To Empower People

by Berger, Peter L.; Neuhaus, Richard John; Novak, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780844739441
• ISBN10: 0844739448
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1995-12-01
• Publisher: Aei Pr

Summary

Nearly twenty years ago in the first edition of this path-breaking book, Peter Berger and Richard John Neuhaus anticipated the major worldwide project of the 1990s: the renewal of civil society. They showed that such "mediating structures" as family, neighborhood, church, voluntary associations, and civic organizations are crucial institutions, whose weakening spells disaster. They warned public policy experts, then mesmerized by promising new government programs, that these were likely to be less successful than mediating institutions. Now, many of their ideas vindicated, the authors have returned to their original argument to assess what has succeeded, what has gone wrong, and what remains to be done. For this new edition, they have invited twelve scholars to join them in pointing toward new directions for the future. With reform of the welfare state on the international agenda, this new edition of To Empower People will likely become the beacon for the next generation.

Author Biography

Peter L. Berger is director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture and professor of economics at Boston University Richard John Neuhaus is president of the Institute on Religion and Public Life and editor in chief of its monthly journal, First Things Michael Novak is the George Frederick Jewett Scholar in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy at the American Enterprise Institute and recipient of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion

Table of Contents

Contributors	xi
Introduction to the 1996 Edition	1	(10)
Michael Novak
Part One The War of Ideas
A New Civic Life	11	(19)
Michael S. Joyce
William A. Schambra
Community without Politics---A British View	30	(21)
David G. Green
Part Two Implementing the Idea in Politics
Mediating Structures, 1977--1995	51	(7)
James P. Pinkerton
The View from the White House---Individual and Community Empowerment	58	(9)
William A. Galston
Part Three Civil Society'S Many Faces
Law and the Welfare State	67	(18)
Michael J. Horowitz
Philanthropy and the Welfare State	85	(9)
Leslie Lenkowsky
The Corruption of Religious Charities	94	(11)
Marvin Olasky
Success Stories	105	(11)
Robert L. Woodson, Sr.
Practical Principles	116	(8)
Stuart M. Butler
Bottom-up Funding	124	(8)
Douglas J. Besharov
Seven Tangled Questions	132	(13)
Michael Novak
Part Four The Authors Respond
Peter L. Berger and Richard John Neuhaus Respond	145	(64)
Part Five The Original Text
I Mediating Structures and the Dilemmas of the Welfare State	157	(8)
II Neighborhood	165	(12)
III Family	177	(8)
IV Church	185	(9)
V Voluntary Association	194	(8)
VI Empowerment through Pluralism	202	(7)
Notes	209	(6)
Index	215