Liberalism for a New Century (Paperback)

by Neil Jumonville (Editor), Kevin Mattson (Editor), E.J. Dionne (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
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.
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Product Description
American liberalism today is in a state of confusion and disarray, with the "L word" widely considered a term of derision. By examining both the historical past and the fractious present, Liberalism for a New Century restores a proud political tradition and carves out a formidable defense of its philosophical tenets. This manifesto for a New Liberalism issues an urgent and cogent call for the most important rethinking of its values since the late 1960s, when conservatives reenergized themselves after Barry Goldwater's infamous loss.
The essays in this volume, most of them never before published, are written by a leading group of historians, journalists, and public intellectuals. Some of the nation's most highly respected liberal minds explore such topics as the classical liberal tradition, postmodernism's challenge to the American "Enlightenment," the civil rights era, the influence of twentieth-century radicals on American liberalism, the 1950s, tolerance, the cold war, and whether liberalism should have a large and aggressive vision. One essay considers liberalism in Iran and what American liberals might learn from this movement. Fast-paced and encompassing such hot-button issues as the family and religion, here are ringside-seat arguments between people who don't often get to engage with one another: right-leaning liberals like Peter Berkowitz and John Patrick Diggins, and leftier liberals like Michael Tomasky and Mona Harrington. The result is a lively and stimulating collection that articulates a clear-minded alternative to the conservative ascendancy in American history and offers a timely and essential contribution to the growing national debate.


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Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (June 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520250710
• ISBN-13: 978-0520250710
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #914,036 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)