Common Credo: The Path Back to American Success

Schwarz (Freedom Reclaimed: Rediscovering the American Vision), a University of Arizona professor emeritus of political science, offers an earnest, hopeful book of questionable utility for public policy. He claims to speak for Americans abandoned by the partisan left and right. Seeking to find a vital center in the polity, his broad review of public policies claims to contain the ingredients of rekindled national achievement. Schwarz revisits the well-worn idea that Americans share common values that persist amid our differences. While this nostrum is cherished, is it any longer valid? Schwarz wants the country to aim for a 4% unemployment rate and reduced poverty. Who would want otherwise? He lists a 10-point Common Credo of “moral principles” that he presents as keys to recovery and a newfound national idealism. While these sentiments are noble, what Schwarz has to say sounds dated in light of today’s politically orchestrated battles over health-care, immigration, and economic policies. It is hard to imagine this generous and well-meaning book having much real-world impact. (Aug.)