Yuval Levin, director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, speaks to University of Utah students at the Hinckley Institute of Politics.
At a time of deep political division and record rates of loneliness in the United States, Yuval Levin says it makes sense many Americans feel something important has broken down in their lives.
“Institutions work by giving people distinct roles to play in achieving a purpose they have in common,” Levin said. “That means institutions are also, by their nature, formative. They structure our interactions with each other, and as a result of that, they actually structure us. They shape our habits, our expectations, our character and our soul.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Levin, director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, spoke to University of Utah students at the Hinckley Institute of Politics. He focused on the role institutions play as a scaffolding in American life and why students should engage in strengthening the institutions they are a part of.
“What we’re confronting is, at least in large part,” he said, “is failure of institutions across the range of American life, all the way from the institutions of family and community to those of the national government, with lots and lots in between.”
Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, speaks to University of Utah students.
According to Jason Perry, director of the institute, Levin’s most recent books, “American Covenant” and “A Time to Build,” respond to many of the concerns U students share with him.
“One of the key insights from ‘American Covenant’ is that unity doesn’t require us to think the same way—it requires us to come together with a shared purpose,” Perry said. “At the University of Utah, we see every day how differing perspectives strengthen our community when we commit to working together.”
During the question and answer portion of Levin’s visit, students asked about how they could be part of rebuilding old institutions and creating new ones, as well as inspiring others to become more engaged in their community.
“ Ultimately, institutions are most effective when they address a problem we confront where we are,” Levin said. “ You have to start small and start where you are and ask yourself, ‘What’s a problem that we need to take ownership of here? ’”
Though Levin is an advocate for building institutions and communities, he notes this analysis process will not lead to all institutions being saved.
“There are things that need to be torn down,” he said. “But demolition has to be followed by construction. And we have to have an idea of what we want to do instead.”
When it comes to shaping what an institution will become in the future, Levin cautioned against leaving that work to the cynics.
“When you do that, you make their cynicism true,” he said. “But it’s not true. Political engagement can really be a way to address public problems meaningfully.”
Instead, Levin urged students to find meaningful ways to make a difference in their community around issues they care about and strive to build more in-person relationships with others.