So why are the liberal arts special? Because citizenship, as a multidimensional civic, economic, and cultural system, is essential to democracy, and liberal learning uniquely prepares students for citizenship in all three dimensions. It is not the only important mode of higher learning, but it’s the only one that directly affects our ability to sustain democratic communities. The liberal arts teach what is the very essence of citizenship: what the world is about, and that you are in the world.