Thirty years ago, Ronald Reagan rode a wave of patriotism to the White House by calling for a return to what he considered to be traditional American values—personal liberty, free markets, and limited government. After the cultural struggles and generational clashes of the 1960s and 70s, it appeared that many Americans were eager to abide by Reagan’s set of core American principles. Yet, despite Reagan’s continuing popularity, modern America remains widely perceived as a nation weakened by its divisions. While debates over cultural values have been common throughout the country’s history, they seem particularly vitriolic today. Some argue that these differences have resulted in a perpetually gridlocked government caught between left and right, red states and blue. Since the American Founding, commonly shared cultural values have been considered to be the glue that would bind the nation’s citizens together. However, how do we identify, define and interpret the foundations of American culture in a profoundly divided, pluralistic country? In American Culture in Peril, Charles W. Dunn assembles top scholars and public intellectuals to examine Reagan’s impact on American culture in the twenty-first century. The contributors assess topics vital to our conversations about American culture and society, including changing views of the family, the impact of popular culture, and the evolving relationship between religion, communities, and the state. Others investigate modern liberalism and the possibilities of reclaiming a renewed conservatism today. American Culture in Peril illuminates Reagan’s powerful legacy and investigates whether his traditional view of American culture can successfully compete in postmodern America. Contributors Hadley Arkes Paul A. Cantor Allan Carlson Jean Bethke Elshtain Charles R. Kesler Wilfred M. Mc Clay Ken Myers
قائمة المحتويات
Ronald Regan and Modern Liberalism
A Touch for First Principles: Reagan and the Recovery of Culture
The Fickle Muse: The Unpredictability of Culture
Will the Post-Family Culture Claim America?
The Critic and Culture
Two Cities, How Many Cultures?
Sources of Renewal in the 21st Century
عن المؤلف
Charles W. Dunn is dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University. He has served in several political posts, including as a special assistant to the Minority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives and chief of staff to a U.S. senator from New York. He is also the author of several books, including The Seven Laws of Presidential Leadership and The Future of Conservatism: Conflict and Consensus in the Post-Reagan Era.