We are seeing a very troubling set of findings in the United States: the absence of trust among about three-quarters of us in the basic institutions on which we once depended.
Michael Riccards
The Decline of the Republic
Americans have abandoned the value the Founders treasured so much — civic virtue.
The High Court and Affirmative Action
A former college president shares the challenges he faced when trying to implement Affirmative Action during the 1970s.
COVID has taken a toll on intimacy
After three years of sequestration and the loss of a million loved ones, we now must face the restoration of a sense of intimacy.
Age and the presidency
The Founding Fathers set minimums for major elective offices, but never considered age limits on the other end of life.
Flap over unclassified documents does nothing but increase cynicism about government
Presidential scholar Michael P. Riccards writes that the real purpose of classifying materials is not to safeguard secrets from our foes but from ourselves.
A synod reveals concern about lack of social bonds among parishioners
By Michael P. Riccards Pope Francis has convened a papal synod in Rome, and as preparation, he has taken the extraordinary step of asking dioceses to hold listening sessions on the parish levels, and then the information will go to the bishops and… Read More ›
Presidents and the media
By Michael P. Riccards It has been said that Thomas Jefferson once observed that if he had a choice between a free government and a free press, he would choose the latter. After eight tumultuous years as president, he changed… Read More ›
The Pope and the new synod process
By Michael P. Riccards Pope Francis has begun the synod process by insisting that there be a listening exercise from the bottom up so each diocese and probably each mature parish will have focus groups to talk about the church and… Read More ›
On President’s Day, a few suggestions for a better way to honor the nation’s chief executives
By Michael P. Riccards Monday is a national holiday unless you are in the retail business. If you sell cars or mattresses or furniture, then you can celebrate the day but still work. Somehow in the 1960s, there was an impetus… Read More ›
Jandoli Institute 