An excellent summary and set of questions about theory versus practice. If it's true that

the more institutions that can better concentrate their time and resources on specific tasks [the] healthier [the] Philadelphia history sector.

But do these institutions need to actually join together? Or could they remain separate, functioning healthily as a consortium or a confederation? That might allow for a more robust ecosystem for "memory politics."

What would a "critical mess" of institutions and programs look like? And would we want that?