The republic is in crisis. That crisis is full of danger; but also of opportunity. The danger is that the populist right will further undermine our democratic institutions. But this gives the progressive left an opportunity to articulate an alternative vision of American patriotism. Not the sort of jingoistic and chauvinistic hyperpatriotism that currently travels under the alias of “American exceptionalism”; rather, the sort of critical but affirmative patriotism articulated by leaders like Lincoln and King. A patriotism that also recognizes the universal significance of the American project, namely: to forge a nation of nations and a people of peoples, a continental republic uniting a diverse citizenry around a shared vision of the common good. Such a patriotism could also appeal to political moderates and perhaps even to disaffected Republicans, thereby reversing the rightward drift of the political center.
One of the central insights of Tocqueville’s writings—perhaps the central insight—is that democratic institutions alone are not sufficient to sustain self-government. Democratic mores are also crucial: habits of association, cooperation, and mutual aid. In early America, Tocqueville observed, these habits were instilled in civil society and especially in religious society. In contemporary America, where commerce crowds out civic life, and collective religiosity is giving way to individual spirituality—even in church—they must be acquired elsewhere. But where? This is a vital question for anyone who is concerned about the long-term health of the American republic.