Reflecting on his years spent in the political scene, Michael Gerson, former speechwriter to George W. Bush, makes two arguments about the future of American politics. Conservatives and Republicans face a political and moral test as they have little to say about issues of race and poverty. But equally, liberals and Democrats must rediscover the essential role of religion in the fabric of our country.

Gerson believes that reaching a shared vision for the common good is hard because of these deep-rooted party ideologies. But hope isn't entirely lost. "Surely," he says, "It must be possible to escape these false alternatives and combine the conservative respect for value-creating institutions with a radical, conservative concern for the poor and oppressed."

What's at stake if we don't? Losing the sense of social justice that has been at the heart of the history of our country.