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1 Defining the Common Good Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against an injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. —Senator Robert F. Kennedy In part 1 of this book, we will define and examine the Common Good. We will illustrate social problems, define public goods, describe social activ- ists and reformers, comment on social movements, and elaborate on the tools for advancing the Common Good. In part 2, we will use these ideas to illustrate what businesses, governmental organizations, and nonprofit organizations can separately and together do to promote the Common Good. We need to start with the idea of the Common Good (also called the Public Good, or the General Welfare). We believe that some human actions and policies advance the Common Good and some human actions and policies reduce the Common Good. Ask any individual or group about what values advance the Common Good. They would mention: • freedom • equality • fraternity • opportunity