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The Communitarian Update
Number 47
August 23, 2002
Event: "American Society in the Wake of Terrorism: Communitarian Perspectives"
Washington, DC, Sept. 5, 2:00 p.m., Place: Zenger Room of the National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW
American Demographics will release results from four exclusive surveys that examine whether Americans'
attitudes towards family, religion, work and entertainment have changed in the year post-September 11.
The Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies at The George Washington University will release a new
position paper, "American Society in the Age of Terrorism," which provides an analysis of data gathered
on changes in post-9/11 American society. Panel: Seema Nayer, Editor of American Demographics, Amitai
Etzioni, University Professor at The George Washington University, David Brooks, Senior Editor of The
Weekly Standard, and Alan Wolfe, Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. This
event is free and open to the public. No registration required. For questions, e-mail comnet@gwu.edu.
Tell us what you think!
Multilaterialism v. Unilateralism
To what extent should American foreign policy take into account its allies' preferences? Some argue
that failure to consult alienates our potential partners and leads to the loss of legitimacy, thereby
undermining our objectives. Others argue that consulting our allies on matters of great national interest
forfeits our national prerogatives. (We assume that "consulting" and then acting counter to the positions
voiced will backfire.)
Please respond briefly, tell us if we may include your response in our feedback, and how to identify you.
We shall do not run anonymous responses because we hold that true identities make for better dialogues. For
further discussion of this issue, see Joseph S. Nye's new book The Paradox of American Power: Why the World's
Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone (2002), and two columns by Charles Krauthammer, "The New Unilateralism,"
(The Washington Post, 6/8/01) and "Unilateral? Yes Indeed," (The Washington Post, 12/14/01), both available at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/opinion/columns/krauthammercharles
American Political Science Association Event
Plenary Session IV: Civil Liberties and National Security After September 11, Boston, MA, August 31. Amitai
Etzioni will chair a Plenary Session on Civil Liberties and National Security After September 11, at which
panelists will discuss public safety and individual rights post-9/11, organized by the Communitarian Network.
Panel: Nadine Strosse, President of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Viet Dinh, Assistant Attorney
General of the Office of Legal Policy of the United States Department of Justice. There will be ample time for
questions from the audience. For more information, visit APSA's website at
http://www.apsanet.org/mtgs/index.cfm.
Election time: Debate, yes. Trash-talking, no.
A survey from the Institute for Global Ethics shows that the American public wants to see more debates and
fewer personal attacks during the upcoming congressional campaigns. - 92% of those polled said candidates
should participate in public debates, and 94 % wanted to see candidates in forums where voters could engage
them directly. - 68% said it is appropriate for politicians to criticize their opponent's voting record, 71
for "talking one way and voting another," and 61 for not paying taxes on time. - 89% said it is unfair to
criticize the behavior of another candidate's family, 81 % to raise past financial problems as an issue, 69%
to bring up "past t roubles, like alcoholism or marijuana use," - 76% to condemn an opponent for not serving
in the military, and 61% to challenge an opponent's patriotism. (New York Times, 7/23/02).
Twin Oaks Communities Conference
An exploration and celebration of cooperative living. A weekend of workshops, community-building, and fun!
We'll explore topics such as intentional relationships, group decision-making,living sustainably, and more.
Aug.30-Sep.2, 2002. For more information or to register, e-mail conference@twinoaks.org, or visit
http://www.twinoaks.org/conference.
The "Us" Generation
A recent survey conducted by the Gallup Organization shows that college students believe there will be a
shift toward careers that benefit the public interest and that their generation will be the "us" generation.
Two-thirds (67 %) said they believed there would be an increase in interest in careers that serve the public,
such as education and public health, and 20 % predicted a shift away from careers that may offer greater
financial awards, such as those in business fields. More than six in 10 college students (64 %) agreed that
their generation will be more oriented toward community well-being, while only 26 % disagreed, and 10 %
remained neutral. See
http://www.bayerus.com/msms/news/pages/factsofscience/main.html. A separate survey
of college juniors and seniors conducted by the Washington firm Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates found
that 41 % of the students would consider taking a job in the government, and that 75 % viewed government
employment favorably.
What does every American need?
