Faith-based Inefficiency: The Follies of Bush's Initiatives

Book Summary: President George W. Bush's faith-based initiative has, since its inception (and even before), remained a contentious issue in the discourse on public policy. Most of this discussion centers on whether or not the initiative violates the Constitutional establishment clause prescribing the separation of church and state—a debate that is not only appropriate but necessary. However, given that the initiative has now been in place for a few years, perhaps an even more pressing question is: Does this policy strengthen the implementation of effective social services? This is the question that guides Bob Wineburg's assessment in Faith-based Inefficiency.

The book is written from the perspective of an insider, someone who speaks authoritatively on the two issues that are most important to the story:...