“Civic virtue is not a pleasant abstraction.... It is a necessity if we are to have an open and transparent government based on trust and cooperation.”

“When trust fails, the virtuous circle turns vicious, and then the state has to find other ways to encourage or compel cooperation in order to function…. it is not surprising that the two poles of American politics have drifted toward socialism and nationalism at a time when the effectiveness and trustworthiness of our public institutions is in decline.” - The Venezuelafication of American Politics