Public matters: essays on politics, policy, and religion

After preparing to lead a quiet life as a teacher and scholar of political theory, William Galston has spent the past quarter century crossing the boundaries between academia and public life, including a two-year stint as Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy under President Clinton.

Reflecting these boundary-crossings, Public Matters contains a selection of Galston's essays on politics, policy, and religion.

Each is viewed through the prisms of history, theory, and ethical concerns.

The essays on politics tell the story of Galston's efforts to help redirect the Democratic Party so that it speaks more clearly to the concerns of 21st century Americans.

The essays in the policy section reflect the range of issues with which Galston has grappled as a political activist and public official.

Finally, the essays on religion try to come to grips with the challenges that religion, taken seriously (as it should be) poses for the governance of constitutional democracies.