Journalist George Packer on a ‘Last Best Hope’ for a Divided America

In his latest book “Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal,” author and Atlantic staff writer George Packer argues that the country is not divided in two camps, but rather that it’s split into four Americas. Those Americas — Free America, Smart America, Real America, and Just America — are separated along political, economic, educational, religious and social justice lines, and Packer notes, “I don’t much want to live in the republic of any of them.” Instead, he says we need to find a way to trust one another to create a nation with the eye on the prize: to be an Equal America. We’ll talk to Packer about his book.

How America Fractured Into Four Parts