Raising Expectations: The War We Must Fight to Prevent One

Changing Tides and Changing Winds: A Time to Change Gears

“…The result is that public managers now face conflict in every aspect of their work, and through their work they must find ways to appease factions with diverse interests and ideals. (Hall, 2022b; Van Wart et al, 2023, 2024).…”

Confronting Uncertainty and Change: Challengers or Champions?

“…To wit, we are seeing considerable social conflict (Hall 2022b), and it has risen to a level that gives pause to many sensible folks, including a few academics that I have been privileged to work with (Van Wart, McIntyre and Hall 2023). However close to the precipice of civil war-or global war-we may find ourselves, protest and violence abounds.…”

“…I have written about this particular challenge on multiple occasions (Hall, 2022;Pandey, Bearfield & Hall 2022;Stivers, et Al 2023). I have lamented the strain placed on society by vitriol and the rhetoric of clashing political parties and their ideals, and the broader implications this has for social capital, civic virtue, and stability (Hall 2022b;Hall 2023;Van Wart, McIntyre & Hall 2023). Conflict within does not go unnoticed by those without, and we have watched as other nations step in to take advantage of such internal domestic distractions by pursuing their own national interests, resulting in incremental global destabilization.…”

Civics and civility: A darn on threadbare fabric or the fabric itself?

“…I come to this conclusion: there is a dearth of civic virtue in society today, and it is straining our constitutional institutions at their foundation (Hall, 2022c). It is not an entirely new phenomenon; President John F. Kennedy alluded to it when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Putnam recognized it as a decline in social capital in Bowling Alone (2015).…”