The American Leader looks at the world through a problem-solving lens because we think that solving systemic problems in a community, be it local or national, enables that community to thrive. When our communities thrive, our democracy – and our democratic culture – thrives.
Leader Spotlight
Bill Shireman: Building a Sustainable Economy
2026-01-14T18:14:10-05:00Bill Shireman is launching Circle America, an organization that aims to replace our extractive, throw-away culture with one that eliminates waste and pollution, reuses or recycles products and materials, and emulates the self-sustaining “circle” of natural systems.
Progress Updates
After a year in which they were overwhelmed by the Trump regime's flood-the-zone strategy, the news media and the public are recognizing that protecting the integrity of the midterm elections is the critical battle to be fought this year.
Americans are faced with a stark choice: Bow to the inevitability of long-term authoritarian control of the country, even as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, or find the same strength of spirit in ourselves that led those 18th-century revolutionaries to resist an increasingly oppressive government.
Viewpoint
Applause for new voters is the best part of my time as a poll watcher. Whenever the call goes out – “First time voter” – the election workers in the room break out in smiles and cheers and clapping while the (usually) young person who just cast their vote smiles back bashfully.
In 2012, Bill Adair, founder of Politifact, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalism fact-checking website, lied on a C-SPAN call-in show about whether Republicans lied more than Democrats.
Setting Priorities
“You do the math. You solve one problem, then you solve the next one and then the next and if you solve enough problems you get to come home.”
– Mark Watney, the astronaut played by actor Matt Damon in the film, The Martian, when asked how he survived while stranded on Mars for a year
We have many critical problems today that need solving, but not every problem can be our top priority all at the same time. Our challenge is to establish a common set of priorities so that they don’t compete with each other for attention and resources. If we are successful, we won’t get to go home like Mark Watney, but we will make our home more politically, socially, and ecologically sustainable.
History and Analysis
Our Focus
The American Leader is a news and reference resource aimed at surfacing and keeping front-and-center the knowledge and aspiration needed to address the nation’s systemic problems – because solving those problems is how we protect our democracy. Often hidden beneath the surface of the 24/7 stream of headlines and attention seekers is a deep bench of American leaders who are attempting bold or innovative ideas to solve the systemic problems that shape our lives. Like noise-cancelling headphones, we eliminate the distortions, distractions, and obfuscations of the news cycle, so that you can learn from these leaders, get inspired, and do something that makes life a little better for your community.
Our Partners
