[.ca] The Radical Center: The Future of American Politics (ISBN 0385720297)

From Amazon.co.uk:
The Radical Center proposes to take American politics in a totally new direction: away from "our rigid two-party cartel" of Republicans and Democrats, and toward a centrism that currently doesn't exist in an electoral sense. "Our nation's politics are dominated by two feuding dinosaurs that have outlived the world in which they evolved," write Ted Halstead and Michael Lind. Both men are affiliated with the New America Foundation, and Lind is the provocative author of The Next American Nation and Vietnam: The Necessary War. They believe the ongoing technological revolution will transform American politics in fundamental ways, and most of The Radical Center advocates specific shifts across a range of issues. The result is a mishmash that isn't so much a set of new ideas as a blend of existing ones. Halstead and Lind want to enact private-school choice for students and parents (a conservative idea), for instance, and also to equalise funding by essentially abolishing the states' role in education (something that might appeal to liberals). Their goal, they say, is to increase personal choices where possible and minimise class inequalities where feasible. Much of The Radical Center reads like a wonk's fantasy; Halstead and Lind identify policy problems everywhere they look--from voting rights to health care--and suggest solutions with the confidence of technocrats who believe they can remake the world. What they produce is a grab bag that will simultaneously fascinate and frustrate readers who start off ensconced on either the right or left of the political spectrum. How many people will favour both their idea of abolishing all corporate income taxes as well as their notion of implementing a new nationwide tax on consumption? But that's the point: Halstead and Lind try to forge a new politics that takes the best parts of today's left and right and abandons the rest as so much deadweight. The Radical Center is at once jarring and invigorating; readers willing to engage with it will wrestle with hard questions. Many may come away persuaded by large parts of Halstead and Lind's argument. And if the whole project sounds a tad ambitious, there's a reason: "Major political change in the United States, in short, tends to be revolutionary, not evolutionary." If that's true, then consider The Radical Center a manifesto for a new age that's right around the corner. --John Miller

Truly Common Ground for the Future:
Halstead and Lind have done a fantastic job of setting out a centrist manifesto for the new century. This book is recommended reading for anyone in politics who wants to understand the ideas that can be used to build new coalitions. Keep an eye on these two and The New America Foundation. They're writing about the things that everyone else will be discussing in ten years.

Too bad our politicians don't read books like this:
The meat of this book is not so much the specific proposals that the authors offer. Instead, the real point of this book is: Our nation has undergone three revolutionary transformations -- from colony to independence (1770's to Civil War), from agrarian to early industrial (Civil War to 1930's), and from early industrial to full industrial (Depression to 1970's). We are now in the throes of a fourth revolution. Unlike the previous three revolutions, our political system is not up to the challenge because our two parties, who have a stranglehold on the levers of power, are each controlled by the most extreme elements within their parties -- at a time when we need consensus and cooperation, not extremes. You may disagree with their specific proposals, you cannot disagree with their analysis of the situation. Here's my recommendation: Buy TWO copies of this book. Keep one, pass one on to someone you know who is in a position of power and influence -- senator, representative, newspaper editor, state legislator, and the like.

Much to Think About:
The Radical Center is very informative covering a very wide range of issues in current U.S. politics and putting them together in a thoughtful way and making creative proposals. It's refreshingly not dogmatic, postive and open-minded. I would highly recommend the book to any serious student of American policy today. It's an easy read. My criticism would be that the authors were too loose with their language at times leaving the reader to wonder whether (1) the authors had their facts wrong or (2) didn't recognize the implications of their words or (3) perhaps I was misinformed. For example, they state that the Demoncratic Party has been captured by its more extreme elements. But Clinton/Gore moved the Democratic Party decisively toward the center.

Great Ideas, Good Read:
This book is a quick read but still offers up many thought-provoking discussions covering a wide range of issues facing America today. What I enjoy most about the book is that it objectively confronts many issues (like Social Security) that would be considered untouchable by current politicians. Their ideas are refreshing and definitely not a regurgitation of old-school thinking. Although I would agree with some of the other reviewers in the respect that the authors tend to throw out some statements without backing them up, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in domestic policy and the future of American politics.

Bridging the political divide:
Ted Halstead is one of the all to rare voices representing the next generation of politcal thought in America. Halsted., a baby buster, finds himself equally disgusted by the politics of both political parties and their extreme political bases. Radical Center is an apt term because the proposals he offers are far from the mundane centrist politics that have been incapable of sustaining a true political movement (ex. Perot's Reform Party). His ideas marry some of the most salient and relevant ideas from both ends of the political spectrum namely the left's belief that government should provide a safety net to those who are most in need and the right's commitment to market forces; particulary people's desire to exercise choice in healthcare, retirement and education. My only concern is that he does not offer inspiring words or practical strategies for how his agenda can take hold in a political landscape that is and will continue to be dominated by the aging baby boomer generation and their increasing reliance on Medicare, Social Security and the other programs from the New Deal and the Great Society.