The competing voices in the American political arena are given their due in this nuanced tour of some of the most chewed-over issues of the day. Wenz (Environmental Justice
) posits that there are 12 major political philosophies (e.g., libertarianism, contractarianism, feminism and multiculturalism) that, taken in part or in whole, encompass the opinions of most Americans. Fourteen case studies illustrate how these approaches have applied in real-life scenarios, often creating unexpected partnerships and disagreements—most dramatically in the Supreme Court case Kelo
v. New London
, which centered on an eminent domain dispute and eventually saw the CATO Institute allied with the ACLU in favor of personal property rights. While discussions on the shifting legal status of pornography and the complex variables of the American health care system lack strongly unifying set -pieces, they convey a great deal of information about law and policy in a coherent manner. When Wenz occasionally gets personal, as he does in a wrenching and well-presented chapter on physician-assisted suicide, the book transcends talking points to become a satisfying exhibition of political philosophy in action. (Mar.)
