As we begin to wrap up 2025 with Christmas presents and New Year’s Eve parties, it is naturally time to think ahead to 2026.

Of course, this is the year we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This was the founding of America as a country endowed by its Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Walter Isaacson’s remarkable new book, “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written,” captures how important 1776 was – and how vital the Declaration was in defining the rights of free people. Anyone who doubts that the American decision to rebel and define rights as coming from God rather than kings, emperors, or powerful or rich people should spend an afternoon with Isaacson’s remarkable work.

When I did a Newt’s World podcast episode with Isaacson, he kept returning to the theme that 2026 could be the year in which patriotism and our shared history could bind us together, reduce the depth of partisan hostility, and help America move on as a unified nation. It could return us to the work of developing a better future for all based on its extraordinary past.

The first step in this process of reconciliation and renewal is to recognize that we should celebrate our national birthday every day for a year – not just on the Fourth of July.

Some of the time should be spent focused on the Founding........

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