What Comes Next?

Social disorders are increasing. We’re economically divided. Our political process is a blood sport. Government agencies are failing to repair the key maladies that afflict us. Two thirds of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.

It’s quite likely that politics and public policy will be sources of frustration for many Americans for years to come.

But even if Washington, D.C., remains frozen tundra for people who want to improve the nation, powerful culture change is within reach. As you are about to read, we’ve been in this position before. And the clear lesson of history is that there are many paths to progress other than those that run along the Potomac. There are precedents and prior triumphs we can copy, and many places we can productively invest to make our country better.

This short book explains how citizens have repeatedly used voluntary action, private giving, and the processes of civil society to dramatically elevate our society. In eras when our national prospects were considerably bleaker than they are now, Americans found effective ways to solve their problems. It can happen again.

This book offers inspiration and a practical roadmap for the next generation of patriotic philanthropists willing to organize, spend, and act to refine the United States of America, even in an era of political frustration.