The burden of bad ideas

Heather Mac Donald investigates how detrimental ideas originate and gain influence, tracing their impact from New York City streets to powerful intellectual circles. She examines the shift in influential opinion-makers and philanthropic foundations, from advocating individual responsibility to becoming proponents of the welfare state. This prevailing orthodoxy, she argues, has had damaging effects on institutions like law schools, education, museums, and public health, ultimately harming children's education.