Summary: The decline of civil society in the Western world is the topic of Niall Ferguson's final Reith Lecture in which he argues that the greatest mistake of the past 50 years was to allow the state to encroach on civil life, assuming it could do a better job than the people themselves. Encouraging more local activism by citizens will not just garner better results than declining government institutions, but will also fuel a more positive impact on the community. The question is - where to start?
