Mark Nunan, who has spoken to the DMA previously on Robert Moses, Fiorello La Guardia and Martin Van Buren, will discuss Daniel Patrick Moynihan as a practical theorist about the challenges of governing in the second half of the 20th Century, and as a practicing governmental professional from the mid 1950’s up until the completion of his fourth term in the U.S. Senate in January 2001.
It is one thing for academics, prophets, and philosophers to clamor for ideal government or decry evil ones (Kings; Plato; Marx), and quite another for idealistic, pragmatic, ideological, adversarial, unrealistic, unruly, opportunistic, or corrupt politicians to legislate. Bismarck rightly compared this to sausage making, advising us not to look at the process if we want to enjoy the result. Daniel Moynihan, in the Lion’s Den, might demur – after all, he wrote about it.
“Pat” Moynihan was a rarity: true scholar, passionate politician, gifted writer. His trenchant wit and knack for capturing complex ideas in memorable aphorisms set him apart. This talent, combined with close study of actual data (which his Ph.D. in sociology taught him to prize) helped him to pinpoint many anomalies of domestic and global politics, and compellingly convey the complex issues and dangers these raised.
His analyses and the solutions he proposed appeared to some “ahead of their time” and to others just too much. As a result, he was often “cancelled” by adversaries because of what he concluded the data revealed. But he persevered.
His life story is Dickensian at its nadir, which came early and fierce. And Dickensian in what followed, as he was blessed to find the resilience to recover from devastation, clamor for righteousness and succeed.
Mark will explore Moynihan’s impact by analyzing the principal themes of his thoughts on government and society, his practical bureaucratic and legislative battles and achievements, and key moments of his life and career. These range from teenage naval officer, to young aid to New York Governor Averell Harriman, to counselor to U.S. Presidents, to Harvard professor, to leading U.S. diplomat, to one of the most respected members of the U.S. Senate.
Not bad for a shoe-shine boy.
Mark Nunan holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and is a member of the DMA since 2018.