Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this unique book asserts that all policy is faith-based and moral at its roots; it is philosophically unavoidable. Understanding its religious nature can aid policy makers in crafting coherent, stable and enduring U. S. policy.

As the primum movens, religious belief affects everything we do, influencing ethics, values, and interests. Far from being an insulated field of study disconnected from all other disciplines, this belief is the cornerstone of public policy. Understanding the religious and ideological nature of policymaking, which is the thesis of this essay, is fundamental to developing strategically effective and enduring U.S. policy, both foreign and domestic. This is important because religion is an unavoidable, though often neglected, aspect of policy formulation, applying universally. Misunderstanding this point or reducing policy's nature solely to values or interests can lead to ambiguous policy, or worse, undesirable political outcomes. Comprehending this fundamental relationship will help government policy makers make better informed, deliberate choices, which will in turn facilitate a more secure national security environment.