Americans Say Return to Traditional Values Provides Greater Hope Than Election

New book finds an American moral consensus that shows the way forward

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by Knights of Columbus and Doubleday:

While the midterm election is being widely discussed and dissected, it is not what Americans see as the best hope for the future, according to a survey of the national mood discussed in the new book by Carl Anderson.

In Beyond A House Divided: The Moral Consensus Ignored By Washington, Wall Street and the Media, which was released on Election Day, New York Times bestselling author Anderson makes a compelling case for an approach that transcends partisanship and leads the nation forward by beginning national discussions from the moral core shared by the American people.

Examining recent polling data on the frustrations and hopes of the American people, Anderson highlights the rarely discussed consensus on issues including the effect on the nation's moral compass by politicians, business leaders and others. It also shows the consensus on issues ranging from government regulation to the relationship between church and state to ethical business practices and abortion restriction.

The book presents hard numbers that debunk the myth of a polarized people, showing that where division does exist it is actually between certain American institutions, including politics, and the American people, whose values many in these institutions often don't share.

"Time and again, polling has revealed that the moral compass of the American people is sound and continues to point an ethical way forward for our country," says Anderson.

"It seems like this consensus -- the best hope for an effective way forward and past institutionalized partisanship and division -- is too often ignored. We have a moral consensus on the economy, on the need for ethics in government -- and even on issues that seem intractable, like abortion, where 8 in 10 Americans can agree on certain restrictions. What we need now is for people in key institutions to act with courage on these transcendent values," he says.

Among the interesting findings presented in the book are survey data showing that nearly five times as many Americans chose "a return to traditional values" as chose this election as the best hope for the future of America.

The book, published by Doubleday, is available online and at bookstores everywhere. It is also available as an e-book.

For more information or to order, visit www.beyondahousedivided.com.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus; Doubleday