Compassionate Conservatism: What it is, What it Does, and How it Can Transform America

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If 2000 Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush has a catchphrase, it's "compassionate conservatism." But like so many political slogans, this term can mean very different things. Marvin Olasky--author of The Tragedy of American Compassion and an advisor to Bush--seeks to describe what he believes it is. And he must be onto something, for, as Bush writes in a brief introduction, "This book clearly summarizes the principles of compassionate conservatism." Here's the nub: "Poverty around the world is a spiritual as well as a material problem: most poor people don't have the faith that they and their situations can change.... Economic redistribution by itself cannot fight poverty effectively because it does not affect the attitudes that frequently undergird poverty." To put it more bluntly, religious faith should play a greater role in public life, especially when it comes to delivering social services to the deprived:

The major flaw of the modern welfare state is not that it is extravagant, but that it is too stingy. It gives the needy bread and tells them to be content with that alone. It gives the rest of us the opportunity to be stingy also, and to salve our consciences even as we scrimp on what many of the destitute need most--love, time, and a challenge to be "little lower than the angels" rather than one thumb up from monkeys.

The bulk of the book is given to descriptions of Olasky's travels around the country with his 10-year-old son, visiting faith-based organizations in some of America's toughest neighborhoods. These vignettes, told in the first person, recall feel-good Reader's Digest stories about ordinary men and women accomplishing extraordinary things in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. Parts of the book read like a Bush campaign speech--indeed, one of the appendices is a Bush campaign speech--and Olasky goes out of his way to take a few swipes at Vice President Al Gore. If readers want to get a sense of what a Bush administration might try to accomplish, at least on the domestic front, Compassionate Conservatism is a great place to start--and miles ahead of Bush's own dull campaign biography A Charge to Keep. --John J. Miller

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Compassionate conservatism is a new political force in the land, sweeping the grassroots of people of all faiths, races, and ethnicities. In its parts it offers solutions to many of our most intractable problems; in its whole it is nothing less than an innovative philosophy of government. No author is more qualified to explain its power and promise than Marvin Olasky, described by The New York Times as "the godfather of compassionate conservatism."

Compassionate conservatism offers a new paradigm for how the government can and should intervene in the economy. It begins with a long-lost premise about human behavior: economics, by itself, is not what changes lives. Only faith, and deeply held beliefs, can do that. For decades government has focused only on material well-being, ignoring the passions and convictions that make life worth living. What is conservative about the new movement is that its leaders also know that government cannot instill these beliefs. What it can do is help them flourish. It can give aid, inspiration, and direction to America's natural "armies of compassion" that have been a hallmark of our history since the founding.

Compassionate conservatism offers a way to transcend the root problems that currently oppress too many deserving Americans. It offers a unique vision of the triangular relationship between the state, our many churches, and our tens of thousands of charities. It is a true reinvention of welfare, a wholesale revolution in the welfare state, and a redefinition of the social safety net.

In Compassionate Conservatism Marvin Olasky takes us on a road trip with his son, Daniel, across the country, showing exactly how the new movement is unfolding. Along the way, he offers a set of principles, and a brief tour through history to show that these are not so much radically new ideas as rediscoveries of long-lost wisdom. Read this book for a blueprint of the future of politics and welfare in America.

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Governor George W. Bush proclaims himself a "compassionate conservative". But what does that mean? And what will it signify for his administration should he become president? Is it just a catch phrase or a genuine blueprint for domestic policy?

No one is better situated to answer these questions than Marvin Olasky, identified by The New York Times as "the godfather of compassionate conservatism", whose answers are both provocative and informative. In Compassionate Conservatism, Olasky lays out the principles of this philosophy and takes us on a tour of successful charities and policy programs across the country. He shows us which programs work and why, and reports on government and private charities that are reinventing social welfare as we know it.

In a thesis that is bound to spark controversy, Olasky argues that religious faith is not just helpful but essential for welfare programs; if the government wants to have a social safety net, Americans must accept public funding of groups that proselytize. According to Olasky, religious faith is not just a useful feature of welfare, it is essential to our public purpose.

Customer Reviews:

Mostly bluster.......2005-06-16

"Compassionate Conservatism" by Olasky is a manifesto for a "bread-and-circus" ideology that grows more transparent by the day. Not surprisingly, it is heavy on rhetoric and light on substance.

The alliterative title is catchy, but "Bible-and-Business Conservatism" is more descriptive.

Religious zealots showing their true faces.......2003-08-21

Terrible and a nauseating cover up for what is going on, an organized attempt to break the wall separating the state and religion. I lasted 10 pages. May be 9 pages too many

Maybe these zealots deserve a chance.......2003-03-15

Compassionate conservatism is not a platitude but a distinct social program. It aims to help the poor without compromising conservative principles ý very conservative principles, very religious conservative principles. Marvin Olasky, one of its spokesman and advisor to George Bush when he was governor of Texas, has written an overview for the general reader. Actually, itýs for the general conservative reader, but liberals should take note.

