The Central Liberal Truth opens with the above quote, before going on to analyze how and why politics can -and sometimes cannot- bring about the necessary changes. A compelling case for the fact that culture matters is made with an opening discussion of how Haiti and the Dominican Republic’s different heritages led to very different societies, despite their joint occupation of the island of Hispaniola. The book then analyzes elements of culture, based on worldview, values/virtues, economic behavior, and social behavior, in terms of their being progress-prone or progress-resistant. After discussing how these elements of culture are transmitted, the author goes on to apply all this to deconstruct real world cases where meaningful changes occurred or failed. The book concludes with prescriptions on how to effectively use politics for progressive change, and commentary on what to avoid doing.

Interesting enough as an intellectual exercise, this also has practical applications to such things as the Bush administration’s efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, which the Moynihan quote places squarely on the liberal side, unlikely as that seems. However, the analyses and examples in the book, even when dealing with other situations, help illuminate why the attempts at change there have so far fallen short of a stable, unqualified success. The book also provides plentiful food for thought about what’s happening and why in other places around the world, from continuing violence and poverty in parts of Africa to the varied statuses of the remnants of the USSR.

Fascinating and thought-provoking as it was, I did have one real frustration. The book is actually the distillation of the author’s three year Culture Matters Research Project at Tufts University, and as such continually references content in other volumes from the same project. That makes this feel almost like a Cliff Notes version where you still have to buy the ‘real’ book to get everything. There’s plenty of meat here though, so it’s more of a frustrating impression than a true problem. Definitely an annoyance, though. Regardless, The Central Liberal Truth has given me an interesting new lens through which to view world events. Recommended.