BY JEFFREY LEWIS AND JUSTIN WALLIN
Special to the Journal
America stands at a critical juncture: we must decide not merely which policies or politics we prefer, but what kind of society we intend to become.
We live in an era of extraordinary contradiction. Many Americans are wealthier, healthier, and more technologically advanced than any previous generation. Yet a crushing economic divide leaves lower- and middle-income families struggling to cover necessities and keep food on the table.
The public’s own assessment highlights the severity of this disparity. In the Federal Reserve’s 2025 household survey, 91% of adults with family incomes of $100,000 or more reported doing well financially or living comfortably. Among those earning below $25,000, only 45% said the same. While the national average sat at 73%, standard benchmarks obscure how vastly different individual experiences remain and how radically definitions of "doing okay" vary.
Technological progress compounds these economic anxieties. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming business, medical breakthroughs are extending lives, and entrepreneurs continue to drive global innovation. Yet beneath this progress lies deep unease. A June 2026 Pew Research Center survey revealed that 71% of Americans expect AI to eliminate jobs over the next 20 years, compared to just 5% who believe it will create more. Many wonder where displaced workers will fit in an AI-driven economy; others fear they will not fit at all.
Beyond economic strain, political divisions now permeate daily life as public trust in core institutions continues to erode. Gallup’s June 2026 survey shows the scale of this distrust: only 9% of Americans expressed strong confidence in Congress, and 17% in big business. In contrast, 67% still trusted small businesses. This stark contrast points to institutions that still command public confidence and raises a fundamental question: why do some retain trust while others lose it?
This challenge is not merely political; it is cultural. A healthy society requires more than economic output; it depends on shared values, mutual respect, and a common purpose. Historically, America united diverse populations around liberty, opportunity, personal responsibility, and equal justice under the law. While those ideals remain vital, they are being severely tested, stretched, and rewritten.
Public discourse increasingly rewards outrage over understanding. Social media platforms amplify conflict to drive engagement, while political factions portray opponents as existential enemies rather than fellow citizens. This destructive cycle severely weakens the civic bonds necessary for democratic self-government. Indeed, a study analyzing over 2.7 million social media posts from news outlets and members of Congress found that content attacking political opponents was shared nearly twice as often as posts praising one's own group, explaining the powerful incentive to keep the public focused on who to oppose.
Nations rarely collapse from external threats alone. More often, they weaken internally when deep divisions cause citizens to lose trust in one another and in the foundational institutions holding society together.
Throughout our history, America has endured civil war, economic depression, global conflicts, and intense social upheaval. What allowed us to emerge stronger was not a uniformity of opinion, but a shared commitment to the democratic process and a recognition that compromise is statesmanship, not surrender.
The pressing question today is whether we still possess that capacity. Can we disagree without demonizing? Can we debate vigorously while preserving civility? Can we embrace technological change without sacrificing the human values that give prosperity its meaning?
Politicians alone cannot answer these questions; every citizen must participate. The future of our country will be determined not just in Washington, but in local communities, schools, workplaces, houses of worship, and family homes. Real change depends on whether individuals choose active engagement over cynicism, constructive dialogue over tribalism, and shared responsibility over grievance.
We stand at the intersection of two paths. One leads toward further fragmentation, where Americans retreat into ideological enclaves and define each other solely by political identity. The other leads toward renewed civic confidence, where differences are acknowledged but a common purpose prevails.
Neither outcome is inevitable. The strength of the American experiment has always been its capacity to adapt while remaining anchored to enduring principles: freedom and responsibility, opportunity and fairness, individual achievement and collective obligation. These values are not mutually exclusive; they are the bedrock of a prosperous and cohesive nation.
America is at a crossroads larger than any single election, policy debate, or news cycle. The road we choose will determine not only the nation we leave to the next generation, but whether the American promise remains as compelling today as it was at our founding.
The choice is ours.
— Jeffrey Lewis is the President and CEO of Legacy Health endowment and the EMC Health Foundation. Justin Wallin is CEO of J. Wallin Opinion Research, a global opinion research firm serving business, government and political clients. The words expressed are their own.
