Robert Putnam

We're very socially isolated. What was the problem in America around 1900? We were very polarized politically. We were very unequal. We were very self-centered, and we were very socially isolated. I'm not taking any time here to document those facts. That's why the book is 325 pages long. By the way, that book was written jointly with Shailene Romney Garrett.

We're very socially isolated. What was the problem in America around 1900? We were very polarized politically. We were very unequal. We were very self-centered, and we were very socially isolated. I'm not taking any time here to document those facts. That's why the book is 325 pages long. By the way, that book was written jointly with Shailene Romney Garrett.

We're very socially isolated. What was the problem in America around 1900? We were very polarized politically. We were very unequal. We were very self-centered, and we were very socially isolated. I'm not taking any time here to document those facts. That's why the book is 325 pages long. By the way, that book was written jointly with Shailene Romney Garrett.

Got to make sure that she gets full credit. And the advantage of looking at that period is that we can see that the people in America in 1900— faced exactly the same problems that we did today. What are our problems today? We've got this crazy polarization. So did they. We've got this unbelievable level of inequality. So did they.

Got to make sure that she gets full credit. And the advantage of looking at that period is that we can see that the people in America in 1900— faced exactly the same problems that we did today. What are our problems today? We've got this crazy polarization. So did they. We've got this unbelievable level of inequality. So did they.

Got to make sure that she gets full credit. And the advantage of looking at that period is that we can see that the people in America in 1900— faced exactly the same problems that we did today. What are our problems today? We've got this crazy polarization. So did they. We've got this unbelievable level of inequality. So did they.

We've got this great social isolation that is basically the theme of this podcast. So did they. And we're very self-centered. We're very narcissistic. And so were they. But they got out of it. Because if you look at the...

We've got this great social isolation that is basically the theme of this podcast. So did they. And we're very self-centered. We're very narcissistic. And so were they. But they got out of it. Because if you look at the...

We've got this great social isolation that is basically the theme of this podcast. So did they. And we're very self-centered. We're very narcissistic. And so were they. But they got out of it. Because if you look at the...

whole period of the 20th to 21st centuries, the last 125 years, what you see is the first half of that period, roughly speaking from 1910 to roughly speaking 1965, roughly speaking, things were going in a good direction. And They were going in the direction that we would like. America was becoming steadily more cooperative politically.

whole period of the 20th to 21st centuries, the last 125 years, what you see is the first half of that period, roughly speaking from 1910 to roughly speaking 1965, roughly speaking, things were going in a good direction. And They were going in the direction that we would like. America was becoming steadily more cooperative politically.

whole period of the 20th to 21st centuries, the last 125 years, what you see is the first half of that period, roughly speaking from 1910 to roughly speaking 1965, roughly speaking, things were going in a good direction. And They were going in the direction that we would like. America was becoming steadily more cooperative politically.

There was a lot of conversation across party and cooperation across party lines. Indeed, most major reforms of that period were passed by majorities of both parties. The New Deal was passed by majorities of both Democrats and Republicans. The Great Society, Lyndon Johnson's, was passed, the majority of it, by both parties together.

There was a lot of conversation across party and cooperation across party lines. Indeed, most major reforms of that period were passed by majorities of both parties. The New Deal was passed by majorities of both Democrats and Republicans. The Great Society, Lyndon Johnson's, was passed, the majority of it, by both parties together.

There was a lot of conversation across party and cooperation across party lines. Indeed, most major reforms of that period were passed by majorities of both parties. The New Deal was passed by majorities of both Democrats and Republicans. The Great Society, Lyndon Johnson's, was passed, the majority of it, by both parties together.

Ronald Reagan's deals, you know, the Reaganomics was passed by majorities of, well, not quite a majority of Democrats, but it was passed by definitely bipartisan majorities. It wasn't just Republicans. It wasn't just far right. It was the Democrats too. So what I'm trying to say was in that

Ronald Reagan's deals, you know, the Reaganomics was passed by majorities of, well, not quite a majority of Democrats, but it was passed by definitely bipartisan majorities. It wasn't just Republicans. It wasn't just far right. It was the Democrats too. So what I'm trying to say was in that

Ronald Reagan's deals, you know, the Reaganomics was passed by majorities of, well, not quite a majority of Democrats, but it was passed by definitely bipartisan majorities. It wasn't just Republicans. It wasn't just far right. It was the Democrats too. So what I'm trying to say was in that

you know, roughly speaking from the 1900 till about 1965, and even a little later than that, America, wait for this, when I was in high school in the 1950s, everybody thought the most equal country, people now would think maybe the most equal country in the world was socialist Sweden. Almost right. America, when I was in high school, was tied with Sweden as the most equal country in the world.

you know, roughly speaking from the 1900 till about 1965, and even a little later than that, America, wait for this, when I was in high school in the 1950s, everybody thought the most equal country, people now would think maybe the most equal country in the world was socialist Sweden. Almost right. America, when I was in high school, was tied with Sweden as the most equal country in the world.