Uniting America: Restoring the Vital Center to American Democracy

Description

In Uniting America, some of the country’s most prominent social thinkers—among them Francis Fukuyama, Daniel Yankelovich, Amitai Etzioni, Alan Wolfe, Uwe Reinhardt, and Thomas E. Mann—reject the myth of polarization. On topics ranging from the war on terrorism, health care, economic policy, and Social Security to religion, diversity, and immigration, the authors argue that there are sensible, centrist solutions that are more in keeping with prevailing public sentiment and that would better serve the national interest. On issue after issue, the authors show how the conventional framing of the debate in Washington has misled Americans, creating a series of false dilemmas and forcing choices between two extremes—at the expense of more balanced and pragmatic policy solutions based on enduring American values. Uniting America provides a blueprint for a fresh approach to American politics, grounded in moderation, pragmatism, and the shared values that unite Americans. Contents Preface Introduction Part One. Restoring the Vital Center 1. Overcoming Polarization: The New Social Morality 2. Nurturing Economic Growth and the Values of American Democracy Part Two. Reforming Social Security and Health Care 3. Social Security and Medicare Reform for the Twenty-First Century 4. The Ethics of America’s Health Care Debate Part Three. Diversity and Unity 5. Religion as Unifier and Divider 6. Diversity, Community, and Government 7. Immigration and Social Disorder Part Four. Security and Liberty 8. Fighting the War on Terrorism 9. Constitutional Responsibility in the War on Terrorism Part Five. Character, Citizenship, and Values 10. Character Education and the Challenge of Raising a Moral Generation 11. Citizenship, Civic Unity, and National Service 12. The Fair Society Part Six. Environmental and Electoral Reform 13. Toward a Sustainable Environmentalism 14. Is Reform of America’s Electoral System Possible? Conclusion: The Impact of Fateful Trends Contributors Index