The Lessons of Woodrow Wilson

The Lessons of Woodrow Wilson

In his excellent book about our troubled times, Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America’s Political Crisis, James Davison Hunter notes that enduring solidarity rests on common affirmations and shared loves: “Solidarity . . . is a richer term than mere consensus.” It arises when people recognize in each other similar sentiments and attitudes, which produce “a sense of ‘we-ness’ or ‘usness.’” Hunter argues that America’s “we-nes…