Keynes and the Classics: Two Lectures on Keynes' Contribution to Economic Theory (Occasional Papers)

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In this "meditation on law, religion, and morality," originally delivered as part of Harvard's annual Massey Lectures series, which has attracted speakers from Richard Rorty to Toni Morrison, Stephen L. Carter dwells on themes from his larger books, including The Culture of Disbelief, with particular attention to allegiance (and its opposite, disallegiance) to religion and state.

Working from the text of the Declaration of Independence, Carter proposes that the true measure of a democracy can be found in its treatment of those citizens who dissent with its stated values. This has been especially important in the consideration of those who disagree with the local or federal government on moral grounds rooted in religious belief; in this century alone, that has been a factor in issues ranging from pacifist activism against World War I, the nonviolent civil rights movement of the 1960s, and the continuing debate over abortion rights. It is also relevant today with regard to such issues as the provision of government funds for private (usually religious) schools. Carter reminds us that the purpose of democracy is not to impose one set of values on a diverse citizenry, but to create a space for dialogue among people of varying value systems, each of which is accorded respect and dignity.

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Between loyalty and disobedience; between recognition of the law's authority and realization that the law is not always right: In America, this conflict is historic, with results as glorious as the mass protests of the civil rights movement and as inglorious as the armed violence of the militia movement. In an impassioned defense of dissent, Stephen L. Carter argues for the dialogue that negotiates this conflict and keeps democracy alive. His book portrays an America dying from a refusal to engage in such a dialogue, a polity where everybody speaks, but nobody listens.

The Dissent of the Governedis an eloquent diagnosis of what ails the American body politic--the unwillingness of people in power to hear disagreement unless forced to--and a prescription for a new process of response. Carter examines the divided American political character on dissent, with special reference to religion, identifying it in unexpected places, with an eye toward amending it before it destroys our democracy.

At the heart of this work is a rereading of the Declaration of Independence that puts dissent, not consent, at the center of the question of the legitimacy of democratic government. Carter warns that our liberal constitutional ethos--the tendency to assume that the nation must everywhere be morally the same--pressures citizens to be other than themselves when being themselves would lead to disobedience. This tendency, he argues, is particularly hard on religious citizens, whose notion of community may be quite different from that of the sovereign majority of citizens. His book makes a powerful case for the autonomy of communities--especially but not exclusively religious--into which democratic citizens organize themselves as a condition for dissent, dialogue, and independence. With reference to a number of cases, Carter shows how disobedience is sometimes necessary to the heartbeat of our democracy--and how the distinction between challenging accepted norms and challenging the sovereign itself, a distinction crucial to the Declaration of Independence, must be kept alive if Americans are to progress and prosper as a nation.

Customer Reviews:

Three Meditations on Law, Religion and Loyalty.......2003-11-07

This erudite writer is one of my favorites. Having enjoyed his previous writings, this one is no exception.

He argues a salient point that the Declaration of Independence might certainly be more about government by the dissent rather than by consent. In this regard, he cites the section of the Declaration which speaks of repeated replies to dissent by continued injuries and disinterest.

He then relates this thesis through the three lenses of: Allegiance, Disobedience, Interpretation.

Making good points along the way, he concludes: If instead we celebrate, always, results over people, bureaucracy over democracy, and centralization over community, then, we are saying after all that we have no interest in the "repeated Petitions" of which the Declaration speaks, that we will, as our revolutionary forebears charged against George III, meet the petitions only with ""repeated injury." If that is what constitutionalism has wrought, it is but one more sign that our celebration of the Declaration of Independence--indeed, our claim to democracy itself--is a sham."

Only wish is that his theology in places were more Biblical, i.e. that he saw the import of Romans 13 and the true Soverign's role in placing authorities, followed by understanding the two kingdom's functioning.

Account for Diversity.......2002-01-04

I did not find the book helpful with providing clarity on very difficult issues about the relationship between church and state in regard to religion.

In particular, Carter focuses on prayer in schools as being hindered by government. In regard to religion in schools, Mr. Carter argues that the interests of the state, as interpreted by the Constitution, should not undermine the interests of religious organizations.

Carter discusses school prayer as ýa different way of life...that...is denied by an uncaring authority.ý This statement shows a disregard for the fact that government must be careful to not favor one religion over another. The First Amendment of the Constitution forbids laws ýrespecting an establishment of religioný as well as ýprohibiting the free exercise thereof.ý As the population in the U.S. becomes more diverse, there are many schools where it would be necessary for the leader of a prayer to probe the beliefs of the students.

When referring to religion, Carter mostly refers to groups whose beliefs are derived from the Judea-Christian tradition: Evangelists, Roman Catholics, Christian Coalition, Southern Baptists. There is no mention of religions whose beliefs are based on non-Christian theology. Many people in the U.S. subscribe to a belief system not derived from the Judea-Christian tradition. Carterýs emphasis on Christianity makes many of his arguments flawed, and his failure to mention other faiths indicates a lack of appreciation for the complexity of government involvement with religion.

