Whither USA on the birthdayof the world’s oldest democracy?
Judging the foundation of the United States of America by the norms of the time, the signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago was a fabulously positive turning point in human history.
As Prof. Stephen Whitfield reminds us in his informed and eloquent essay opening the special IJN issue marking the 250th birthday of the US and the 150th birthday of Colorado, the American idea that government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed ran counter to all other governments around the world, not just the monarchy of Britain. “We the people.” A simple phrase. A revolutionary idea.
Americans have a right to be proud of their history, the stains notwithstanding, especially since the American idea has expanded, sometimes by civil war, sometimes by force of leadership, sometimes by force of popular sentiment. The “governed” in America today represent a much broader base than in 1776, most notably in the inclusion of women, of non-property owners, and of people of races other than Caucasian.
This glorious history now finds Americans at another crossroads. The sense of gratitude has been replaced in visible measure by a sense of grievance. The sense of solidarity has been replaced in visible measure by a sense of division. True enough, those who see current divisions as without precedent need only remember the 1856 caning in the US Senate by one senator against another. Even setting aside the myth of “the good old days” of America in pre-21st-century America, the country’s 250th birthday feels like anything but a time for undifferentiated celebration.
Discourse has coarsened. Distrust of political opponents’ intentions has deepened. Tolerance of immigrants has fallen. Homelessness has risen. Educational levels have dropped. Economic opportunity is uneven. Optimism about the future is damaged. Whither the USA on this unprecedented occasion of a political democracy celebrating its 250th birthday?
It is a big question with many possible answers. Permit us to focus on only two.
First is the necessity of retaining the democratic forms. Those who complain about the nature of the current Supreme Court must recall that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did away with the 60-vote minimum for confirmation of a Supreme Court justice, replacing it with a simple majority. This departure from form and norm paved the way for the current Supreme Court. This is not a comment on the court per se, but on the importance of democratic norms even when they are inconvenient. This is critical to keep in mind when proposals to scrap the 60-vote requirement to stop a filibuster are put forward. There are other challenges to democratic norms today, such as attacks on courts for partisan reasons, and the expectation that professionals in politically appointed positions must toe a political line. Perhaps most dangerous is the partisan take that, as the electoral wheel turns, as it always does, the other side must be paid back in kind.
Second is the infection of political discourse with untruths, the most blatant one today, mindlessly repeated, against evidence, is that Israel committed “genocide” in Gaza. The casual use of language in extreme and inaccurate ways is a severe challenge to political solidarity.
The USA has faced stiffer times than the challenges today. Our anthem on the 250th anniversary of the USA is “We shall overcome.”
© IJN 2026