A Study of American Anger

Former Education Secretary William Bennett and retiring Sen. Sam Nunn have announced a planned study of why Americans are "so cynical, so distressed, so angry, so ticked off about so many things." Underwritten by a $950,000 grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, this National Commission on Civic Renewal will have 25 members.
The panel will conduct three Washington hearings to take testimony about the breakdown in civic trust. It will collect studies, issue ``inventories of promising civic projects'' and recommend ways government and civic organizations can ``promote civic participation.''

``I think we need to find out why the citizens of the world's wealthiest, most envied, most powerful country are so cynical, so distressed, so angry, so ticked off about so many things,'' Bennett said.