In Praise Of Public Life
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- £6.49
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- £6.49
Publisher Description
In a vigorous defense of public life, Senator Joseph Lieberman defines the duty, the honor, and the privilege of the public lives of politicians in the face of perennial American cynicism.
Americans have always been suspicious of government and have misunderstood and mistrusted those in public life. This attitude is even more prevalent as the boundaries that once separated public and private have fallen. Lieberman argues that some of the public's mistrust is based on a misconception of what public life is and why we need it. He describes life as he has lived it over three decades in the public eye with all its purpose, privileges, pressures, and pleasures.
Lieberman asks fundamental questions about what standards of behavior should be expected of politicians in the sharply partisan, big-money, search-and-destroy atmosphere of politics today. Who should set these standards? Is there room for a public figure to "be human," to "make mistakes"? Is there a line beyond which the personal behavior of a public official is nobody's business? Do citizens have an obligation to understand and determine the responsibilities of public life?
Drawing widely from his own experience as a politician and his pride in public service, Lieberman makes a passionate, hopeful argument for the value of public life. He believes it plays a place necessary role in our democracy and more Americans need to embrace it if we are to sustain our self-government.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this slender volume, the junior U.S. senator from Connecticut makes a heartfelt case that the ills of American society can be corrected by working within the current political system rather than by overhauling it. While acknowledging that the federal government is far from perfect, Lieberman contends that it has many more good people than bad and that the process succeeds more often than fails. During his two terms in office, Lieberman has staked out a position as a moderate Democrat, firmly embracing the title of "New Democrat" first articulated by Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas. Through cooperation and compromise, Congress has supported the Clinton administration in passing a number of crucial pieces of legislation (e.g., the 1993 balanced budget, NAFTA and GATT trade agreements) that the senator believes have helped spur the country's record economic growth. Lieberman also contends that the entertainment industry has played a major role in the decline in America's moral values; the entertainment industry doesn't reflect social norms but rather shapes values and influences behavior, Lieberman argues, and steps need to be taken to make the major media outlets act more for the public good. With so many politicians writing about burnout and their frustrations with serving in elected office, it is refreshing to hear the point of view of someone who still finds politics a noble calling.
