When public culture is at its healthiest it’s a noisy, tension filled affair. We get the word “agony” from this kind of political culture.  An “agonistic” culture is one in which contestation, debate, and spirited conversations among citizens are standard … Continued

The world’s first democracy lasted for approximately 200 years.  Its location was ancient Athens.  It succumbed to the pressures of constant war and a series of very bad decisions, not the least of which was the slaughter and enslavement of … Continued