Extreme heat warning in effect through Sunday

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

An Aspen Ideas Festival conversation about our public discourse and the democratic virtues of moderation, civility and compromise.  

Those public virtues were once widely praised, but are now often dismissed as weakness — or even betrayal — of the cause.

Amy Walter moderated a panel featuring Michael Gerson, David Brooks and Peter Wehner. They concluded that maybe we only treasure these virtues when they're absent.

Michael Gerson is a syndicated columnist at the Washington Post.

Peter Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington.

David Brooks is a New York Times columnist.

Walter is national editor of the Cook Political Report and is heard weekly on The PBS Newshour.

To listen to the discussion, click the audio player above.

Being Muslim and American in 2017

What your interactions with robots say about your character

 Rural realities, problems and opportunities

 Stopping the violence in America's cities

 StoryCorps founder David Isay on the importance of listening

 Bill Bishop on why we live with people just like ourselves

What you need to know about Martin Luther King

MPR News presents offers speeches, documentaries and debates — airing weekdays from noon to 1 p.m.

Politics and Government News

Shows

MPR News Presents

MPR News Staff

Author

A conversation about our public discourse and the democratic virtues of moderation, civility and compromise.

An Aspen Ideas Festival conversation about our public discourse and the democratic virtues of moderation, civility and compromise. Amy Walter moderates a panel with Michael Gerson, David Brooks and Peter Wehner. They conclude that maybe we only treasure these virtues when they're absent.

Aspen Ideas Festival: Reclaiming the democratic virtues of moderation, civility and compromise

Go Deeper.

Like this?