As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the public should be preparing to celebrate the durability of our democracy. Instead, many are wondering whether it will hold another 5, 25, or 250 years. It’s a fair question. Our democracy was built on the need for collective trust in institutions, and trust is plummeting. Last year, the Pew Research Center found public trust in government is at its lowest in nearly seven decades, with only 17% of people saying they trust the federal government to do what is right most of the time.

Not only are we losing trust in institutions, but we are also losing trust in each other. A recent poll from the Pew Research Center found the majority of Americans question the ethics and morality of their fellow Americans.