By Robert E. Litan

Enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and checked by a free press, the American Project—the ideas that shape how we are governed—has until now kept U.S. society not only intact, but functioning, reasonably vibrant, and dedicated at least in theory to providing economic opportunities for all.

But recent developments put the American Project at great risk. The threat of nuclear war is more real than at any point since the Cuban Missile crisis. Ever-expanding divides in income, wealth, and political identification are pulling the nation apart. And to many, the new administration seems incapable of healing these divisions, let alone dealing with multiple challenges that confront us all—continuing mass shootings or other acts of violence and terror, climate change, immigration, and a growing national debt, among others.

In a new essay, Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Bob Litan argues that although there is much to be pessimistic about—and it is possible that the fear of continued change will drive even deeper fissures in our society—Americans have several reasons to be cautiously optimistic that the American Project, always a work in progress, can survive its current stresses. Realism, he cautions, will be of upmost importance, but there are concrete reasons for hope. In the wise words of civil rights icon Congressmen John L. Lewis, we must at least try to be optimistic. “If not,” Lewis said, “[we] will get lost in despair.”

The essay will be published in five chapters. Each chapter is available to read and share below.

      

 

 

Source: The Brookings Institute