Author: Douglas Walker

Douglas Walker

Douglas Walker is a Research Associate at the Center for the American Way of Life in Washington, DC. He formerly taught political science at Samford University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Eastern Michigan University, and has published on religious liberty, liberalism, and the U.S. Constitution. He lives in northern Virginia with his wife, son, and daughter.

Why We Must Legislate Morality

Rather than aim for perfection, conservative energy would be better spent rebuilding the foundations of virtue. We need laws that, for instance, encourage marriage, discourage divorce, and promote community through friendship and civil associations. The benefits of rebuilding a healthy society are uncontroversial. Moral regulations must build upon this foundation rather than grate against it. In this way, conservatives can support incremental progress toward traditional morality while avoiding the twin dangers of judgmental moralism and amoral libertarianism.

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