The Collapse of American Values — Can Education Save Us?

In this clip from Project Cosmos: Executive Power and the Common Good, the panel discusses the dramatic collapse of traditional American values over the last 25 years — and what it will take to rebuild them.

Drawing on a Wall Street Journal poll, the conversation highlights how values once at the heart of American life — patriotism, family, religion, and community — have fallen below 50% in importance, while money has risen to the top.

The panel explores critical questions:

-Why did American values shift so radically since 1998?

-Can political leadership and the Department of Education play a role in restoring virtue?

-Should education focus on reforming elites to shape the broader culture?

-What would it take to make America “more one thing” again?

-This debate probes the intersection of culture, politics, and education in defining the nation’s future.

📺 Watch the full episode of Project CosmosExecutive Power and the Common Good here

Guests: Christopher Rufo, Patrick Deneen, Christopher Caldwell, Curtis Yarvin

Moderator: Johnny Burtka, President of ISI

#ProjectCosmos #AmericanValues #Education #CommonGood #ExecutivePower