1. Berger & Neuhaus argue that "American liberalism. . . has tended to dismiss the argument that private behavior can have public consequences. Private rights are frequently defended against mediating structures." They argue that since 1977 American liberalism has doubled down in this regard. Many experts today simply do not trust private mediating structures, viewing them as a fetid mass of bigotry, stupidity, racism, and ignorance, filled with people clinging to their guns and religion.

Berger, P. L., & Neuhaus, R. J. (2021). To empower people: The role of mediating structures in public policy. The Nature of the Nonprofit Sector, 350-361. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367696559-32