No one will deny John E. Hill's claim that he has written an"unabashedly didactic" book (p. xi). This is not social science,or political theory, or history as it is usually understood bythose disciplines. I do not mean that as a criticism, for thereis great merit in writing as a concerned citizen-scholar. Hillputs his political cards on the table. He is a self-described"moderate liberal" (p. xi) who wants universal health insur-ance, public funding of elections, more restraints on thecorporate sector, a more progressive tax system, more spend-ing on education, and community service programs. He alsowants liberals to rethink their attitude toward morality: Theyneed to be more forthright about the importance of morali-ty-social virtue-for the health of the Republic. In addition,Hill does not shy away from telling us that he does not like"individualistic excess" (p. ix), Alexander Hamilton, RonaldReagan, or the religious Right.