Public Matters: Politics, Policy, and Religion in the 21st Century

by William A. Galston The Brookings Institution

Overview

After preparing to lead a quiet life as a teacher and scholar of political theory, William Galston has spent the past quarter century crossing the boundaries between academia and public life, including a two-year stint as Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy under President Clinton. Reflecting these boundary-crossings, Public Matters contains a selection of Galston's essays on politics, policy, and religion. Each is viewed through the prisms of history, theory, and ethical concerns. The essays on politics tell the story of Galston's efforts to help redirect the Democratic Party so that it speaks more clearly to the concerns of 21st century Americans. The essays in the policy section reflect the range of issues with which Galston has grappled as a political activist and public official. Finally, the essays on religion try to come to grips with the challenges that religion, taken seriously (as it should be) poses for the governance of constitutional democracies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461641490
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/24/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

William A. Galston is director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, Saul I. Stern Professor of Civic Engagement at the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, and director of the Center for Information&Research on Civic Learning&Engagement (CIRCLE). Galston is the author of five books and nearly one hundred articles in moral and political theory, American politics, and public policy.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Part 2 Politics
Chapter 3 Incomplete Victory: The Rise of the New Democrats
Chapter 4 Strategic Challenges facing the Democratic Party
Chapter 5 Two Postmortems: The 2004 Elections and the Future of the Democratic Party
Chapter 6 The Art of Association in Free Societies: Alexis de Tocqueville and Liberal Democracy
Part 7 Policy
Chapter 8 The Perils of Preemptive War
Chapter 9 Some Arguments for Universal Service
Chapter 10 Ethics and Public Policy in a Pluralist Democracy: The Case of Human Embryo Research
Chapter 11 Some Proposals to Help Parents: A Progressive Perspective
Part 12 Religion
Chapter 13 Conscience, Religious Accommodation, and Political Authority
Chapter 14 Religion, Family, and Regime: The Case of Mormon Polygamy
Chapter 15 Contending with Liberalism: Modern Catholic Social Thought
Chapter 16 Traditional Judaism and American Citizenship
Chapter 17 Jews, Muslims, and the Prospects for Pluralism

Editorial Reviews

There is no better example in America today of someone who is both a practical politician and a serious moral thinker than William Galston. His reflections on subjects from domestic politics to war and peace deserve the widest possible audience.

Alan Wolfe

An excellent introduction to Galston's thinking on divisive policy questions (stem-cell research, the war in Iraq), the role of religion in public life, and the future of the Democratic Party.

Commonweal Magazine

"William Galston is a unique and indispensable voice, because he's a first-rate political theorist who is also active in the political arena. In this book he offers illuminating and wise comments on a wide range of topics — the rise of New Democrats, the 2004 elections, preemptive war, the role of religion, and human embryo research. Written with style and panache, Public Matters is highly instructive — and also a lot of fun."

Cass Sunstein

An excellent introduction to Galston's thinking on divisive policy questions (stem-cell research, the war in Iraq), the role of religion in public life, and the future of the Democratic Party.

Commonweal