Belly button surgery, apparently. Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimate that about
50,000 people a year have their navels reshaped through plastic surgery. These procedures usually take place
during a tummy tuck, in which excess fat and skin are removed from the abdomen - for the price of $5,000
to $15,000. Next on the list for those seeking to improve their bodies: nipple enhancement surgery. Many
plastic surgeons are now offering $1,500 to $8,000 procedures to make nipples more prominent. (The Wall
Street Journal, 8/1/02).
The American Community Survey (ACS)
The ACS is the new U.S. Census Bureau tool for collecting timely housing and socioeconomic date for the
nation, states, and cities. Pending congressional funding, it will provide data every year, to aid policy
makers in evaluating programs. An electronic newsletter, the ACS Alert, will be available to inform interested
parties of news, events, data released, congressional actions, and other information related to the survey.
Information about subscribing to the list is available at
http://lists.census.gov/mailman/listinfo/acsalert.
For questions regarding Census Bureau data projects, contact webmaster@census.gov or call the Customer Service
Center at 301-763-4636.
New Survey: Youth Civic Engagement
Short Term Impacts, Long Term Opportunities: The Political and Civic Engagement of Young Adults in America
A national survey of 1500 young adults (conducted in 2002) released by the Center for Information and Research
in Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), the Center for Democracy and Technology, and the Partnership for
Trust in Government finds that young adults feel better about politics and government post-Sept. 11, but positive
attitudes have yet to translate into action. Available at
http://www.youngcitizensurvey.org/cover.htm
Politics and Privacy
Privacy Concerns and Effects on Americans Online
A survey of the Democracy Online Project shows reports that 43% of those who use the Internet have used it
to learn about or discuss politics and government. Of these, 80% say that the new online surveillance powers
granted to the government under the USA Patriot Act will not impact their use of the Internet for political
activities. Only one in eight (or 12%) of Internet users have said privacy concerns have stopped them from making
an online political contribution. Available at
http://democracyonline.org/databank/nov2001survey.shtml.
Medical Privacy
The Bush administration, under pressure from the healthy industry, has proposed to scale back some provisions
of medical privacy legislation that was enacted under the Clinton administration. The most significant change
is the elimination of the provision requiring patients to give consent to doctors, hospitals or pharmacies before
they use or disclose information for routine health care purposes. The health care industry says these changes
are necessary to allow for quick treatment of patients, but critics say it may also make it easier for pharmacies
to give information to drug companies for use in marketing. For further information on these changes, see the
Department of Health and Human Services Fact Sheet at
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2002pres/20020809.html.
The Responsive Community
The Responsive Community has been receiving a lot of attention recently. The summer '02 issue
(http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/rcq/rcq123.html) was mentioned in the
National Review Online and the
Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as in an article by Edward Rothstein in the July 13 New York Times.
New Publications
Rights and Responsibilities after 9/11: A Communitarian Position Paper (Aug. '02) - The latest Communitarian
Network paper presents findings on government measures to protect rights and safety and an analysis of restrictions
on civil liberties. It shows the scope and quality of the supervision of new safety measures, such as surveillance
cameras and roving wiretaps, is more important whether or not these measures were authorized; since 9/11 the
government has introduced measures that both prevent future terrorist attacks and better protect privacy; surveys
indicate that the higher the public's level of fear, the greater people's willingness to curtail liberty in order
to protect public safety. To obtain a copy, e-mail comnet@gwu.edu. It will soon be available online also at
http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps.
On Being Nonprofit by Peter Frumkin (Harvard University Press) - Frumkin provides a road map to the evolving
conceptual and policy terrain of the nonprofit sector. Available from amazon.com.
Suffering and Moral Responsibility by Jamie Mayerfield (Oxford University Press) - Mayerfeld inquires into
the meaning and moral significance of suffering, including an examination of the duty to relieve suffering:
its content, its weight relative to other moral considerations, and the role it should play in our lives.
When it's Your Own Child: A Report on Special Education from the Families who Use It (A report from Public Agenda) -
A national survey of parents of children in special education evaluates special education programs based on parents'
experiences. Available at
http://www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/aboutpa8a.htm.
Become an endorser!
Show you're proud to be a communitarian by reading and endorsing our platform. Go to our web site:
http://www.communitariannetwork.org. Recent endorsers include
Thomas B. Jankowski of Detroit, MI,
and James Lewis of San Francisco, CA.
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