Refounding America: Is This a ‘Project 2029’?
Classmates Reed Hundt and Avi Soifer are on the barricades again, this time organizing and advancing a new democracy-reform project called Refounding America.
You may remember Avi from his leading role in Coed Week (see That Was The Week), and more recently serving as the dean of the Richardson Law School at the University of Hawaii. You know Reed as the FCC Chairman during the Clinton years (see his recent talk to AEI re: the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Telecom Reform Act) and other democracy-reform efforts like the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
Refounding America is in its early stages of mobilizing a broad civic conversation about what fundamental changes we might need to address the challenges of the 21st century while staying true to our American values. According to the website, “We intend to produce a compendium of changes in the structure and function of the national government by January 2029. Our first draft will be opened to comment in January 2027.”
The “compendium” will be generated and vetted by a broad range of civic input, community engagement, academic rigor, and practical advice. Again, from the website
In these three ways we intend to have a compendium created by a broad base of engaged parties, rather than something presented to the many by a few.
We expect candidates, parties, and activists will generate legislative initiatives non-stop until the November 2028 presidential election. We are in an era of ferment. All ideas are welcome, but our project specifically will focus on the structure and function of the national government. We intend to apply Abraham Lincoln’s simple but profound prescription: “The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all, or cannot so well do, for themselves – in their separate, and individual capacities.”
Use the “contact us” link on the website if you want to help.
Clearly, the country is in deep trouble on a number of different scores. None of the proposed reforms will get purchased unless our decision-making capability is clarified and we can act the way the founders intended: majority will, constrained by limited government, minority rights, and checks and balances.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out the website and get involved.
That Was The Week