Getting America Right: The True Conservative Values Our Nation Needs Today by Edwin J. Feulner and Doug Wilson is a good place to start for newcomers to the conservative worldview and would make an excellent gift for young folk unfamiliar with basic conservative tenets. After opening with forwards by Newt Gingrich and Edwin Meese, the book poses and answers six questions (a chapter is devoted to each) to determine the proper role of government:
(1) "Is it the government's business?"
(2) "Does this measure promote self-reliance?"
(3) "Is it responsible?"
(4) "Does it make us more prosperous?"
(5) "Does it make us safer?"
(6) "Does it unify us?"
The last chapter is particularly relevant today with the current debate over illegal immigration. Feulner and Wilson make good use of statistics and history to support their arguments and often cite the views of the Founding Fathers on the limits and responsibilities of government. The writing is simple and straightforward and I enjoyed the numerous memorable quotations sprinkled through the book.
My only quibble is that, for me, the book did not cover much new ground. While it features a concise summary of conservative views, there isn't much meat on the bones. Now I'm not a political philosophy wonk like the guys at the Claremont Institute or Atomizer, but I found myself wanting more depth than "Getting America Right" delivered.
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