Charles Peters, the legendary founder of Washington Monthly magazine, whose career as a critic and student of the nation’s capital spans forty years, writes about a spirit of collaboration, generosity, and community that flourished in the 1930s—when government was actually a force for good—and has since been lost. The rise of lobbying, snobbery, and money as the measure of all things have come to define an America that, despite its progress, has become mired in selfishness. We Do Our Part ends with a powerful call to arms—to participate in the life of the nation, restore a sense of common future, and fight against the overwhelming inequality that threatens to wreck America.

Charles Peters, the legendary founder of Washington Monthly magazine, whose career as a critic and student of the nation’s capital spans forty years, writes about a spirit of collaboration, generosity, and community that flourished in the 1930s—when government was actually a force for good—and has since been lost. The rise of lobbying, snobbery, and money as the measure of all things have come to define an America that, despite its progress, has become mired in selfishness. We Do Our Part ends with a powerful call to arms—to participate in the life of the nation, restore a sense of common future, and fight against the overwhelming inequality that threatens to wreck America.

Charles Peters, the legendary founder of Washington Monthly magazine, whose career as a critic and student of the nation’s capital spans forty years, writes about a spirit of collaboration, generosity, and community that flourished in the 1930s—when government was actually a force for good—and has since been lost. The rise of lobbying, snobbery, and money as the measure of all things have come to define an America that, despite its progress, has become mired in selfishness. We Do Our Part ends with a powerful call to arms—to participate in the life of the nation, restore a sense of common future, and fight against the overwhelming inequality that threatens to wreck America.