Uniting America

Restoring the Vital Center to American Democracy

Edited by Norton Garfinkle and Daniel Yankelovich

In Uniting America, some of the country’s most prominent social thinkers—among them Francis Fukuyama, Daniel Yankelovich, Amitai Etzioni, Alan Wolfe, Uwe Reinhardt, and Thomas E. Mann—reject the myth of polarization. On topics ranging from the war on terrorism, health care, economic policy, and Social Security to religion, diversity, and immigration, the authors argue that there are sensible, centrist solutions that are more in keeping with prevailing public sentiment and that would better serve the national interest. On issue after issue, the authors show how the conventional framing of the debate in Washington has misled Americans, creating a series of false dilemmas and forcing choices between two extremes—at the expense of more balanced and pragmatic policy solutions based on enduring American values.

Uniting America provides a blueprint for a fresh approach to American politics, grounded in moderation, pragmatism, and the shared values that unite Americans.

Norton Garfinkle is chairman of The Future of American Democracy Foundation and former chairman of the George Washington University Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies. Daniel Yankelovich is chairman and co-founder of the organizations Public Agenda, DYG, and Viewpoint Learning.