"For those of us bored by ponderous and predictable liberal treatises, Next is a succinct and creative pleasure. All those debating America's political future should think through its proposals."
--Marvin Olasky

"Intelligent, impassioned, insightful--Etzioni's is a voice we need to listen to."
--Rabbi Harold Kushner

The last eight years have seen the rise of the political center in American politics, but, as demonstrated by the recent presidential election, a clear agenda has not been articulated for the next decade. In Next, Amitai Etzioni argues that both parties have failed to address today's pressing domestic issues.

As such, Next issues a bracing call for greater political and community involvement. Etzioni argues that our world-leading economy offers us the opportunity to end scarcity and the cycle of materialism, and outlines a novel domestic agenda that will allow us to prevail over the principal challenges facing us in the decades to come, including:

• Mutuality beats volunteerism (and seniors will replace women as the main source of volunteers): pp. 8-12;
• More accountability for private prisons, exporters that pose a danger to national security, and other profit-making parties: pp. 48ff;
• Fighting crime with shorter sentences but more certitude: pp. 51ff;
• A new formula for social justice, not involving equality: pp. 53ff;
• New public health measures: pp. 56ff;
• Investing in schools rather than colleges: pp.65ff;
• Decriminalizing politics: pp. 80ff;
• A call for a return of a MODERATE counterculture and a moral dialogue about when enough is enough: pp. 109ff.

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