Civitas Outlook
Topic
Pursuit of Happiness
Published on
November 14, 2025
Contributors
William Inboden
Peter Robinson
Episode 2
Peter Robinson Unbridled

The Happy Warrior Remaking Higher Education - Will Inboden

About this episode

Over recent decades, the American university has been on a conveyor belt toward higher costs, less intellectual diversity, and less relevance to contemporary American life. Will Inboden, a decorated historian of foreign policy and newly appointed provost of the University of Texas at Austin, is here to change that. Will and Peter discuss how higher education got into a rut, how universities can lead us out of it, the point of Shakespeare, and how to build lifelong friendships.

All other episodes on

Peter Robinson Unbridled

Finding Truth and Friendship in Divided Times - Cornel West & Robert George

In the first episode of Peter Robinson Unbridled, Cornel West and Robert George discuss friendship, truth, and the age of division.

EP1
Oct 15, 2025

American Neo-Feudalism and How to Escape It - Joel Kotkin

EP3
Dec 15, 2025

Leonard Leo: The Conservative Fundraiser Remaking American Culture

EP4
Jan 15, 2026

George Will: On Politics, Baseball and the American Spirit

EP5
Feb 15, 2026

Join the newsletter

Receive new publications, news, and updates from the Civitas Institute.

Sign up
More on

Pursuit of Happiness

The Rise of Latino America

In The Rise of Latino America, Hernandez & Kotkin argue that Latinos, who are projected to become America’s largest ethnic group, are a dynamic force shaping the nation’s demographic, economic, and cultural future. Far from being a marginalized group defined by oppression, Latinos are integral to America’s story. They drive economic growth, cultural evolution, and workforce vitality. Challenges, however, including poverty, educational disparities, and restrictive policies, threaten their upward mobility. Policymakers who wish to harness Latino potential to ensure national prosperity and resilience should adopt policies that prioritize affordability, safety, and economic opportunity over ideological constraints.

Joel Kotkin, Jennifer Hernandez, Wendell Cox, Marshall Toplansky, Erika Ozuna
Pursuit of Happiness
Nov 10, 2025
Revival: Americans Heading Back to the Hinterlands

Smaller communities throughout the country are poised to play an outsize role in forging our future.

Joel Kotkin, Wendell Cox
Pursuit of Happiness
Sep 19, 2025
How to Save Our Urban Centers

What will the future of American cities look like?

Joel Kotkin
Pursuit of Happiness
Jun 26, 2025
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.

Daron Shaw
Pursuit of Happiness
Jun 11, 2025
An Allegiance to Ghosts

Richard M. Reinsch II
Pursuit of Happiness
May 22, 2026
Warner Bros. Shareholders Set to Increase Streaming Competition

Michael Toth
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 21, 2026
God, Creation and ‘The Story of Everything’

A new documentary claims that modern science has reality all wrong.

Peter Robinson
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 16, 2026
Abundance Pragmatism Fails

Richard M. Reinsch II
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 15, 2026
Peter Robinson Unbridled - A Civitas Institute Podcast

Peter Robinson Unbridled

A new show and podcast bringing the energy of Austin to wide-ranging conversations on politics, economics, education, and culture.

View all
** items

Robert George and Cornel West - Truth Matters, A Book Talk

Pursuit of Happiness
Sep 26, 2025
1:05

Arthur Brooks on the Secret to a Fulfilling Life

Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 7, 2025
1:05

Populism Unpacked: Voices from the Heartland

Pursuit of Happiness
Mar 4, 2025
1:05

Jeff Rosen on What “The Pursuit of Happiness” Meant to America's Founders

Pursuit of Happiness
Jan 26, 2025
1:05

Arthur C. Brooks on the Pursuit of Happiness in an Unhappy World

Pursuit of Happiness
May 8, 2024
1:05
No items found.
'Pluribus' Is About More Than 'the Warmth of Collectivism'

In 'Pluribus,' Apple’s most-viewed drama, the integrity of the individual is the central theme.

Jonathan Miltimore
Pursuit of Happiness
May 8, 2026
Why Humans Aren’t Clever Chimps

Why has primatology pushed the human-chimp connection?

Ronald W. Dworkin
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 24, 2026
“Project Hail Mary’s” Success: A Story You Can Believe In

The film features a weak, defeated man who turns from a coward to a hero, from selfishness to sacrifice, and from loneliness to friendship.

Titus Techera
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 17, 2026
Is America Good Enough for Wendell Berry?

Genuine traditions and stories can prevent their inheritors from recklessly chasing the future simply because it’s the next thing.

Brian Smith
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 10, 2026
No items found.
No items found.
Join the newsletter

Get the Civitas Outlook daily digest, plus new research and events.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.