Robert Putnam

When you look at all those variables that I looked at, hundreds of variables we looked at, you know, how unequal and how self-centered or not we were, the leading indicator, the thing that had to change first was actually moral. If we had more time here, I'd go through the details. There was a very specific period in American history

When you look at all those variables that I looked at, hundreds of variables we looked at, you know, how unequal and how self-centered or not we were, the leading indicator, the thing that had to change first was actually moral. If we had more time here, I'd go through the details. There was a very specific period in American history

history in the late 19th century, in which people re-evaluated their moral obligations. I am not talking sex at all. I'm talking the very simple thing, do we have obligations to—are we a we? Do we have obligations to other people? And that involved, initially, evangelical Protestants saying— Look at the damn Sermon on the Mount.

history in the late 19th century, in which people re-evaluated their moral obligations. I am not talking sex at all. I'm talking the very simple thing, do we have obligations to—are we a we? Do we have obligations to other people? And that involved, initially, evangelical Protestants saying— Look at the damn Sermon on the Mount.

history in the late 19th century, in which people re-evaluated their moral obligations. I am not talking sex at all. I'm talking the very simple thing, do we have obligations to—are we a we? Do we have obligations to other people? And that involved, initially, evangelical Protestants saying— Look at the damn Sermon on the Mount.

They probably didn't say damn, but Christianity, they said, is not about helping the rich and dismissing the poor. Every sentence in the Sermon on the Mount, which I could not reproduce here but could come close, is about the place of Christians—this is evangelicals—the place of Christians is beside the poor.

They probably didn't say damn, but Christianity, they said, is not about helping the rich and dismissing the poor. Every sentence in the Sermon on the Mount, which I could not reproduce here but could come close, is about the place of Christians—this is evangelicals—the place of Christians is beside the poor.

They probably didn't say damn, but Christianity, they said, is not about helping the rich and dismissing the poor. Every sentence in the Sermon on the Mount, which I could not reproduce here but could come close, is about the place of Christians—this is evangelicals—the place of Christians is beside the poor.

And that same thing, that was evangelicals, but pretty soon it became all Protestants and pretty soon it spread to Catholics and Jews and pretty soon to the whole darn country. And that's the thing that was the first thing that was required.

And that same thing, that was evangelicals, but pretty soon it became all Protestants and pretty soon it spread to Catholics and Jews and pretty soon to the whole darn country. And that's the thing that was the first thing that was required.

And that same thing, that was evangelicals, but pretty soon it became all Protestants and pretty soon it spread to Catholics and Jews and pretty soon to the whole darn country. And that's the thing that was the first thing that was required.

Before you started making, creating unions or, you know, having new ways of connecting the Boy Scouts and all that, before all of that, people in that era didn't. became convinced, not everybody of course, but there was a switch, you can see it in the data, a switch in which people began to think there are other people in the world more important than me. I have obligations to other people.

Before you started making, creating unions or, you know, having new ways of connecting the Boy Scouts and all that, before all of that, people in that era didn't. became convinced, not everybody of course, but there was a switch, you can see it in the data, a switch in which people began to think there are other people in the world more important than me. I have obligations to other people.

Before you started making, creating unions or, you know, having new ways of connecting the Boy Scouts and all that, before all of that, people in that era didn't. became convinced, not everybody of course, but there was a switch, you can see it in the data, a switch in which people began to think there are other people in the world more important than me. I have obligations to other people.

Now, you did not think you were going to get an evangelical preacher on this podcast. I didn't.

Now, you did not think you were going to get an evangelical preacher on this podcast. I didn't.

Now, you did not think you were going to get an evangelical preacher on this podcast. I didn't.

But that's where I would like to end up because we can talk – I'd love to talk about the details of how we could tweak phones or how we could re-institute unions or how we could narrow the gap between rich people and poor people or even how we could change the administration because we're in a pickle now if you hadn't noticed. But upstream from all of that is –

But that's where I would like to end up because we can talk – I'd love to talk about the details of how we could tweak phones or how we could re-institute unions or how we could narrow the gap between rich people and poor people or even how we could change the administration because we're in a pickle now if you hadn't noticed. But upstream from all of that is –

But that's where I would like to end up because we can talk – I'd love to talk about the details of how we could tweak phones or how we could re-institute unions or how we could narrow the gap between rich people and poor people or even how we could change the administration because we're in a pickle now if you hadn't noticed. But upstream from all of that is –