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.
Solving problems such as climate change or our out-of-control national debt demands knowledge, patience, courage, and persistence. They are the kinds of problems that don’t get resolved overnight or on the first try. And, as so many people have pointed out, often our solutions have unintended consequences. The founders seemed to understand this when they referenced the pursuit of a more perfect union:
Democracy is ever a work in progress.
Our Vision
To create a trusted and reliable pro-democracy narrative that sustains a culture of problem solving.
Every culture requires a sustaining narrative. The Leader offers such a narrative for our democracy. It lifts up the deep bench of leaders in all areas of society who courageously tackle the problems confronting our communities. It looks at our imperfect history to give context to our current social, political, and economic landscape, and it analyzes our most pressing problems so that we can find solutions that help our communities make progress toward a better future.
Most importantly, the Leader provides links to credible sources that offer deeper dives into the topics we cover. Together, the Leader and the hundreds of organizations we link to offer a rich, mutlidimensional look at our democratic culture and what’s needed to sustain it.
Our Mission
To sift through the high volume and diffusion of information in the 24/7 news stream to unrelentingly focus on systemic problems such as climate change, access to healthcare, threats to voting rights and election integrity, and the soaring national debt — and to spotlight the ideas, knowledge, and aspirations needed to solve them and enable our communities to thrive.
Years of failing to fix these problems – and a media ecosystem that has offered an echo chamber of blame without accountability and little hope – have eroded the public’s faith in our democratic institutions. We think it’s time to change all that.
Showcasing the many efforts to solve these problems can neutralize the partisanship that has divided us and restore the trust that has been lost.
Our Name
We call this The American Leader because each of us who believes in American democracy is a leader in our own way. We all have different financial, time, and emotional resources to call upon to act and contribute to our nation’s sustenance, but we are all united by our aspiration to help our communities and our country thrive.
The real challenge in our democracy lies not in identifying the problems, but in figuring out how to solve them. The leaders we profile are all willing to try something, no matter how complex, hard, or risky the idea. They show us the many different ways and opportunities there are to step up and be responsible. Sometimes all that’s needed is a little imagination and some courage.
