Review of Green and Jolin's Change for America
A Collection of Essays for the 44th President's Consideration
In January, 2008, Senator Barack Obama told Katie Couric that the "essential book" he would bring to the White House would be Doris Kearns Goodwin's Lincoln Biography, "Team of Rivals." He might reconsider his choice after reading Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President. Mark Green, founder of the New Democracy Project, and Michele Jolin, of the Center for American Progress, have amassed intelligent, comprehensive opinions from a wide range of knowledgeable professionals. Their "progressive blueprint" offers voices that, even while contradicting one another, speak for thinking people everywhere.
Topics for President Obama to Address
It seems every American has a bit of an expert advocating for their needs among the many pages of policy suggestions and philosophical reasonings. Recommendations are made across broad areas, including:
- White House Staffing Responsibilities
- Economic Policy
- Domestic Policy
- National Security Policy
Within these four umbrella sections of the book there are multiple essays on a variety of issues, written by expert voices.
Recommendations to Improve Government
Throughout the book, the different authors suggest that the White House administration must create more efficient access to the president and his staff. There should be "structured" access to the president, so that people working on government committees and councils can have focus on real work, rather than spending time finding roads into the White House.
One interesting proposal suggests that the Vice President "be a principal on all policy councils". This appears to align with President-elect Obama's philosophy. On December 21, 2008, the New York Times reported that Joe Biden recalled setting terms for his Vice Presidency, including, "'I want a commitment from you that in every important decision you'll make, every critical decision, economic and political as well as foreign policy, I'll get to be in the room." (Knowton, New York Times Political Blog.)
Disagreements About Presidential Priorities
This is not a book written in unison, all though there is clearly a unified purpose in offering helpful advice to the future administration. Just as John Podesta and Sarah Rosen Wartell advise that the president must exercise care in balancing national security concerns against domestic concerns, Samuel Berger and Tom Donilon insist that the 44th president, "will face the most daunting set of international challenges of any president since World War II." Reading the different arguments helps illustrate the complexity of running a country, and the contradicting voices makes Change for America a compelling read.
What Change for America Says about America
One disturbing element of this tome is the consistent reminder that the duty of the American government is to act ethically. The authors suggest that the Domestic Policy Council be responsible for "an effort to restore the rule of law, ethics, and confidence in government." The tome is longer than some Harry Potter books, but a recurring theme of Change for America suggests that American politicians need to learn the same lesson as young wizards: choices matter more than abilities, and good should win over evil.
At times, the book written especially for the President Elect and his administrative team offers shockingly simple advice, and it is frightening to realize that positions of power can lead people to the frame of mind where they need to be reminded that the director of the National Economic Council should have, "the temperament to serve as an honest broker."
Change for America strongly suggests that it is important to move forward, rather than focus solely on undoing the controversial decisions of the previous administration. It is a book written by people who are determined to influence a country that elected an administration committed to change, and anyone interested in the future of American policy would find the collection of essays thought-provoking and insightful.
Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President(ISBN: 0465013872) is edited by political advocates and advisers Mark Green and Michele Jolin. It will be published January 5, 2009, by Basic Books.
A Multitude of Voices Offers Wisdom to #44
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