Flawed conceptual models of soil functions have been cited by soil ecologists and others as contributing to missing policy and inadequate research on soil ecosystems. Although new soil research methods and tools have provided much greater detail on the functioning of soil ecosystems, U.S. soil policy and commonly accepted models of soil systems do not reflect that knowledge. This work investigates the dominant conceptual models of soil underlying existing U.S. policy along with the diverse and interdependent drivers of soil models and related land, water and climate policies. These policy drivers include the history of U.S. land use, agriculture and environmental policy, the development of reductionist views of soil systems and the continued and often obscured interdependencies among business, farmers, legislators, government agencies, educational institutions and policy makers. The final chapter evaluates soil policy trends in the United States and abroad for their potential to positively or negatively affect soil ecosystem health.