Welcome to Project 2026. My name is Shimon Waldfogel, and for nearly a decade, I've been on a personal journey to understand the very foundations of American democracy and to reclaim my own role as an engaged citizen. That journey led directly to Project 2026, an ambitious national experiment dedicated to democratic renewal.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, America stands at a crossroads. We face a fundamental question: Will we fully realize the radical promise of 1776 – that all people are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Project 2026 is our comprehensive, multi-year answer. It's designed to transform these timeless ideals into modern frameworks for robust civic engagement, collective problem-solving, and meaningful democratic participation, leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence to amplify citizen voices and democratize access to civic tools. We believe the best way to prepare for the future is to build it – together.
Our Vision & Mission
Vision: An active, well-informed citizenry engaged in a thriving American democracy that creates opportunity for all Americans to flourish.
Mission: To ensure that the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—first articulated in 1776—are fully realized through an informed, empowered citizenry. We will equip everyday people with the tools, knowledge, and frameworks to participate meaningfully in public life and thrive as citizens across their entire lives. Democracy is not only about institutions or elections; it's about people showing up—with purpose, skill, and solidarity—to co-create a just and flourishing society.
Why Now? The Stakes Are Generational
America was founded on incredible ideals, but we haven't yet fully delivered on their promise for all. Today, we are a polarized nation where trust in government is low, fellow citizens are often viewed as enemies, and the system is often perceived as rigged. Many have been excluded and marginalized, their voices unheard. Our information environment, shaped by media and social media, often promotes conflict and divisiveness, further exacerbating this toxic climate.
We face unprecedented challenges that demand our collective attention:
Widening inequality: Economic disparities continue to grow, challenging the promise of equal opportunity.
Deep political divisions: Our nation is increasingly polarized, making constructive dialogue and collective action difficult.
Declining trust in institutions: Faith in government, media, and other foundational pillars of society is at a critical low.
A sense of powerlessness: Many Americans feel alienated from public life, believing their voices don't matter.
Technological disruption: New technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping everything from how we work to how we govern—faster than our systems can adapt, threatening to further concentrate power if not guided by democratic values.
The simple truth remains: citizens are not born—they are made. And the purpose of government, at its best, is to allow people to thrive. As Alexis de Tocqueville observed, "The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens." Project 2026 seeks to reverse these trends and reclaim the promise of a truly inclusive and participatory democracy. Our aim is not just for better policies, but for better systems; not just better leaders, but more engaged citizens. We seek a future worthy of the next 250 years of American self-government.
Our Theory of Change: From Vision to Action
Project 2026 is built on a deep understanding of how genuine, lasting change happens within complex systems. We draw insights from political science, complexity theory, behavioral psychology, and design thinking. But our fundamental belief is much older—it's the radical vision embedded in the Declaration of Independence.
We believe the political system is a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem where ideas, institutions, media, culture, and citizens themselves all play crucial roles. Real change isn't just about tweaking policies; it requires a paradigm shift—new ways of thinking about power, responsibility, and what it means to be a citizen. Our theory begins with this shift: when citizens reclaim their rightful place in the political ecosystem, democracy is not only renewed—it becomes more just, more generative, and more future-facing. We are reclaiming the founding vision of 1776 and reimagining it to meet the realities of the 21st century—with its new risks, new tools, and new possibilities.
At the core of Project 2026 lies our Moonshot vision, built on three foundational pillars: Democracy, Opportunity, and Citizenship. By weaving these pillars through all our content and initiatives, we strive to inspire action, foster equity, and empower communities.
Our Strategy in Action
Project 2026 puts this theory into practice through an integrated, seven-part strategy, powerfully supported by cutting-edge AI technologies:
Cast a Vision: Articulate a bold but practical vision of thriving democracy where every citizen has the power and support to flourish.
Understand the Paradigm: Surface dominant assumptions that drive our political and economic systems—and introduce new mental models rooted in citizen empowerment, intergenerational equity, and collective well-being.
Define the Challenge: Frame systemic problems as challenges we can understand and solve together, not just technical issues for experts.
Organize Frameworks and Forums: Create organizing frameworks, national dialogues, and civic narratives that help people find their place in public life.
Crowdsource & Deliberate: Engage citizens directly through participatory design, local pilots, AI-enhanced deliberation platforms, and crowdsourced policy development.
Design Tools for Frictionless Engagement: Build digital and analog tools that lower barriers to effective civic action.
Monitor, Learn & Adapt: Track progress using dynamic well-being indicators, gather citizen feedback, and continually refine our approach.
AI-Enhanced: Technology for Empowerment Project 2026 is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into democratic engagement, recognizing its immense potential to enhance the quality, reach, and impact of civic participation. We leverage a diverse suite of cutting-edge AI models and platforms to empower citizens and strengthen democracy. This AI-powered approach enables us to:
Scale personalized civic education through adaptive learning platforms.
Enhance deliberative processes with AI-moderated forums that promote constructive dialogue.
Democratize policy analysis by making complex issues more accessible to everyday citizens.
Facilitate large-scale citizen engagement through intelligent matching of interests and expertise.
Create dynamic feedback loops that help us understand and respond to citizen needs in real-time.
