Most adult Americans enjoy Citizenship II although, as the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida showed, they should exercise their civic rights very carefully. It follows that the same people are formally equipped to work together politically and resolve problems caused by consumerism. Before doing so, however, they must see what those problems are, understand how they arise, and appreciate their severity. The challenge, then, is to fashion an outlook that will lead Americans to use Citizenship II well, via Citizenship III. The goal should be mandates aimed at building a community that enjoys affluence, although less than that promised by consumerism, while reducing costs that consumerism imposes today.

Preliminary Concepts

Most Americans, including those wary of consumerism, do not intend to renounce prosperity, convenience, leisure, comfort, and good health. But perhaps the time has come to consider how far, in a rush to place consumption at the center of American life, the country has strayed from its original pursuit of happiness. In the words of one critic, the men who framed and adopted the Declaration of Independence hoped to build a free and prosperous society, a commonweal rooted in shared well-being, and “not a perpetual Victorian Christmas in the company of one's analyst.”

Private Goods

The first step toward deciding how to rein in consumerism is to understand the difference between private goods and public goods. Private goods are those a person can acquire, say, by inheritance or purchase.