This post is an essay by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, which explores the difference between the old and new American elite. A key difference is that the old elite had a tradition of public service that is lacking today. In part this may have been a case of noblesse oblige, the responsibility of the leading families … Continue reading What the Old Establishment Can Teach the New Tech Elite
Category: Democracy
The Central Link between Liberty and Slavery in American History
In this post, I explore insights from two important books about the peculiar way in which liberty and slavery jointly emerged from the context of colonial America. One is a new book by David Stasavage, The Decline and Rise of Democracy. The other is a 1992 book by Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark: Whiteness … Continue reading The Central Link between Liberty and Slavery in American History
David Labaree on Schooling, History, and Writing 