Wednesday, October 15
Do Our Institutions Deserve the Public’s Trust?
The public’s faith in America’s core institutions has been eroding for decades. From the Vietnam War to the COVID-19 pandemic, missteps and failures have shaken public confidence. Today’s intense partisanship has only deepened the problem, with political actors often exploiting concerns for their own gain. When institutions disappoint people across political, generational, economic, and geographic lines, trust erodes and cynicism spreads. Can such a divided society find common ground to rebuild trust? Could reforms that emphasize transparency, competence, accountability, and civic engagement help restore credibility? Or are recent episodes such as overreaching pandemic policies, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and lapses in media reporting signs that institutions no longer deserve the trust they once held? In the end, should we “trust but verify” our institutions, or is this the moment for individual leadership to step in and fill the void?

Our Society Reimagined is a four-week discussion series that brings community members together to explore timely domestic issues that shape our modern society. Participants are given reading materials that will be used as background for lively, moderated discussions each week. Using the practice of civil dialogue, moderators will facilitate conversations that will help participants gain perspective on the underlying values and ideas that we hold as individuals and as a society and will explore how these tenets shape our lives.

The 2025 series will take place in person on our Aspen Meadows campus from 6:00-8:00 pm MT on four consecutive Wednesdays, October 15-November 5. Tom Morrison and Clint Kinney will return to moderate the series.

Fee: $195, includes all sessions, refreshments, and reading materials. To register, please click here.

Please contact Ari Mizrahi at ari.mizrahi@aspeninstitute.org with any additional questions.