Ebooks for the Classroom+Faculty

Liberalism for a New Century
ISBN: 9780520940567
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / University of California Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Liberalism -- United States; United States -- Politics and government -- 2001–;

Alan Wolfe, in his essay on the "promise of national greatness," claims that "liberal intellectuals and policy makers in recent decades have turned their backs on the strong programs that won them the trust of Americans"; eschewing the current trend among lefties to drop the term entirely ("progressive" having gained popular cachet), editors Jumonville and Mattson look instead to restore the former value and power of "mid-century liberalism," that era at the beginning of the Cold War when New Deal ideas dominated the American political landscape. Essays range from Peter Berkowitz discussing America?s powerful liberal tradition to Danny Postel considering Iran?s burgeoning democratic movement; in between writers cover requisite hot-button issues like religion (Amy Sullivan), family values (Mona Harrington), the environment (Alan Wolfe) and the war in Iraq (Michael Tomasky). Other essays of interest include "What Liberals Owe to Radicals" (Michael Kazin), "Liberalism and the Conservative Imagination" (Jennifer Burns) and a critique of the Enlightenment (John Patrick Diggins). Anyone interested in keeping liberalism relevant will find much enlightenment and encouragement in these strong, well-focused pieces. (June) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Neil Jumonville is William Warren Rogers Professor of History at Florida State University. Kevin Mattson is Connor Study Professor of Contemporary History at Ohio University.