What is to happen to students who are atheist, agnostic, or of a different faith from the majority? Will they have to sit mute through prayer sessions? Or, will they be asked to leave the room? In either situation, if the students who choose not to worship are in the minority, there exists a high probability of harassment. The intent of the Second Amendment that prohibits state support of religion is to avoid this inevitable result of prayer in schools.

Ironically, in support of his argument for school prayer, Mr. Carter cited one such instance where violence erupted. It involved Bible readings in the Philadelphia school system in 1844. In those Bible readings, according to Mr. Carter, Catholic children were required to use Protestant Bibles. This situation was the catalyst of Protestants rioting and ýburning houses and churches and killing a number of people.ý

In consideration of the foregoing, I found Mr. Carterýs argument regarding the oppression of religion in the United States to be fallacious and flawed.

GRASPING THE OBVIOUS.......2001-10-17

The Dissent of the Governed edits and expands three lectures which Carter presented at Harvard University in 1995. They found print in 1998, though the book came into general sales only last year. Having followed Carter since The Culture of Disbelief, appreciating him, arguing with him, sometimes disagreeing with him, I opened Dissent with expectation and some trepidation. Would ideas dating from six years ago speak to the America of the twenty-first century? The answer is yes.

Carter takes his title from the line in the Declaration of Independence which declares that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Carter argues, persuasively I believe, that a test of whether or not a government is authentic and just is how it handles the dissent of its citizens. The verdict for the United States is mostly negative. The "liberal project" of the twentieth century, symbolized by the New Deal and the Great Society, and given additional energy by the Civil Rights Movement, assumed that a legitimate role of government is to enforce a common set of values in the nation. The preferred method of enforcement is through societal structures, such as the school and the house of worship. Failing that, the government is justified in using law to enforce that common set of values. Carter argues that the project might have derailed, were it not for the Second Civil War (his name for the Civil Rights Movement), which relied on the courts for legitimation. Thus the judiciary became politicized. I read Dissent immediately after the Supreme Court intervened in the 2000 election, and I was amazed at Carter's prescience. That intervention, impossible to conceive were the judiciary truly independent of politics, could indeed have been predicted by the track record of the courts. The Right is correct: The courts do indeed make law. The courts are indeed political entities, part of what Carter calls the Sovereign, or ruling power in the land. The courts have become dangerous, though, precisely because they DENY the very role which they obviously play in the life of the nation.

With an argument like this, Carter could play into the hands of the most Right of those on the Right, those who advocate not only resistance to the Sovereign but active efforts to overcome that Sovereign. Carter avoids the trap. Instead, he focuses on the power of what he calls "communities of meaning" both to preserve themselves against the power of the Sovereign and to redeem the life of the nation. Carter means religious communities, all the way from the Jewish town of Kiryas Joel to religion-based schools in otherwise secular municipalities. Active dissent to the power of the Sovereign is the responsibility of such communities of meaning because it is the right of parents to provide for the transmission of their values to their children. Such provision includes dissent from a public education system which not only excludes religious expression but is often actively hostile toward that expression. With decisions like that upholding the right of the state to proscribe the use of peyote in religious rituals, the judiciary has made public policy regarding matters that belong in the hands of communities of meaning. In an age when the weight of history moves America toward diversity, the judiciary assumes a unanimity that can never exist, and probably should not exist.

As a Christian pastor in a mainline denomination, Dissent caused me to rethink my attitudes about those institutions that usually call themselves "Christian schools." Having served for nine years in an Indiana town dominated by a conservative denomination, miniscule outside its headquarters town, I had grown weary of the almost "in-your-face" attitude of folks associated with such schools. In a new town, where the Christian school is small and sometimes struggles, I realize that I was experiencing what Christian school supporters feel almost everywhere: Active disdain, and sometimes outright hostility, from the established sovereign. Having returned from a Holy Land trip more convinced than ever of the legitimacy of Christian claims to primacy among the world's religions, I now care whether or not it is "safe" for believers to speak of the things of faith. Naturally, those who believe differently must be protected from a tyranny of either the majority or the minority. Right now, no one is protected, and no one benefits, save the Sovereign. My wife just began teaching part time at our local Christian school. I thought and spoke of Carter's book often as I visited with folks at a recent open house. Read him. Think. Inspiring thought is what Stephen Carter does best, and he thinks about things that need thinking about.

