When a mission statement is drafted, whether for an individual, a company, or an entire country, it is almost immediately tested by the chaotic friction of day-to-day demands. And when our Founders declared independence on July 4, 1776, they faced an immediate deluge of survival crises, a war to be fought, a fledgling government to finance, and little historical precedent on how to construct a true, functional democracy.
To understand our current political dilemma, we must first recognize the Declaration of Independence and consider it as our country’s original “rule book,” establishing the mandate that a democratic government must secure the rights of all citizens. Many Americans mistakenly view the US Constitution as that original rule book. Yet, the Declaration contains a vital escape clause: any government—or constitutional framework—that fails to assure these rights or maintain its democratic integrity must be repaired or replaced.
The reality is that our current constitutional framework contains deep structural flaws that have allowed our democracy to be corrupted. When the Constitution was framed in 1787, compromises were struck that haunt us today, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, designed to appease Southern slave states. Fast-forward to the modern era, and these structural compromises manifest as severe democratic deficits. The Electoral College subverts majority rule, elevating figures like Donald Trump to the presidency despite losing the popular vote. The US Senate grants the exact same legislative power to fewer than 750,000 citizens in Wyoming or Alaska as it does to tens of millions in states like California or Florida. Meanwhile, federal courts, including the Supreme Court, are dominated by far-right figures insulated from democratic accountability.
A logical solution implied by our founding documents is progressive taxation to support public welfare. It can bridge the gap between soaring billionaire fortunes and families living below the poverty line. But where wealthy elites and corporate donors spend heavily to elect politicians who protect their interests while ignoring ordinary citizens, repairing this broken system requires recognizing these historical mistakes and mustering the resolve to reclaim our democratic mission.
Grab your copy of Common Sense 2.0: Enhanced by Critical Thinking by John Dewey Bridwell today and join the conversation on America’s future. By mapping the current and widely spread issues rooted in our founding principles and the Constitution, it will help you reclaim our rights to Equality, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. So, read this book and know the solution to end this misery before the next presidency.
Common Sense 2.0 invites you to return to the founding promise, examine it carefully, and consider what it would mean to take that promise seriously today.
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