The American Elite

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There's something about the American elite that feels dysfunctional, says David Frum. The ability now in this country of 333 or whatever million people to increasingly define your place is a big part of what makes U.S. society different from other democracies. "It's almost like we're now a country of our millions of gated communities," he says.

Richard Haass is a veteran American diplomat, statesman, and author. He is president of the Council on Foreign Relations, and served as Special Assistant to President George H. W. Bush and as Director of Policy Planning at the State Department in the administration of President George W. Bush. His most recent book is The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Richard Haass discuss the structural challenges, missed opportunities, and poor choices of the last thirty years; the arc of American foreign policy from Vietnam to Iraq; and how civic-minded Americans can effect positive change at a moment of crisis.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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