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The Dissent of the Governed: A Meditation on Law, Religion, and Loyalty. (book reviews): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life
Russell Hittinger
Manufacturer: Institute on Religion and Public Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000989YEQ
Release Date: 2005-07-28

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This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on August 1, 1998. The length of the article is 2392 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: The Dissent of the Governed: A Meditation on Law, Religion, and Loyalty. (book reviews)
Author: Russell Hittinger
Publication: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 1998
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Issue: n85 Page: p49(6)

Article Type: Book Review

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The Dissent of the Governed: A Meditation on Law, Religion, and Loyalty.(Review)(Brief Article): An article from: Journal of Church and State
Micah Watson
Manufacturer: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Journal of Church and State, published by J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State on September 22, 2000. The length of the article is 494 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.

Citation Details
Title: The Dissent of the Governed: A Meditation on Law, Religion, and Loyalty.(Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Micah Watson
Publication: Journal of Church and State (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2000
Publisher: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Page: 868

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

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THE DISSENT OF THE GOVERNED: A MEDITATION ON LAW, RELIGION, AND LOYALTY.(Review)(Brief Article): An article from: Theological Studies
Thomas E. Buckley
Manufacturer: Theological Studies, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Theological Studies, published by Theological Studies, Inc. on December 1, 1998. The length of the article is 334 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.

Citation Details
Title: THE DISSENT OF THE GOVERNED: A MEDITATION ON LAW, RELIGION, AND LOYALTY.(Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Thomas E. Buckley
Publication: Theological Studies (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1998
Publisher: Theological Studies, Inc.
Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Page: 772(1)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

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Book Description

Since the late 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) have been involved in the transition process. This book compares the progress of some of these economies in transition and analyses their growth potential. The focus lies on the special role that foreign trade liberalisation and foreign direct investment plays in economic growth. Since foreign trade and foreign direct investment are important channels of technology transfer they can substantially contribute to a higher level of economic growth. Based on the gravity model this book investigates potential in foreign trade and foreign direct investment for selected CIS and CEECs with developed OECD economies. Policy options for some of these countries are discussed including issues of foreign trade, foreign direct investment, structural adjustment, and economic growth.

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When considering the dynamics of regional growth rates, one usually observes growth convergence on spatial aggregates but non-convergence or even divergence within smaller regions of different type. This book suggests various approaches to investigate this puzzle. A formal model, merging approaches from growth theory and new economic geography, shows that spatial knowledge spillovers might be the driving force behind this behavior. To analyze an arbitrary number of regions, the model is implemented on a locally recursive simulation tool - cellular automata. Convergence regressions from different runs of the automaton confirm previous findings. Finally, the existence of spatial knowledge spillovers is tested. Regressions give strong evidence for spatial knowledge spillovers. All the relevant literature and spatial econometric methods are surveyed. Data is reproduced in the appendix.

Book Description

The best product or service in the world will never be successful unless its provider knows how to attract enthusiastic customers.
Chelsea Green has published numerous books that promote self-sufficiency through independent work. Eliot Coleman inspired a nation of market gardeners with his New Organic Grower. Then Lynn Byczynski refined the model of horticultural entrepreneur in The Flower Farmer, and Michael Phillips followed suit in The Apple Grower. Gene Logsdon's The Contrary Farmer provides the tools to make cottage farming economically viable, while in The Bread Builders, Daniel Wing and Alan Scott lay the foundation for revival of the village baking tradition.
We expect that Shel Horowitz's Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World will be welcomed by the organic farmers, solar-energy installers, telecommuters, environmental activists, community gardeners, and straw-bale-house builders of the world. Although he doesn't presume that all of his readers will have embraced the principles of sustainable living, Horowitz's approaches are especially well-matched to the bootstrap businesses and organizations that comprise the new sustainability economy.
Horowitz's key assumption is that the diverse entrepreneurs who need this book will have one thing in common—they won't have much money to spend on marketing efforts. His book tells you:

How to get more than your money's worth in paid advertising;

How to get free ink from the press by turning yourself into news;

How to develop a multi-pronged, multi-media strategy just like the big guys (but without big bucks).

Originally published as Marketing Without Megabucks (Simon & Schuster, 1993), this book has been thoroughly revised, including a major new section on the development that has been the greatest boon ever to the grassroots marketer—the Internet.

Customer Reviews:

I'd give it six stars if I could . . ........2007-03-18

I bought this book after hearing Shel speak. He came off as extremely knowledgeable, very down to earth, and hype-free. So is the book - I was not disappointed.

In my opinion, this is a "friendly" textbook on marketing ALL small businesses, consultants, etc. should read, and certainly applicable to big biz as well. It answered questions I never knew I had. There was information I could use IMMEDIATELY! For example, I went back and made minor yet significant edits to my (very few) Press Releases right away.

Let's step back for a few minutes, I knew very little about marketing despite having run my own business for 15+ years. I never paid attention to marketing, sales, or much of anything but my core competencies - what I was getting paid for as a consultant. Yeah, I'd been "lucky," but don't want to count on luck anymore. There were some basic marketing principles I lacked, and this book taught those well.

