Hoover InstitutionStanford University
Better Together: Finding Strength in Unity

Published November 5, 2020

Overcoming divisions and distrust within our nation begins with recognizing that America is not a finished work or a failed project but an ongoing experiment. We must hold all of our elected officials to a higher standard. This requires us to reject pessimism and to participate in the democratic system. Embracing these principles will help us achieve common ground, improve our country, and pass along our freedoms to the next generation.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is disunity dangerous for democracy?
  2. How can you exercise the principles discussed in this video?

Additional Resources:

  • Read “It’s Hard Work Building a Country,” by General Jim Mattis via Hoover Digest. Available here.
  • Read “In Union There Is Strength,” by General Jim Mattis via Hoover Institution. Available here.
  • Read “Duty, Democracy, and the Threat of Tribalism,” by General Jim Mattis via the Wall Street Journal. Available here.

Cast

General Jim Mattis

General Jim Mattis

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