Key Strategic Components
Moonshot Press: Our AI-enhanced public-interest media platform, newsletter, and storytelling hub that informs, inspires, and connects—serving as the primary media outlet for Project 2026's public engagement. Our AI team utilizes advanced language models to amplify citizen voices, analyze complex policy issues, and create compelling narratives that bridge divides.
The Citizen Toolbox: A suite of AI-powered digital and physical tools designed to make civic engagement easier, smarter, and more meaningful. These tools include personalized civic action recommendations, AI-assisted policy analysis, and intelligent matching systems that connect citizens with relevant opportunities and like-minded collaborators.
Deliberative Formats: AI-enhanced public conversations on critical issues through Citizen Briefs, Case Presentations, Citizen Commissions, and National Forums focusing on democracy, justice, health, AI governance, and generational responsibility. Our AI systems help facilitate productive dialogue, synthesize diverse viewpoints, and identify common ground.
Local Pilots: Real-world initiatives like Thrive in Montco PA that test, refine, and scale citizen-led models of democratic participation and public health in actual communities, supported by AI analytics that help measure impact and optimize approaches.
Spotlight: Key Initiatives
The Life Trajectory Approach to Thriving Citizens Recognizing that well-being begins at life's earliest stages, this approach facilitates citizen flourishing across the entire life course.
The First 1000 Days for a Flourishing Life: Addresses how early life stages from preconception through a child's second birthday shape long-term well-being.
The People's Commission to Make Our Children Healthy: A grassroots initiative focusing on holistic health strategies, using AI and social media to amplify grassroots ideas.
We The People @ 250 As America approaches its semiquincentennial, this initiative re-examines our foundational principles and their 21st-century relevance.
Imagine the Constitution in The Era of AI: Daily AI-assisted exploration modeled after the 1787 Constitutional Convention, helping citizens reflect on the social contract's relevance in the age of AI.
The People's Department of Government Excellence (PDOGE): Enhances government accountability through citizen-led assessments and transparency standards.
The 2026 Election: Critical Issues This initiative will highlight six urgent, interconnected issues that demand public attention and deliberation, shaping a citizen agenda for the upcoming election:
Renewing Democracy: Participation, Trust, and Civic Power
Artificial Intelligence and the Social Contract
Universal Healthcare and Health Justice
Economic Opportunity, Debt, and Intergenerational Equity
The Addiction Crisis and the Hope of Community Resilience
Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness
Transforming Healthcare Our Healthcare System Initiative aims to transform healthcare from primarily treating illness to actively promoting overall health, advocating for a salutogenic healthcare model that prioritizes wellness and preventative care.
Timeline: Key Milestones
October 2025: Public Launch of Project 2026, The Democracy.Opportunity.Citizenship Moonshot, The First 1000 Days of Life, Launch Moonshot Press, Launch The Election 2026 Project.
November 2025: Launch of Thrive in Montco PA, The People's Citizens Commission to Make Our Children Healthy, The Salutogenic Assistant's Knowledge Base, Imagine the Constitution in the Age of AI.
December 2025: Launch We the People @ 250, Health of the Nation, Washington Farewell Address & Americanism.
January 2026: Launch The Institute for Salutogenesis, Whole Person Salutogenic Assistant.
Our Values
We are:
Visionary & Practical: Bold in our democratic aspirations, grounded in actionable steps. We embody the moonshot spirit of aiming for the seemingly impossible while building tangible solutions.
Citizen-Sovereign & Solution-Oriented: Driven by the insights of an empowered citizenry, focused on practical solutions that advance Democracy and robust Citizenship.
Salutogenic & Flourishing-Focused: Committed to promoting holistic health and human flourishing at every stage of life, embodying the spirit of Opportunity.
Equitable & Inclusive: Dedicated to ensuring that the promise of America is realized for all, fostering truly inclusive Democracy and robust Citizenship.
Interdisciplinary: Drawing from diverse fields—philosophy, political theory, network science, behavioral research, and beyond—to build comprehensive solutions for our shared future.
An Invitation to All
Project 2026 is more than a civic initiative—it's a shared platform for public renewal, a new moonshot for American democracy. We invite Americans of every age, background, and belief to join us in this ambitious endeavor to close the gap between the country we are and the country we aspire to be.
Through the pillars of Democracy, Opportunity, and Citizenship, we can rebuild trust, forge new pathways for participation, and make democracy truly live up to its founding promise of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness for all.
The real question isn't only "What's broken?" It's this: What audacious future can we build—together—to create the America we were promised?
Project 2026 will publicly launch in July 2025 and culminate around the 250th anniversary in 2026. While it is the product of countless contributions and refinements over many years, it remains a work in progress and a shared endeavor—one that welcomes your insights, criticisms, and support as we work to make these timeless ideals a vibrant reality for everyone in the 21st century.
For a more comprehensive document on Project 2026, interested readers can contact Moonshot Press.
Project 2026 will publicly launch in October 2025 and culminate around the 250th anniversary in 2026. While it is the product of countless contributions and refinements over many years, it remains a work in progress and a shared endeavor—one that welcomes your insights, criticisms, and support as we work to make these timeless ideals a vibrant reality for everyone in the 21st century.
Additional Content
Project 2025 vs. Project 2026: Compare and Contrast
Project 2026: A Madisonian View
Overview of Project 2026
An interactive graph of the overview can be found by clicking on the image or here
Go Deeper to Learn About Our Moonshot: Democracy. Opportunity. Citizenship