Constitutionally, who exactly is a person? Where does God fit in government? And what role should America play in the world? "We are the arguing country," suggests Newsweek correspondent Howard Fineman, who demonstrates that—in topics ranging from abortion to environmentalism, civil rights to the national debt—open public discussion of the big issues in America has always required a balancing act, and this is just as it should be. In a country riven by deep ideological divides, Fineman declares here, it is more important than ever to regain the spirit of the Founding Fathers, and that it is a willingness to listen and compromise that defines us as a people and can still inspire us.

"A spectacular feat, a profound book about America that moves with ease from history to recent events. A talented storyteller, Howard Fineman provides a human face to each of the core political arguments that have alternately separated, strengthened, and sustained us from our founding to the present day."—Doris Kearns Goodwin