How Universities Lost the Public—and How to Win Them Back
This episode was originally published by Heterodox Academy's Out Loud with John Tomasi.
In this episode, we are joined by Benjamin and Jenna Storey, renowned scholars, co-authors, and directors at the American Enterprise Institute’s Program on the Future of the American University. Together with host John Tomasi, they undertake a searching examination of the forces eroding confidence in universities and offer a roadmap for rebuilding their legitimacy and civic purpose.
The conversation draws on the Storeys’ personal journeys through academia, they explore how universities have shifted away from their civic mission, the implications of declining viewpoint diversity, and the urgent need to re-envision liberal education in a polarized era. Their discussion critically engages with recent initiatives, including the founding of university-level Schools of Civic Thought, and emphasizes both the perils and promise of institutional reform amidst increasing political and public scrutiny.
Read the report: “Civic: A Proposal for University Level Civic Education” (AEI, December 2023)
Pursuit of Happiness
National Poll from Civitas Institute: Americans Concerned About AI, Economic Issues
The Civitas Institute Poll, conducted from March 11-20, 2025, asked 1,200 Americans an array of questions about how things are going in the country.
Humanity According to Alasdair MacIntyre
He reminded us that life is mainly about love and friendship, not reason and will.
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MacIntyre’s Post-Postliberal Godchildren
The best way to honor his legacy is to apply his insights about integrative traditions where they are most effective, the world MacIntyre knew best: the world of thought and inquiry.
The Burden of Debt and the Gift of Work
Pakaluk demonstrates how our nature as moral and social beings serves to create value and wealth as we utilize the resources of this earth to address the problem of scarcity.
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