
Can We Reclaim Civitas in American Society?
Setup
Faced with the upcoming general election, the United States has many hard choices ahead. Everything—from the country’s place in the world to the social contract between citizens, government, and the private sector—seems to be knotted in hard, uncompromising debates. Throughout most of US history, the spirit of civitas—binding laws and mutual commitment of a shared national journey—assured that despite serious struggles, all remembered and honored that all stakeholders were to be respected and that all would continue to live under one tent. This session will examine some of these debates underway in America today, but also ponder whether national civitas needs a reboot.
Speakers
-
Mitch LandrieuWhite House infrastructure coordinator
-
Mickey EdwardsRodel Fellowships director at the Aspen Institute
-
Steve ClemonsEditor in Chief, AtlanticLIVE; Washington Editor at Large, The Atlanti...
-
Randi WeingartenPresident of the American Federation of Teachers
-
David GergenProfessor of Public Service and Co-Director, Center for Public Leader...
-
Michael SteeleCEO, The Steele Group; Former Chair, Republican National Committee
- 2016 Festival
- USA
Explore More
USA

Meet Patience Lee, a 2023 Aspen Ideas: Health Fellow who’s building cultural awareness into mental health support services for unaccompanied refugee children in the United Sta...

Meet Nathan Chomilo, a 2023 Aspen Ideas: Health Fellow who’s incorporating community collaboration and racial equity into Minnesota’s Medicaid policy development.













The pandemic put into stark relief deeply-ingrained gender roles in society, as the burden of unpaid care fell to millions of women who left the workforce. Yet the past years...

Of course, Black history shouldn’t just be a month-long nod on our yearly calendar — it is inextricable from American history and fundamental to the very soul of our nation an...

Politics are a frenzy right now, with bombshell headlines dropping so often that it’s hard to know what to focus on. Even when you can cut through the noise, what you hear is...





From the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion rights to public health's role in addressing gun violence to the devastating human toll of the war in Ukraine, this year's Aspen Id...


From blockchain to back to school and virus-hunting to bridging divides, speakers at the 2021 Aspen Ideas Festival addressed issues in a new kind of world—one touched, and cha...

The highest court often seems distanced from our day-to-day lives, but the rulings that come out of the Supreme Court are woven into the fabric of the nation. Though it aims t...

Gen-Z for Change's Aidan Kohn-Murphy on youth-led movements, his advice for young activists, and why it's impossible to lose hope.



