Addressing the problems of increasing antisocial behavior, declining civility, and decaying morals, this book contains a collection of essays that consider the origins and the development of America's character, the factors that influence it, and the consequences for society of inadequate character development. Essays include the following: "The Quest for America's Character," (D. Eberly); "Building the Habitat of Character," (D. Eberly); "The Cultural Roots of Virtue and Character," (M. Novak); "Incivility and Crime: The Role of Moral Habitation," (J. Wilson); "Character and Family," (W. Horn); "Character, Citizenship, and Constitutional Origins," (C. Kesler); "The Roots of Character in Civil Society," (C. Glenn); "The Religious Roots of Character," (K. Pavlischek); "A Compehensive Approach to Character Education," (T. Lickona); "Ethical Relativism: Teaching the Virtues," (C. Hoff Sommers); "The Parent-School Connection," (E. Ebeling); "Character Education among the States," (C. Greenawalt); "Making It Happen: A Conversation about Character (W. Moloney); "Strengthening Character through Community-Based Organizations," (B.D. Brooks); "Character and Excellence: The Total Quality Life," (J. Murray); "Character and Public Policy: Reinventing the American People," (R. Royal); "Character in the Marketplace," (E. Hess); "Character and American Compassion, Past and Present," (M. Olasky); "Character and Public Discourse," (R. Harwood); "Sport, Character, and Virtue," (R. Feezell); and "Influencing the Character of Entertainment Television: Ethical Dilemmas of Prosocial Programming (W. Brown and A. Singhal). (CB)