David Whitman

Contrary to the claims of some conservatives, moral values in the United States are not declining, contends David Whit- man in the following viewpoint. Statistics comparing current values with the behavior of twenty to thirty years ago reveal that Americans today are less likely to drive drunk, abuse drugs, engage in serious cheating, or evade paying taxes. Furthermore, Whitman points out, today’s adults and teens are more likely to volunteer, donate to charity, and attend religious services. The perception that the United States is in decline may be due to the fact that most Americans believe that they are more moral than the average person. Whitman is a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report and the author of The Optimism Gap: The I’m OK—They’re Not Syndrome...