You have to take account of Christianity, maybe other religions too. Ideas about economic rights in that vein go back centuries. In Islam is the bane on interest (obviously circumvented in various ways). Union activists have a bumper sticker that goes something like, 'support trade unionism, they're the folks who gave you the week-end.' But before that there were the folks who gave you the day of rest. Obviously there's all sorts of negative stuff mixed in, but if you're chronicling discourse I think you have to consider this.
Of very recent vintage is the latest book by Gary Wills on how Americans feel about government that might be germane too. Also go thru a history of econ thought or two.
mbs