Our Focus: Democracy
What will we have to celebrate in 2026?
The Forum on Democracy is working to unleash the genius of the people and help revitalize the American Experiment. Our mission is to “rediscover, rethink, reimagine and rebuild the American Experiment by starting citizen conversations that achieve common ground.” We are working to build community-level fora — both online and in-person — where citizens with diverging views can safely participate in conversations, share their opinions and find a measure of common ground. What will we have to celebrate on July 04, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
We’re approaching an important national milestone
In 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence. This unique document did more than announce our separation from a remote and despotic ruler. It also laid out ideas for a radically new form of government. Power in the new nation would be in the hands of its people, not its powerful. The people would set limits and boundaries on those who governed in their name. Its citizens would have the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that no government could infringe without their consent.
Despite skeptics and faults, that system has lasted two and a half centuries. But today America is plagued with problems: A deeply divided society, a shrinking middle class, massive distrust in our public institutions, a resurgence of violence and racism, and more. Our elected leaders often seem less interested in solving our problems than pandering to special interests so they can to get re-elected. They rarely seem to hear the voice of the people, which is muddled by the echo chambers of social media. The social compact built by the Founders is coming apart. The biggest threats to our democracy are internal.
The Founders believed in the wisdom of the people
The Founders believed in the wisdom of the American people and in the idea that the people must be heard in the halls of power. The governing system they built was flawed — they did not trust wholly in the people — thus the Senate and the Electoral College. They were not yet ready to address the evil of slavery. Yet it was the closest thing to a democratic republic since Athens. And it worked. Even that deep unaddressed fault of human servitude, though it brought a bloody war, was not enough to break it.
And now, 250 years later, the problems of today seem beyond the ability of our society to solve. These problems reach down to the local level, bringing our national divisions to villages and towns, eroding public confidence in local institutions such as our schools and even libraries.
A national conversation is needed
What can we do as a society to solve this problem? How do we reopen the conversation between the Citizen and government? How do we cross the divide that separates us on so many issues? Can we restart a national conversation on who we are, and what we want for our future?
