In a nation as vast and diverse as the United States, what is the invisible glue that holds us together? As the country approaches its 250th anniversary, the chasm separating Americans—politically, culturally, and ideologically—seems to grow wider every year. We are increasingly living in separate realities, consuming different information, and losing the vocabulary needed to speak across our divides. This fragmentation poses an existential threat to the very idea of a unified republic.
The Founding Principles: Rituals for Modern Citizens component of Project 2026 is a multi-year effort to address this crisis not through legislation, but through culture. It is an initiative built on the premise that what we need is not just better policy, but a better national story and shared, non-political rituals to tell it.
Drawing inspiration from enduring religious and cultural practices—like the Passover Seder or community gatherings—this initiative seeks to crowdsource and implement a framework of civic rituals that can create a “safe container” for communication, promote empathy, and affirm a shared American identity. This is a call to move beyond merely celebrating our differences to actively building upon the core principles that bind us.
We are proposing concrete, actionable activities—from the public reading and discussion of George Washington’s Farewell Address as a guide for avoiding factionalism, to the creation of A Civic Ritual for Thanksgiving that reaffirms our common identity. This is more than just history; it is a treatment plan for disunion, a strategic effort to reclaim the promise of our founders by giving modern citizens the tools and traditions necessary to truly participate in, and sustain, our constitutional republic. Join us as we explore how intentional, shared practices can cultivate the Americanism required to bridge our many differences and secure a unified future.
Additional Content:
Rituals for Modern Citizens: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ “Treatment Plan” for Our Challenging Times
Before his untimely death in September 2020, Rabbi Sacks articulated a plan to address the challenges facing citizens in democratic governments worldwide, and the U.S. in particular. Appearing on the Tim Ferriss Podcast to promote his book Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times, he proposed a visionary remedy: building national cohesion through a shared national story, meaningful national rituals, and the empowerment of young people.
The Civic Ritual for Thanksgiving: Gratitude in the Age of Contempt
This is The Civic Ritual for Thanksgiving. It is designed not to dwell on the darkness, but to harness gratitude as a powerful antidote. I believe that by actively reflecting on the positive aspects of the American experience, we can crowd out the contempt that threatens our connections.
Think of this as civic infrastructure disguised as dinner: a therapeutic container designed to hold us while we do the real work of citizenship. It utilizes a shared story and symbolic acts to transform the table from a place of potential conflict into a space for profound connection. It asks us to lean into what we cherish, using our shared thanks as the foundation to face our challenges together.