<p>Today the United States, and the world, appear more divided than ever before. Are we condemned to factionalism, alienation, and ultimately democratic and global collapse? It's easy to be a critic, hard to be a good critic, and harder still to take an informed stand on the great issues of the day. In <em>Citizens' History</em>, we pursue a better understanding of the common good, expose assumptions masquerading as self-evident truths, and ask how the academy can better serve society. We explore the contested meanings of the core concepts of our country and world today: truth, freedom, democracy, religion, science, and capitalism. We try to distill these often acrimonious debates for a broad general audience, and to ask the most important questions: who are we and where are we going? How should we be educating our children, and ourselves? Why should anyone care about any of this?</p><p> J. Matthew Ward spent his formative years in Mississippi, where he developed a lasting int
