This book explores the condition of American civil society, evaluates the forces—political, social, demographic, and global—that are operating upon it, and provides critical thinking on how to strengthen it in the decades ahead. Drawing from some of the country's leading thinkers, it looks candidly at the stress fractures on American society— issues such as the underclass, gender, family, and religion, and concludes with five philosophical perspectives: libertarian, populist, communitarian, traditionalist, and the political and cultural center.

Contributions by: : Don E. Eberly, Michael Joyce, Heather Richardson Higgins, Jeffrey A. Eisenach, William A. Strauss, Neil Howe, William Van Dusen Wishard, Edward A. Schwartz, Denis P. Doyle, Dennis Denenberg, Eric R. Ebeling, John W. Cooper, Collen Sheehan, A Lawrence Chickenning, Eugene W. Hickok, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, David G. Blankenhorn, Glenn C. Loury, T William Boxx, Os Guinness, Allan C. Carison, Roger L. Conner, Doug Bandow, Harry C, , Boyte, Elizabeth B. Lurie. Co-published with TheCommonwealth Foundation