Developmental Politics (How America Can Grow Into a Better Version of Itself)

Growing hyper-partisan polarization threatens the foundations of American democracy. In response to this “wicked problem,” Steve McIntosh shows how America can grow into a better version of itself. He outlines an innovative method of “values integration” through which citizens from across the political spectrum can reach new levels of consensus and cooperation. This groundbreaking book presents a fresh approach to our national dilemma—a “politics of culture”—that can effectively reconcile the conflicting worldviews that are fiercely competing to define America's bedrock values.

In addition to offering a pragmatic prescription for overcoming hyperpolarization, Developmental Politics also describes a new “political philosophy of purpose and progress.” This philosophy reveals how what we call “value” or “the good” has energy-like properties that can be harnessed to build political will and reclaim a secular-friendly notion of “cultural transcendence.” McIntosh argues that “improving our definition of improvement itself” can lead to a more inclusive version of the American Dream, which can quell the culture war and strengthen our collective civic virtue. By advancing an expanded vision of social progress, Developmental Politics can restore our hope for the future.