What's Morality Got to Do with It? An Essay on the Politics of Moral Values in Light of the Presidential Election of 2004

The author argues that moral values in U.S. politics predate the 2004 presidential election, animate contemporary public policy discussions among people with varying viewpoints within and across political and religious persuasions, and permeate broader issues of social justice and cultural correctness. Liberal institutions, based on moral principles shown to be consistent with J. Dewey's pragmatic philosophy, afford persons of faith protections and opportunities to engage in public debate and thereby shape legitimate policies thought to be in the public interest. On the whole, the author contends that governmental institutions in the United States are highly resilient, enabling coexistence of proponents of competing accounts of excellence (i.e., virtue and character) on terms of mutual respect. Finally, the author addresses how the present political climate might affect policy and clinical practice and what social workers should do about it.