I understood some advanced marketing issues and techniques very well, as I've been studying marketing the last few months out of interest and curiosity, but I lacked most basics. It's like understanding advanced calculus and topology, but not being able to add and subtract reliably. This book taught those basics. I should have read it 15 years ago, had it been published then! I still lack experience in some marketing areas, but now at least I have a "clue."

In my first pass I read the topics that interested me with extreme interest. For example, I have, or thought I had, zero use for "Yellow Pages" ads as just one example. I was wrong. I've read this book cover to cover a few times and keep getting more value - and actionable information. It's been on my nightstand now for months and I often read a random section before retiring at night.

If there is a downside, it's that the Internet section is somewhat out of date. That is no surprise as the Internet is evolving rapidly and the book is copyright 2000, but I still think it would be the perfect primer for the uninitiated. Hey, I'm a 25 year Internet veteran and I learned things!

The only book on Marketing you will ever need!.......2005-08-07

If you follow Shel's advice in this well written, easy to use book, you will be successful. My copy is full of post it notes marking pages and highlighted areas, my advice is to buy this book if you want to be successful.

This book is a MUST!.......2004-03-10

I am not usually one to get all gushy and promotional about a book (unless it's mine!) but I've just finished Grassroots Marketing and I think anyone who is trying to market or promote themselves or their work, in any way, MUST have this book!

Regardless of your budget (the books starts at a $10 marketing budget and works up) this books has ideas, links, how-to, and tip that had me highlighting almost every page. I've read a dozen books on marketing in the last year and this was, by far, the best.

In fact, I wish I'd read it first as it would have saved me buying and reading all the others.

I don't think that there are two consecutive pages that I haven't highlighted, lol!

Perry P. Perkins
Author
"Just Past Oysterville"

One of The Most Complete Marketing Books I"ve Read.......2002-10-12

"Grassroots Marketing" is a great book for small business owners who want to improve their company's marketing and do so inexpensively. The book surveys nearly every marketing method known to man.

Horowitz says that the average U.S. adult is exposed to about 2,000 messages each day. So, entrepreneurs really need to make their message stand out from the crowd. Further, Horowitz argues that the average small business, individual, or organization needs to market very inexpensively.

Horowitz summarizes marketing as 1) Identifying your target market; 2) getting the right information and message to your market; and 3) Convincing the target customer to do business with your company.

Horowitz discusses:

- Choosing a company name and how it impacts marketing
- Designing logos
- Writing press releases
- Writing professional articles to market your business
- Using Yellow Page ads effectively
- Direct mail and when its effective and when its not
- Bumper stickers and billboards
- Radio and TV advertising via free publicity
- Internet marketing and getting listed on search engines
- Affiliate marketing
- Telemarketing
- Personal sales and mulitlevel marketing
- Word-of-mouth referrals and networking to get them
- Branding and creating 'buzz'

The chapter about effective copyrighting is especially strong. Horowitz expands the basic AIDA formula (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) into ten points of effective copywriting.

The strength of the chapter on writing effective copy isn't surprising, given that Horowitz is a professional copywriter who helps companies develop advertising. Horowitz also helps entrepreneurs plan marketing and publicity campaigns.

"Grassroots Marketing" gives many resources throughout. Not every marketing method discussed in "Grassroots Marketing" will be appropriate for your company. For example, while a plumber will benefit greatly from a Yellow Page Ad (Horowitz says that people tend to consult the Yellow Pages during emergencies among other occasions), other entrepreneurs will benefit more from direct mail. And, while Horowitz says that balloons with logos are best used to draw people to events, financial advisors will probably not want to place their business logo on balloons.

Peter Hupalo, Author of "How To Start And Run A Small Book Publishing Company."

39 Books for the Price of One.......2002-05-17

The main reason to buy this book is that Shel Horowitz has distilled the marketing wisdom of dozens of experts who charge up to hundreds of dollars for their books. Not only has Shel done the reading for you, he also interviewed many of these experts, or engaged in correspondence with them. He is a scholar of marketing, summarizing and simplifying with his infectious, upbeat writing style and an unwavering focus on what can be done on the cheap.

The second reason to buy this book is for the copious examples and case histories. Shel provides numerous side-by-side examples of good and poor copy, including news releases, classified ads, e-mail signature files, and even Yellow Pages ads. These side-by-side comparisons teach quickly in a way no amount of explanatory text can match.

My only complaint is the title of the book. It should be "TREEroots Marketing," because if you follow Shel's no-frills advice, you'll soon be towering over the competition.

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Consumers' Choice of Consumer Loan Contract Terms (Working Paper No. 51)
A. Charlene Sullivan
Manufacturer: Purdue Univ Krannert Graduate
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9995166267

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