Civic Values

In American politics, we need to renew and recommit to basic civic values – beliefs and practices that have made us a great nation and helped to sustain our democracy.

Here are some of the values that John believes are particularly important at this moment in time:

• A respect for facts. People in public life should seek to state basic facts accurately, regardless of what their personal or partisan views or interests may be.
  

• A respect for the rule of law and the Constitution. Elected officials take a solemn oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. Each official should sincerely consider what it means to abide by this oath, and act accordingly.
  

• A level of decency and humility in politics. People will disagree on issues, and fair and vigorous debate is an important part of politics. But we destroy our ability to function as a democracy when crudeness and vilification are the go-to tactics. 
  

• Devotion to the principles of our Declaration of Independence. Our founding document stands for the principle that every human is created equal and is endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This shared belief helps define the purposes of our government and should be one of our greatest sources of unity as a country.
  

• Aiming for a moral standard. A key reason for our country’s greatness has historically been our commitment to holding ourselves to a higher standard of conduct than our adversaries. As the late Sen. John McCain said, “our enemies act without conscience. We must not.”
  

2020 is a critical year for re-establishing who we are as a nation, at every level of government. Recommitting to these civic principles must be a part of that effort.