“What is ‘the American idea’? It is the fractious, maddening approach to the conduct of human affairs that values equality despite its elusiveness, that values democracy despite its debasement, that values pluralism despite its messiness, that values the institutions of civic culture despite their flaws, and that values public life as something higher and greater than the sum of all our private lives. The founders of the magazine valued these things—and they valued the immense amount of effort it takes to preserve them from generation to generation.”
--The Editors of The Atlantic Monthly, 2006
Anyone interested in reading a great collection that vividly illustrates a fascinating portrait of not just American history but also an indication of where America is headed in the future should pick up Robert Vare’s anthology aptly titled, The American Idea: The Best of the Atlantic Monthly. It won’t disappoint. Trust me.
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