Something remarkable is happening in the democracy renewal movement—a profound convergence around a single, transformative principle: interdependence.
This isn’t just another buzzword. It’s becoming the organizing principle for a growing constellation of movements, organizations, and millions of Americans who understand that our survival—as a democracy and as a species—depends on recognizing a fundamental truth: we are inextricably connected to one another, to all humanity, to all life, and to our Earth.
A Cross-Partisan Legacy
On July 4, 1962, President John F. Kennedy stood at Independence Hall and declared:
“As apt and applicable as the Declaration of Independence is today, we would do well to honor that other historic document drafted in this hall—the Constitution of the United States. For it stressed not independence but interdependence—not the individual liberty of one but the indivisible liberty of all.”
He continued: “Acting on our own, by ourselves, we cannot establish justice throughout the world; we cannot insure its domestic tranquility, or provide for its common defense, or promote its general welfare, or secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”
Twenty-four years later, on July 4, 1986, President Ronald Reagan echoed this theme aboard the USS John F. Kennedy:
“The things that unite us — America’s past of which we’re so proud, our hopes and aspirations for the future of the world and this much-loved country — these things far outweigh what little divides us. And so tonight we reaffirm that Jew and gentile, we are one nation under God; that black and white, we are one nation indivisible; that Republican and Democrat, we are all Americans.”
Two presidents, different parties, different eras—same essential understanding. For decades, these calls went largely unanswered. But in 2024 and 2025, something shifted. The people themselves are answering.
Two Declarations, One Emerging Movement
In July 2024, #unifyUSA launched our Declaration of Interdependence: “We, the people of the United States, declare our inter-dependence with each other, all humanity, all life, and our Earth.” We outlined 10 principles that can guide Americans of all political persuasions toward a government and society that works for everyone.
Then in September 2025, #Next250 launched a Declaration of Interdependence—built from 40+ organizations conducting listening sessions with 2,500+ Americans from diverse, historically underrepresented communities. As their website declares: “We need a new Declaration. One that sets forth a revolution of values if we are to survive as a democracy and as a species.”
This isn’t coordination from the top down. It’s emergence from the bottom up.
Why This Convergence Matters
For those of us working on citizens’ assemblies, constitutional reform, deliberative democracy, and cross-partisan bridge-building, these parallel declarations represent proof: interdependence can unite Americans across every divide.
This convergence is reflected across the ecosystem:
- Citizens’ Assemblies bringing Americans together discover that deliberation itself is a practice of interdependence
- AI-supported consultations are engaging hundreds of thousands simultaneously, revealing shared values that transcend partisan categories
- Deliberative polls
(tm)pioneered by the Stanford Deliberation Democracy Lab are demonstrating that when people are given balanced information and time to deliberate together, their views often converge around practical solutions—regardless of their starting political positions - The Inter-movement Project (IMIP) is building generative spaces that allows diverse movements to coordinate without losing their distinct identities
- The Trust Network is fostering genuine relationships across partisan divides based on our interconnectedness
- Democracy 2076 Constitutional reform advocates from different ideological traditions are finding common ground in their shared stake in democracy’s future
- The Democracy Renewal Group recognizes that sustainable reform must transcend partisan advantage
We’re creating spaces—physical and digital—where Americans can discover together what we owe each other.
Interdependence as Daily Practice
Interdependence isn’t just aspiration—it’s methodology, daily practice, a way of approaching relationships.
My “Peacecrafting” work—transforming conflict into collaboration—is fundamentally about practicing interdependence. When we pause before speaking to consider what the moment needs, we acknowledge our interdependence with everyone in the conversation.
New technologies amplify our capacity to practice interdependence at scale. AI-supported platforms and large-scale deliberative polling now let us:
- Identify surprising agreement across partisan lines
- Surface concerns of voters who don’t fit party categories
- Create spaces for genuine deliberation
- Test whether informed public opinion differs from polarized media narratives
- Build evidence that Americans want their democracy to work
The combination of in-person Citizens’ Assemblies with AI-enabled consultation creates powerful infrastructure for discovering and acting on our interdependence.
The Spectrum Is Expanding
The spectrum of stakeholders embracing interdependence spans every divide:
Grassroots organizers • Cross-partisan bridge-builders like Braver Angels • Republicans, Democrats, and Independents tired of division • Constitutional reformers from both traditions • Technology innovators building deliberative platforms • Faith leaders from every tradition • Business leaders understanding markets depend on healthy communities • Local officials from all parties • Military veterans applying service lessons to civic life • Rural and urban Americans discovering mutual dependence • Researchers developing better methodologies • Funders supporting collaborative infrastructure
This isn’t a movement of one party or ideology. It’s a meta-movement discovering interdependence across every boundary.
From Declaration to Transformation
Both Kennedy and Reagan knew this work “will not be easily or cheaply finished.” They were right.
But transformation happens not through perfect blueprints or partisan victories, but through what Kennedy called “creative, determined action”—action that brings people together.
The creative, determined action of our time is embodying interdependence in everything we do:
- Funding: Creating interdependence, not competition, among organizations
- Design: Building spaces where people experience interdependence, not just discuss it
- Technology: Using AI to amplify diverse voices and find common ground, not reinforce echo chambers
- Reform: Building coalitions that truly reflect our interdependence across ideology, party, race, region, class
- Communication: Telling stories that reveal connections, not reinforce divisions
- Engagement: Seeking to understand those who disagree, not simply defeat them
The Invitation
If you’re working to renew American democracy from any direction, my invitation is simple:
What if interdependence became your guiding star?
Not as platitude, but as practice. Not as a value you espouse, but as the principle shaping every decision, partnership, campaign, and conversation.
The #unifyUSA Declaration offers 10 principles for this transformation. The #Next250 Declaration is building a national movement around shared values. Kennedy’s 1962 challenge and Reagan’s 1986 affirmation still echo, waiting for us to finally, fully answer them—together.
This is the evolution we need. Not independence from one another—we tried that, and as both presidents recognized, it cannot work. But interdependence with one another, across every divide.
As Reagan said, “the things that unite us...far outweigh what little divides us.” As Kennedy said, we cannot establish justice, ensure tranquility, or promote the general welfare by acting alone.
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we have a choice: fragment into islands of grievance and isolation, or declare—loudly, clearly, collectively—our interdependence.
I know which future I’m working toward. I invite you to join me.
Dr. Paul Zeitz is an activist, Rabbi (Shir Hashirim), preventive medicine physician, epidemiologist, and Co-Founder of #unifyUSA.
America’s Declaration of Interdependence was originally published by Dr. Paul Zeitz’s Substack and is republished with permission.
