Hi, I'm Jeff Sickinga, executive director of the Ashbrook Center, and this is the American

idea, where we discuss the ideas, people, and events that have made America what it is today.

We believe that by understanding our history and our principles, we can better

live up to the promise of the American founding and preserve our ongoing experiment in self-government.

Welcome to the American idea. You know, at this time of year, we talk a lot about giving. It's a natural moment to

pause and reflect on how we relate to the people, the things, the ideals that we hold most

dear. And when we care about someone or somethings deeply, our response almost always takes the form of giving.

We give thanks. We give gifts. We give of ourselves. So on behalf of all of us here at the American

idea, I want to take a moment to thank you, our listeners, for what you have given us in this past

year. Your steady listenership has given us the

support we need to publish this podcast week after week after week to continue the kind of great

conversations that we hope illuminate something of what Thomas Jefferson once called, the American mind.

Conversations that help us to understand our history and principles a little more deeply.

Conversations that hopefully give us a little more insight into our contemporary public life.

You know, all of these conversations are rooted in two fundamental principles.

The first principle that you know from listening to this podcast is we believe that the human

mind is free.

And what that means for us is that the mind is not bound by circumstances, that it can freely pursue the truth in conversation with other people.

And that's exactly the kind of approach that we want to have here at the American idea.

Deep and serious thinking, that isn't bound by time or place or any accident

of circumstance, but that wants to get to the heart of things, to the truth of things, in

conversation with each other. And the other principle guiding this podcast throughout this

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