Could America find more common ground by putting individual success at the center of public policy? I begin with three shared aspirations: equal opportunity, personal liberty, and constitutional self-government. Supporting businesses and reducing poverty both matter, but neither approach alone ensures that a working person can provide for a family.
I argue for judging policy by what individuals can do with the opportunities it creates. That means considering higher wages, business incentives, affordable first homes, education and job training, respectful policing, and the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions. This October 2023 essay does not treat conservatives or progressives as enemies of the nation. It asks whether we can agree on the goal of greater independence, then work through the different ways to achieve it.
Read the essay and sources: https://joelkdouglas.com/2023/10/24/unify-america/
