Extra: Yuval Levin on The American Covenant
Can empathy, culture, and institutions repair the rifts in American politics? Yuval Levin makes the case and Amy Willis brings the follow up questions.
What role should politics play in everyday life? This question lies at the heart of this conversation between Great Antidote host Juliette Sellgren and Yuval Levin, author of The American Covenant.
You can listen to the episode here: Yuval Levin on The American Covenant
Levin, like many, sees the dramatic rise of rancorous polarization in American politics alongside an apparent depreciation in the value Americans place on America’s Founding and Founders. To repair these rifts, Levin advises Americans to focus on empathy, culture, and institutions- the US Constitution foremost among them.
You can listen to the episode here: Yuval Levin on The American Covenant
Levin, like many, sees the dramatic rise of rancorous polarization in American politics alongside an apparent depreciation in the value Americans place on America’s Founding and Founders. To repair these rifts, Levin advises Americans to focus on empathy, culture, and institutions- the US Constitution foremost among them.
Many of our political institutions, Levin suggests, have broken down as our political culture has devolved into a culture of entertainment. The Left-Right divide has made it difficult- perhaps impossible- for politics to function in the United States. Levin views culture as working through institutions- everything from families, churches, and schools to our more formal political institutions. These institutions, he argues, are what has formed the character and soul of each of us. The US Constitution functions as a framework of institutions, likewise shaped to build character through processes of collective action. What the American Founders were doing, Levin argues, is no different from what we are doing in American politics today.
Still, Levin believes we may not have reached the level of collective civic maturity we need to succeed in today’s diverse political landscape. We may yet be in our republic’s “teenage years.” We need unity, Levin argues, though likely not unity in the sense we are used to hearing.
This fascinating conversation suggests several questions that are interesting to ponder and discuss. We hope you’ll take us up on the opportunity, and leave your comments today!
1- Disagreement, Levin argues, is natural and not an impediment to unity. He says,
A society that did not disagree about anything would not need politics, but politics ultimately exists to facilitate common action, and that means we don't have to think the same way at the end of the process for it to have succeeded if we've succeeded in acting together to address a common problem.
How can we employ empathy to move from thinking about disagreements in terms of subjects rather than disagreements with particular people? (Bonus points if you use Adam Smith’s words in your answer!)
2- Levin describes the US constitutional order as both democratic and liberal. What does he mean by that, particularly with regard to minority- versus majority- rights? Why does Levin believe the rights our political order guarantees us ought not be thought of as individual rights? To what extent do you agree?
3- On what grounds does Levin argue that the electoral college is a more democratic mechanism for electing the US President than any other, such as in a Parliamentary system? Again, to what extent do you agree?
Double Bonus Question: Levin recounts the story of his family’s immigration to the United States from Israel when he was a boy, as well as his naturalization as a US citizen at age 19. Sellgren comments on the difficulty of the citizenship test required, arguing many American-born citizens would have a hard time passing. How would you fare. Give it a shot, and let us know how you did!
Find more Great Antidotes podcasts below!
Ryan Streeter on Cultural Communities and the Civitas Institute
Rachel Ferguson on Neighborhood Stabilization and Civil Society
Anna Claire Flowers on F.A. Hayek and Social Structure
Undivide Us: Ben Klutsey on Exploring and Confronting Polarization