Phil Mikesell
Whither America?
July 20, 10 am - Noon
It’s increasingly clear that the approaches that shaped and directed national affairs for the past 40 years are inadequate to the current task. Policies that seemed to make sense in the 1980s find no support today. Ronald Reagan wouldn’t be welcome in “his” party. Joe Biden struggles to build even short-term coalitions in a polarized arena.
As a consequence, and in the face of growing domestic and international challenges, U.S. policy-making is marked by drift and dysfunction. Our government is both incoherent and ineffective. The public mood sours ever more. A recent piece in the National Review observed, “We live in an age of increasing self-doubt.”
What is to be done? Can we regain political and governmental footing? This Summinar will review the elements of current dysfunction and put forward some possible paths to move forward.
Phil Mikesell taught Political Science at Wabash College in Indiana for 40 years before moving full time to Northport in 2009. Since retiring, he has taught Continuing Education courses at Northwester Michigan College in Traverse City and has offered a number of Summinars. He is working on a study of post W.W.II political economy in the United States. He currently divides his time between Oak Park, IL and Northport.