The Jewish Imperative to Protect and Strengthen American Democracy
Jewish people have been present in what is now the United States of America since at least 1654 and have, since that time, participated actively in the democratic process. As far back as the Revolutionary War, the Jewish community has organized and advocated for a liberal democracy that protects the rights of individuals and minorities.
In this piece, we make the case for sustained engagement to preserve this fragile and imperative system of self-governance. Our white paper details the importance of liberal democracy to American Jews, the challenges we face, and what the Jewish community can do about it.
Why democracy matters: “It is [America’s] democratic system and the processes that it enshrines, not the outcomes it produces, that protects minorities like the Jewish community and enables this country to pursue the neverending work of becoming a more perfect union.”
How threats arise: “While ubiquitous American support for the idea of democracy is considered ‘conventional wisdom,’ in reality we are seeing individual citizens reject or resent many of the norms and institutions necessary for actual democratic governance. In fact, Americans – especially young Americans – are less convinced they can effectively influence public policy and are more open to exploring authoritarian alternatives than at any other time in the last 100 years.”
Why action is vital: “[W]e know from countless experiences that history does not move only in the direction of progress. As Jews, we have a vested — indeed, existential — interest in the preservation of American democracy, and we ignore the warning signs of its decline at our peril.”
Our path forward: “In the short-term, we propose a coordinated, trans-partisan Jewish partnership to focus the community’s power, resources, and support on ensuring that the United States remains an electoral democracy in 2026… In the long term, A More Perfect Union will focus on strengthening American democratic culture so that it fosters a shared sense of civic commitment and mitigates against toxic forms of political polarization.”
