Crumbling American Dreams

The observations in this masterfully written op-ed by Professor Robert Putnam are the reason why I developed a course on local public policy a few years ago. The op-ed is well worth your time. Here is an excerpt from the very poignant conclusion:

The crumbling of the American dream is a purple problem, obscured by solely red or solely blue lenses. Its economic and cultural roots are entangled, a mixture of government, private sector, community and personal failings. But the deepest root is our radically shriveled sense of “we.” 

Cue the Lorax.