Jim Leach
Jim Leach
James Albert Smith "Jim" Leachis an American academic and former politician. He served as ninth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013 and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth15 October 1942
CountryUnited States of America
war notion
I am appalled by the notion of cultural wars.
optimism littles pessimism
There's probably a little greater case for pessimism than optimism. But I do not rule out optimism.
successful important looks
When I look at Social Security, I consider it the most important social program in the United States, arguably the most successful program in the world.
country promise may
It is hard to cement any relations with any country based on promises that may not be deliverable.
civility manners
Civility is not simply about manners.
taken lessons
History provides a sense of where we've been and lessons that can be taken forward.
thinking america our-society
America somehow thinks that leadership relates to governance, and it certainly does. But society is much bigger than governance, and some of the truly great leadership of our society is outside the governance arena.
country america government
America is very decentralized in how it supports the humanities, unlike European countries where virtually everything stems from the central government.
socialism communism fascism
There are words bandied about that are being misused - words like 'socialism,' words like 'communism,' words like 'fascism.
war school years
The majority of U.S. high school students don't know within 50 years when the Civil War occurred.
art humanity important
The arts and humanities are vastly more important in troubled times.
decision doe decision-making
Public decision-making does not lend itself to certitude.
angel sometimes moments
Politics has high and low moments. Sometimes it brings out the better angels of our nature; sometimes baser instincts.
shoes literature figures
If you read literature, you put yourself in somebody else's shoes. You learn from great figures in literature.