Abstract

In 1986, the American Catholic Bishops wrote a letter on the American economy. It went through three revisions, took three years to write, and involved the input of thousands of people. In its final form, it elaborated several moral principles and described the implications of these principles to economic policies pertaining to employment, poverty, agriculture, the international economy, and collaboration. The letter has incited a significant amount of discussion, both pro and con, and its policy recommendations have generated considerable controversy. The authors detail the process of writing the letter, review its contents, and analyze its positions.