The Next Social Contract for Public Education Needs New Terms of Service

by Doug Levin July 8, 2016January 9, 2022

Based on universal access to free and equal schools, the social contract for public education equates the attainment of a high school diploma with readiness for college, meaningful participation in the workforce, and the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Yet, for too many students, this social contract is a raw deal, based on shaky assumptions […]

Social Capital: Which U.S. Regions Are Bowling Alone?

You’ve probably heard of Bowling Alone, the hugely influential 2000 book diagnosing our country’s malaise by Robert Putnam, the Harvard University political scientist. In it, Putnam showed that Americans’ stock of social capital—the fabric of a community’s trust and cooperation—had been plummeting since the 1950s, and that its decline was harming our well-being, personal relationships, health, lifespan, and economic growth. In the quarter-century since the book received widespread attention, social trust, accepted norms, and community cohesion continue to come undone, paving the way for the rise of authoritarian populism and damage to the republic. Indeed, the number of people saying…

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by Colin Woodard May 25, 2026