rugged individualism

Cultural  

1. The belief that all individuals, or nearly all individuals, can succeed on their own and that government help for people should be minimal. The phrase is often associated with policies of the Republican party and was widely used by the Republican president Herbert Hoover. The phrase was later used in scorn by the Democratic presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman to refer to the disasters of Hoover's administration, during which the stock market Crash of 1929 occurred and the Great Depression began.

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Example Sentences

That rugged individualism, the foundational mythology of the winning of the West, is under relentless attack.

From Seattle Times

One of the cherished ideals in this country is the idea of rugged individualism.

From Los Angeles Times

If the decay of faith or family were really a simple matter of “too much capitalism” you could imagine a right that eventually got over its rugged individualism and chose redistribution and sustainability instead.

From New York Times

“We must remember that the concepts of free enterprise, rugged individualism and entrepreneurship are not incompatible with meaningful safety nets and the desire to lift up our disadvantaged citizens,” Dimon wrote.

From Reuters

Up to this point in history, the predominant socio-political philosophy was very much centered on individual responsibility and what was called "rugged individualism."

From Salon