Acknowledgments -- Preface -- PART I The Changing Nature of American Politics -- 1 American Politics, Then & Now -- Originally published in Commentary, February 1979 -- A Real Change? -- The Expansion of the Political Agenda -- The Atomization of Congress and the Parties -- The Role of Ideas -- 2 "Policy Intellectuals" and Public Policy -- Originally published in The Public Interest, Summer 1981 -- The Influence of Intellectuals -- Doing Intellectual Work -- Why Some Intellectual Products Are Better -- The Role of Intellectuals -- 3 The Rediscovery of Character: Private Virtue and Public Policy -- Originally published in The Public Interest, Fall 1985 -- Schooling -- Welfare -- Public Finance -- Crime -- Character and Policy -- 4 The Press at War -- Originally published in City Journal, Fall 2006 -- 5 Defining the "Peace Party" -- (written with Karlyn Bowman)1 Originally published in The Public Interest, Fall 2003 -- An Exceptional Case? -- Party Politics -- Ideology Matters -- Black Opinion -- The Peace Candidate -- 6 Bowling with Others -- Originally published in Commentary, October 2007 -- 7 How Divided Are We? -- Originally published in Commentary, February 2006 -- A Closer Look at the Divisions -- Why Is Polarization Growing? -- Divisions among Ordinary Americans -- What's Wrong with Polarization? -- PART II Religion and Politics -- 8 Religion and Polarization -- Originally published in America at Risk: Threats to Liberal Self-Government in an Age of Uncertainty, ed. Robert Faulkner and Susan Shell, University of Michigan Press, 2009 -- The Historical Legacy of Religion -- Religion and Public Opinion -- Religion Abroad -- The Persistence of Religion in America -- Religion, Politics, and Markets -- Religion Constrained by Politics -- The Constraints of Political Life -- Identifying Religious Voters -- The Apparent Benefits of Religion.

Our Shared Obligations -- 9 Why Don't Jews Like the Christians Who Like Them? -- Originally published in City Journal, Winter 2008 -- 10 What Makes a Terrorist? -- Originally published in City Journal, Winter 2004 -- Crazy, Poor, or Desperate? -- Methods of Recruitment -- An End to Terrorism? -- 11 The Reform Islam Needs -- Originally published in City Journal, Autumn 2002 -- 12 Islam and Freedom -- Originally published in Commentary, December 2004 -- 13 Democracy for All? -- Originally published in Commentary, March 2000 -- PART III Heredity and Politics -- 14 The DNA of Politics: Genes Shape Our Beliefs, Our Values, and Even Our Votes -- Originally published in City Journal, Winter 2009 -- 15 The Future of Blame -- Originally published in National Affairs, Winter 2010 -- Explaining Behavior -- The Social Animal -- Just Punishment -- Praise and Blame -- Conclusion America versus the World -- About the Author.