He has thought very deeply on the problems facing America, and this book is the result. He edits the journal “National Affairs” and is the author of the excellent “The Great Debate,” contrasting the philosophies of Thomas Paine and Edmund Burke. I would say, without knowing all that much about him, that Levin is an applied political philosopher. Reform conservatives are one of the constellation of conservative sub-groups that has emerged as the Republican pseudo-consensus of the past several decades has shattered. Yuval Levin is a “reform conservative,” part of a loose group that includes such writers as Reihan Salam, Ross Douthat, Michael Lotus and James Bennett in “America 3.0,” and (perhaps) Rod Dreher. At the same time, Levin believes that we as Americans, liberal and conservative, can jointly renew our society without retreading the past, and in this age, such optimism is no small thing. And far from demanding recapture of the past, Levin explicitly rejects any such attempt. Yuval Levin’s book, on the other hand, is the very opposite. They typically consist of vague and belligerent paeans demanding the recapture of America’s past. Most optimistic books about modern politics are also simplistic. It is very optimistic, yet clear-eyed, which is a rare combination. “The Fractured Republic” is a fantastically original book.
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