American Politics, Then & Now: And Other Essays

James Q. Wilson is one of America's preeminent public policy scholars. For decades, he has analyzed the changing political and cultural landscape with clarity and honesty, bringing his wisdom to bear on all facets of American government and society. American Politics, Then & Now is a collection of fifteen of Wilson's most insightful essays-drawing on thirty years of his observations on religion, crime, the media, terrorism and extremism, and the old-fashioned notion of "character." Readers of every political persuasion will come away from this volume with a new understanding of how American politics and culture have evolved over the last half-century. These essays are not "the grumpy words of a conservative who can't be reconciled to the realities of contemporary American life," Wilson writes. Rather, they are straight talk from a painstaking empiricist and consummate social scientist who believes in American exceptionalism. American Politics, Then & Now is a compelling portrait of a beloved nation.

Part 1 AcknowlegementsPart 2 PrefacePart 3 Part 1: The Changing Nature of American PoliticsChapter 4 1: American Politics Then and NowChapter 5 2: "Public Intelectuals" and Public PolicyChapter 6 3: The Rediscovery of Charcter: Private Virtue and Public PolicyChapter 7 4: The Press at WarChapter 8 5: Defining the "Peace Party"Chapter 9 6: Bowling with OthersChapter 10 7: How Divided Are We?Part 11 Part 2: Religion and PoliticsChapter 12 8: Religion and PolarizationChapter 13 9: Why Don't Jews Like Christians Who Like Them?Chapter 14 10: What Makes a Terrorist?Chapter 15 11: The Reform Islam NeedsChapter 16 12: Islam and FreedomChapter 17 13: Democracy for All?Part 18 Part 3: Heredity and PoliticsChapter 19 14: The DNA of Politics: Genes Shape Our Beliefs, Our Values, and Even Our VotesChapter 20 15: The Future of BlamePart 21 Conclusion: America Versus the WorldPart 22 IndexPart 23 About the Author