Much of the book is a collection of essays recounting the authorýs visits to various antipoverty programs across the country, mostly privately run. The traditional programs (run by churches and charities) provide counseling, education, job training, and placement ý the usual mix. The dropout rate is substantial, and most of those who graduate and get a job fail and return to poverty. I canýt quarrel with this result. But only a minority of alcoholics, drug addicts, and the obese succeed in solving their problems, too. These are tough problems.. Itýs with greater pleasure that he relates encounters with compassionate conservatism antipoverty programs ýall privately run, generally by born-again Christians and their churches. These offer the same benefits plus a heavy dose of moral uplift, discipline, and abstinence. Anyone can enter, but once in the program they must toe the line. Use of alcohol and drugs means instant expulsion; so does irresponsibility, poor attendance, and laziness. There are no second chances.

So far none of this is objectionable or even particularly conservative. However, the author adds one feature he considers essential: religion. The programs he admires stress an aggressive, proselytizing, strictly moralistic fundamentalism. Many otherwise commendable leaders become unpleasantly self-righteous on the subject of God.

Because the government refuses to fund sectarian charities, they look upon bureaucrats with the contempt they reserve for the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Olasky approves and quotes them at length. He also maintains that graduates of these programs do better. I havenýt the expertise to dispute this, and it seems reasonable that a despairing member of the underclass who accepts Jesus will become a more solid citizen. It works with alcoholics.

Nonfundamentalists will find this book irritating because the author makes no attempt to win them over. Yet wouldnýt it be wonderful if Republicans took a genuine interest in fighting poverty? Democrats arenýt giving it more than lip service. Americans today donýt place a high priority on correcting social injustice. They would oppose any Federal effort that involves spending tax money. As a result, the only political movement making a big noise about helping the poor are the compassionate conservatives. Why not give them a chance?

Thoughtful readers should hold their noses and persist to the end.

Taking back oneself.......2003-03-11

The Sixties gave us many things. One thing it took away was the willingness and ability of Americans as individuals to take responsibility for themselves and to be accountabe for their actions. Compassionate conservatism is a way to return responsibility and accountability to individuals and, in so doing, freeing them from poverty, addictions, and other negative behaviors. Many people attack compassionate conservatism as some religious trend but if all religious elements are stripped from it, what remains is the same idea of taking responsibility for one's own actions that mental health professionals try to get their clients to develop. If you have never worked with any of the populations Olasky describes, then you are not qualified to judge what he has written about them and whether compassionate conservatism offers a way out of their depressing lifestyles. I have been a member of some of those populations and I have worked with them since "recovering". There may be other ways to achieve success but compassionate conservatism offers something sure-fire. It works when other methods don't. Marvin Olasky does write with the pedantism of the academic. If you get past that, however, the message is compelling. The book is a quick read.

Brought to you by organized religion.......2001-07-21

This book shows just how insane and completely wrong any right-wing attempt at "compassion" is. Books like this make it tough even for a progressive like me to keep an open-minded view on conservative ideals.

While the religious obsession in this book is nauseating enough, "Compassionate Conservatism" is also one of the most blatantly racist books I have seen in this decade. Peppered throughout the book are statements along the lines of "for a black person, he really cares about his neighborhood" and numerous similar condescending statements.

Olasky seems to convey surprise that anyone other than fundamentalist, evangelical Christian white Republicans have been able to do anything positive, and reports this in "Compassionate Conservatism" as if none of the rest of the world was aware of it either. How disgusting.

Overall, reading this poorly-written, meandering propaganda for his weak argument gave me almost the same feeling I got when I first read Rush Limbaugh. I truly though nothing was going to shock me that way again, but this sure did. Nevertheless, I encourage all citizens to read this book. Seeing compassionate conservatism in its truest form will absolutely wipe out any sugar-coated conception the network news ever gave it.

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Compassionate Conservatism: What It Is, What It Does, And How It Can Transform America.(Review) (book review): An article from: Church & State
Joseph L. Conn
Manufacturer: Americans United for Separation of Church and State
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Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B0008HHDS2
Release Date: 2005-07-28

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This digital document is an article from Church & State, published by Americans United for Separation of Church and State on October 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1751 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Compassionate Conservatism: What It Is, What It Does, And How It Can Transform America.(Review) (book review)
Author: Joseph L. Conn
Publication: Church & State (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2000
Publisher: Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Volume: 53 Issue: 9 Page: 20

Article Type: Book Review

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Title: Canadian aboriginal saga: a people and a dream.(A People's Dream: Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada)(Aboriginal Autonomy and Development in Northern Quebec and Labrador)(Prospering Together: The Economic Impact of the Aboriginal Title Settlements in B.C.)(Aboriginal Education in Canada: A Study in Decolonization)(Aboriginal People and Other Canadians: Shaping New Relationships)(The Problem of Justice. Tradition and Law in the Coast Salish World)(Oka par la caricature: Deux visions distinctes d'une mime crise)(Book Review)
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