The High Ground

Why civic virtue matters to America. America is at a crossroad. Current public opinion surveys report that Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track, and they are broadly pessimistic about the future. Diminishing social trust, lack of civility, and promotion of individualism over community has resulted in a country that is discontented, fractious, alienated, and divided. What is happening to our American values and virtues? Our American Founders believed that the government cannot secure the rights of individuals without a necessary moral foundation, and they were praised as examples of virtue. What were the virtues and values that were so important to the American Founders, and are they relevant today? Focusing on the lives of these early leaders will reemphasize the importance of these virtues, and the power of their examples will teach us lessons that we can apply to the challenges we are facing today as we strive to attain the high ground.