Community Works is a diverse collection of essays, or if you prefer, a buffet of ideas, that provides substantial food for thought about civil society in the United States. For newcomers to the topic, the essays can be read like a text book from beginning to end, from the introductory overview through revisions of primary works in the field on to the concluding remarks about the philosophical consequences of civil society's renewed prominence. For the professional or academic familiar with the concept, the majority of writings are useful in that they illustrate the various political and social applications to which the concept can render service.

Civil society, essentially, is a third sector comprised of free associations where neither governments nor private markets are sovereign. This is the only common ingredient among all the dishes served up by the contributors to the collection. In one version, for instance, civil society is the embodiment of communitarian ideals; in another, the space for libertarian action. Civil society has been resurrected by nostalgic conservatives, and at the same time, advances steadily toward liberal dreams.

Thanks to their diversity, the essays in this volume demonstrate the significance of the debate. As Dionne writes in the introduction, "If a society wants to encourage those who are engaged in the hard work of forging community bonds, of building civil society, it needs to be aware of how important that work is and to honor those who do it."

One of the key strands of debate is what role the federal government plays in nurturing or undermining civil society. Katz and Skocpol, for example, argue that the government enables civic action through regulatory action or "tax-and-spend" programs. Senators Coats and Santorum and Colin Powell, on the other hand, recommend a "humble government" agenda focused on tax credits and education. One question not addressed by those on either side, however, is what effect state and local governments have on civil society — an indication, perhaps, that while the insights of the writers are commendable, many of them maintain scholarly or national perspectives that necessarily limit their grasp of the dynamics of nonprofit organizations and community development activities.

Exceptions to this are the essays by Rivers, DiIulio, and Schambra who focus on faith-based and community organizations. DiIulio points out that faith-based efforts walk a thin line between antagonists who believe either that "churched folks are stupid," or that spiritually inspired work is "too real and too strong." Rivers, for his part, champions a zealous approach to radically improving neighborhoods that demands intense personal commitments and risks. Schambra argues that the key to America's civic renewal is through community-based action and a continuing search "for larger countrywide movements, for a sweetening of our collective national mode."

Debates about civil society are truly all-you-can-eat, in that there's always a reason to go back for more. Dionne aptly summarizes: "It is a testimony to Americans that they constantly tinker with families, neighborhoods, and churches, searching for new forms that provide for both tradition and modernity, freedom and community."

The most relevant and non-contentious point for nonprofit practitioners is that civil society is, in the end, a process of producing citizens. Civil society itself does not solve problems — an obvious observation to anyone who has worked in the social services or any other charitable area. Everyone has a responsibility, though, for enriching civil society, for encouraging expression and moral development. The nourishment that this collection of essays provides should provide the energy to take on this responsibility.

Table of Contents

1. "Introduction: Why Civil Society? Why Now?" E.J. Dionne, Jr.
2. "Is Civil Society Obsolete? Revisiting Predictions of the Decline of Civil Society in Whose Keeper?" Alan Wolfe
3. "Not a Cure All: Civil Society Creates Citizens, It Does Not Solve Problems," Jean Bethke Elshtain
4. "America's Civic Condition: A Glance at the Evidence," William A. Galston and Peter Levine
5. "Don't Blame Big Government: America's Voluntary Groups Thrive in a National Network," Theda Skocpol
6. "All Community Is Local: The Key to America's Civic Renewal," William A. Schambra
7. "The Lord's Work: The Church and Civil Society," John J. DiIulio, Jr.
8. "High-Octane Faith and Civil Society," Eugene F. Rivers III
9. "Give Community Institutions a Fighting Chance," Bruce Katz
10. "Recreating Civil Society One Child at a Time," Colin L. Powell
11. "No Paintbrushes, No Paint," Jane R. Eisner
12. "Beyond Theory: Civil Society in Action," Pam Solo and Gail Pressburg
13. "Poverty 101: What Liberals and Conservatives Can Learn from Each Other," David Kuo
14. "Where Have All the Followers Gone?" Alan Ehrenhalt
15. "Civil Society and the Humble Role of Government," Dan Coats and Rick Santorum
16. "America's Challenge: Revitalizing Our National Community," Bill Bradley
17. "Second Thoughts on Civil Society," Gertrude Himmelfarb
18. "The Idea of Civil Society: A Path to Social Reconstruction," Michael Walzer