The First Political Order

I heard this idea the other day and I've been thinking hard about it for days. "Husband and wife are the first political order - and the first grass roots organization." I heard this idea from Valerie Hudson, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University recently. Valerie Hudson pointed out that how women are treated in the home, is how the nation goes. If women are not treated well, the nation is almost without exception a violent nation. I propose that as the family goes, so the nation goes. Here, I’d like to focus  on the power of the family unit as a political order - given that a possible definition of a political order is the way people living in groups make decisions about education, economics, health, laws, conflict, values, and caring for others. Whether conscious or not, how parents set up their homes in these areas is reflected in the national state of affairs and conversation. 

So what do I mean? 

Lets look at economics or family finances. Who provides for the family? Do children have responsibilities? Chores? Do they pay for any of their own things? Are they given an allowance or earn an allowance? If children are expected to earn and pay for various things, it is likely they will have an attitude of contribution and responsibility. If they expect mom and dad to pay for everything, is help always outside themselves? Do they expect the government to take care of them as they grow into adulthood? Simple family economics are part of the larger national economic conversation of personal responsibility vs. national responsibility. 

Lets look at education. In the family, who decides what the child learns? Who reads to the child? What do they read? What values are taught in these early years? Do they learn honesty? Compassion? I know families that regularly read classic literature then discuss the character and values taught. The parents decide the child's first curriculum of books and values. Those types of books and values become what is reflected in the schools. The curriculum will reflect the values of the homes in the community, and the values of the media they allow in their home. If in the home, there is no moral education, no emphasis on honesty and morality, should we be surprised if our schools are valueless and promote risky sexual behavior? Are we surprised when our national leaders lack integrity? 

Lets look at law and order. Who decides the rules of the home? Who enforces the rules? What do the rules do for the family? What happens when children don't keep the rules? What if there are no rules? I know families that have meetings that identify rules, and consequences then they follow through with compassion and love. Children can learn cause and effect, personal responsibility or they can learn to complain, blame, and justify. How does this home order translate on the national political order? If there isn't respect for home law, should we be surprised when people cheat at work or in their business dealings? Surprised when leaders and companies are dishonest? Then rationalize and justify? 

Let's look at caring for the poor. I know a family that chooses a community service for each child's birthday. Do children raised like that feel a responsibility to serve their neighbor? Or if we take care of ourselves only, should we be surprised if we expect the government to take care of everybody with no personal effort on our part?  

Parents, the first political order, are acting daily in those areas of education, economics, health, laws, conflict, values, and caring for others. While we don't usually use those terms,  those activities are exactly what is being played day after day in the homes of the nation. The first political order is what sets the tone for the community. As the family sets up order, values and practices, so the national security, national sovereignty and national happiness is molded, influenced, and created. As we witness the difficulties and challenges of our nation, we might well look to the home; where order is created first.