An analysis of trends in American politics and economics points to serious threats to the legitimacy and vitality of the nation’s democracy. Large numbers of disaffected individuals are resentful and mournful regarding recent developments in public life. Understanding the sources of resentment and grief should lead to a reassessment of government’s role in the economy and to an imperative to address the crisis of the isolated individual.

A national election provides an opportunity to take a reading of the mood and issues in society. The nomination and election of Donald Trump amounted to a political earthquake that disrupted the establishment of a major political party and set a direction for national leadership that remains uncertain. The rise of populism pushed the issue

[Both the Bush administration’s national security strategy and the war with Iraq have provoked wide-ranging reaction and comment. Questions of how to assess the Bush doctrine and/or the Iraqi conflict provoke a reconsideration of the just war tradition. New grounds for just cause are being proposed as well as developments in other areas of just