Concerns over the museum raise a real question: What is the purpose of the National Museum of American History? The first view shows up in statements by Smithsonian leaders Lonnie Bunch and Anthea Hartig, and in the creation of a Center for Restorative History. Those republican principles are at odds with the postmodern ideology Smithsonian directors promote. Smithsonian museums are part of public education, places devoted to civics: to the study of American history and of the principles that animate our laws, institutions, and character. Smithsonian museums are destinations for families and school field trips, and shared experiences, along with shared principles, bind Americans as a people.