the programs they favor. But the fact that the American people don’t want more of their own money going towards programs, but want it taken from those who are extremely rich, proves that when it comes to paying for these many programs the American people are center right.

As a nation, we have live beyond our means, racking up National debt to the tune of trillions of dollars and if a politician argue and enacted higher taxes on all Americans the people would vote him/her out. There would also be national outrage of a politician discontinue our many social programs.

I have concluded that America as a whole balances in the middle. Some are center-left while others are center-right. We want the benefits but we have a problem paying for it.