In the U.S. today, we find ourselves awash in pessimism. Despite the fact that no other nation has lifted more people from poverty, driven more scientific discovery, expanded economic opportunity more broadly, or secured liberty more deeply, both sides of the political spectrum see an America that is in decline.
They differ on whom to blame, of course. President Trump sees it in trade deficits that have “led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base. … Our factories were left to rot and to rust all over the place. Thriving communities turned into ghost towns.” Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, echoing this theme, railed against trade agreements: “Unfettered free trade has destroyed jobs in my state of Vermont and in every single state in this country.”
The voices insisting America is doomed do so for one reason: control. Pessimism justifies paternalism. It makes people easier to manage.
Today’s pessimism feels all-consuming. But we’ve been here before.
In the 1860s, the Civil War nearly tore the country apart. Yet even through bloodshed came the abolition of slavery and constitutional amendments that laid the groundwork for civil rights.
In the 1930s, the Great Depression left a quarter of the country unemployed. Many believed the American experiment was over, but from that wreckage came the New Deal, Social Security and the middle class.
During the Watergate era in the 1970s and after 9/11, trust in government collapsed, replaced by fear and cynicism. But what followed were periods of innovation, civic renewal and recommitment to American ideals — namely, our ability to adapt, rebuild and believe again.
This moment is no different. We’ve seen that from our darkest hours come our most enduring progress. The challenge now is to rise above tribalism and build something rooted in creativity, liberty and abundance.
And it’s already happening. Traditional conservatives and classical liberals are rediscovering shared values: civil liberties, free speech, limited government and a healthy skepticism of unaccountable power, whether from the state, tech monopolies or ossified political machines.
Where these groups disagree — on markets, safety nets and regulation — there lies not a chasm but a conversation. One side emphasizes growing the pie; the other, how to divide it. But in an era of inflation and central planning dressed up as populism, Americans should unite to restore growth. The left must confront overregulation; the right must abandon the illusion that protectionism breeds prosperity.
This isn’t compromise for its own sake; it builds on shared principles. Chief among them is the belief in the individual.
Every major American leap forward, from civil rights to immigration reform, expanded opportunity. More buyers. More sellers. More ideas. More voices. All rooted in the vision of America’s founders — a vision of liberty, responsibility and freedom.
The overarching belief that individuals matter is our national superpower. It gave rise to the U.S. Constitution, an economy built on ingenuity, and a culture of courage, grit and imagination. We crossed plains, defeated tyrants, walked on the moon. We rebuilt Europe, fed the world and exported not just goods but ideas.
At the heart of all this was radical optimism. Not naive, not blind, but fierce.
We stand at the edge of a new movement — a political identity rooted not in fear but in freedom. This movement blends market dynamism with social responsibility, national strength with individual rights. It rejects authoritarian impulses and bureaucratic bloat alike. We must reject grievance politics from both sides and return to the core belief that made this country exceptional in the first place: the dignity and potential of the individual. Not as a data point, or a demographic, or a pawn in a culture war, but as the engine of American progress.
Paul Johnson is a businessman and former mayor of Phoenix. Larry Aldrich, a lawyer, served as CEO of media and healthcare companies. They co-authored “What’s right with America: …and how we can keep it that way!” to be released on June 10, 2025.
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