Daniel Patrick Moynihan: The Intellectual in Public Life (Woodrow Wilson Centre Series) [Hardcover]

Robert A. Katzmann (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 1998 | Series: Woodrow Wilson Centre Series

One of the most distinguished figures in twentieth-century American politics, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, was at the center of virtually every major political issue of his day, offering a distinct voice unique in its prescience, scholarliness, and statesmanlike manner. The contributors to this career-spanning assessment knew Moynihan as teacher, scholar, and colleague, and they use their diverse interactions with him to paint a picture of an extraordinary thinker with many areas of intellectual concern: social policy, international relations, public works, race relations, and government secrecy. In addition, the essayists explore Moynihan's role as a devoted public servant, from his experience in four successive presidential administrations through his time as ambassador and senator from New York.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) is widely regarded as one of the brightest lights on Capitol Hill. He is, to quote Michael Barone's contribution to this admiring anthology of tributes, "the nation's best thinker among politicians since Lincoln and its best politician among thinkers since Jefferson." Moynihan is an essential and leading political voice on issues ranging from Social Security to welfare to national security. James Q. Wilson cites the senator's "luminous intellect, personal conviction, deep historical knowledge, the eye of an artist and the pen of an angel, and above all, an incorruptible devotion to the common good." This smart collection of essays reviews Moynihan's career as a scholar (he's the author or coauthor of several fine books, including Secrecy and Miles to Go) and a public servant (he worked in four consecutive administrations, from JFK to Gerald Ford, before being voted into Congress in 1976). Readers may wish that the book were at times a bit more critical, but almost all of its essays are nevertheless interesting and worthwhile. The most entertaining one comes from Tim Russert, moderator of NBC's Meet the Press, who recalls the senator's appearances on the show over the years. Once, Russert asked his guest whether he will "fight until death" over a certain proposed tax. Replied Moynihan: "Fight until death over taxes? Oh no. Women, country, God, things like that. Taxes? No." --John J. Miller

From Booklist

Even Moynihan's critics concede that he has carved out quite a career as academic, public servant, and elected official. This Festschrift results from a 17 March 1997 celebration of his seventieth birthday. Nathan Glazer, Robert A. Peck, Seymour Martin Lipset, Nicholas N. Eberstadt, and Katzmann consider Moynihan's ideas in essays on his work on ethnicity, public works, and secrecy, his use of epidemiology as an approach to social problems, and his "prescience" as a politician. Stephen Hess, Suzanne R. Garment, Michael Barone, and Richard K. Eaton take on Moynihan's work in the executive branch, foreign policy positions, and the Senate and as defender of an independent judiciary. Tim Russert of Meet the Press, former Senator Bill Bradley, and friend James Q. Wilson celebrate Moynihan the man. Because Moynihan's career continues--he'll be a major player in the coming social security debates and is working to change government security practices (see Secrecy )--readers will have to wait for a more evenhanded evaluation; until then, this volume displays his eclectic accomplishments. Mary Carroll

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (August 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801860717
• ISBN-13: 978-0801860713
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,648,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)