Can Patriotism Unify Americans?

American Patriotism: Does it Unite or Divide?

Mark your calendar for May 6 at 7 pm to hear Yale University professor and author Stephen B. Smith, Ph.D. discuss his new book, “Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes.”  Acclaimed by The New York Times (“I regard myself as an extremely patriotic person which is why I so admired [this book],” David Brooks) and the Wall Street Journal (“Smith superbly illuminates the distinctiveness of the American idea of patriotism and reminds us of how important patriotism is, and how essential to making America better,” Leslie Lenkowsky), Smith’s book explores patriotism as a force that once united Americans but has become a political weapon in the nation’s ideological divide. He examines the values, ideals and history of American patriotism, including the concept that “American patriotism is not only a statement of what we are but an aspiration to what we might become.”

Smith received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has taught at Yale for over 30 years.  He is the Alfred Cowles Professor of Political Science, has served as Director of Graduate Studies in Political Science, Director of the Special Program in the Humanities, Acting Chair of Judaic Studies and from 1996-2011 served as the Master of Branford College.  He is also the Co-Director of Yale’s Center for the Study of Representative Institutions that focuses on the theory and practice of representative government in the Anglo-American world. He has received several academic awards and prizes including the Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize given by Phi Beta Kappa, and the Lex Hixon ‘63 Prize for Teaching Excellence in the Social Sciences.  Registration and a Zoom link for this free program is below.