He has dominated the media landscape for decades, literally written the encyclopedia of politics, and even shown Europeans a thing or two about their history, so like the old EF Hutton ad says, when Michael Barone speaks, people listen.

Appearing on the Heritage Foundation’s The Kevin Roberts Show this week to talk up his latest book, Mental Maps of the Founders, Barone was asked to tackle a difficult question: What needs to change so that Americans are more hopeful about the future?