The 2026 Election Initiative
The 2026 Election Initiative: Shining Light on What Matters
In the lead-up to the nation’s semiquincentennial (250th anniversary for the US Declaration of Independence) elections, Project 2026’s Election Initiative will shine a spotlight on six urgent, interconnected issues that too often go unaddressed in traditional campaign discourse:
Six Core Challenges That Will Shape Our Future
The 2026 Election Initiative will shine a spotlight on six urgent, interconnected issues that demand public attention and deliberation in the lead-up to November 2026:
🗳️ 1. Renewing Democracy: Participation, Trust, and Civic Power
Restoring the Pulse of the Republic
How can we modernize and protect our democratic institutions while increasing transparency, participation, and responsiveness?
The Challenge:
Trust in democratic institutions is in crisis. Voter turnout is stagnant. Local journalism is in decline. Polarization has poisoned public discourse. Meanwhile, many Americans feel powerless to change systems that seem remote, rigged, or unresponsive.
Why It Matters in 2026:
As we celebrate 250 years of American self-government, this is a defining moment to ask: what kind of democracy do we want in the next 250? Will we double down on cynicism—or rise to rebuild trust through transparency, accountability, and participation?
Citizen Action Spotlight:
🧭 How can we make democracy more participatory, accessible, and effective—from school board meetings to the halls of Congress?
🤖 2. Artificial Intelligence and the Social Contract
The AI revolution is transforming jobs, media, and public life—yet policy is lagging. What role should citizens play in shaping the rules of the digital age?
Technology is Changing Everything. Will We Keep Up?
The Challenge:
AI is transforming work, education, media, and public life—often without our input. From deepfakes to automated decision-making in courts, schools, and hiring, we are racing toward a future shaped by algorithms few understand and fewer still regulate.
Why It Matters in 2026:
We’re approaching a critical inflection point. The decisions we make today about AI governance will define the rules of the digital age. Will we allow automation to concentrate power—or will we democratize innovation?
Citizen Action Spotlight:
⚖️ What values should guide the development and deployment of artificial intelligence—and who gets to decide?
🏥 3. Universal Healthcare and Health Justice
Millions remain uninsured or underinsured. How can we create a system that promotes health for all—not just profits for some?
Health is a Human Right—Not a Luxury
The Challenge:
Even after decades of debate, tens of millions remain uninsured or underinsured. Rising costs, provider shortages, mental health neglect, and systemic inequities expose a broken healthcare model—one that often manages disease rather than promoting health.
Why It Matters in 2026:
The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us that public health is national security. But meaningful reform requires more than reaction—it demands a proactive, equitable, and citizen-informed vision for health justice.
Citizen Action Spotlight:
💡 How do we create a healthcare system that serves all Americans and promotes lifelong well-being, not just survival?
The Case of the United States Health Care
💰 4. Economic Opportunity, National Debt, and Intergenerational Equity
A Strong Economy—For Whom?
From stagnant wages to spiraling debt, Americans are questioning whether the economy works for future generations. What does a responsible, opportunity-rich economy look like?
The Challenge:
Wages stagnate while the cost of living soars. Wealth inequality deepens. Meanwhile, the national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, mortgaging the future of young Americans while political leaders dodge hard fiscal choices.
Why It Matters in 2026:
As Gen Z enters the workforce and Millennials raise the next generation, economic policies must reflect a new social contract—one rooted in fairness, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
Citizen Action Spotlight:
📊 What would an economy built for generational justice and broad-based prosperity look like—and how can we get there?
💊 5. The Addiction Crisis and Individual and Community Resilience
Healing the Heart of the Nation
The opioid epidemic reveals a deeper societal unraveling. How can we rebuild the foundations of care, connection, and healing?
The Challenge:
The opioid epidemic and rising rates of suicide, depression, and “deaths of despair” point to a deeper crisis of connection. Addiction is not only a medical issue—it’s a social, economic, and spiritual wound.
Why It Matters in 2026:
Solving this crisis requires more than pharmaceutical reform. It demands reimagining community, mental health, and belonging—especially in rural and working-class areas where the collapse of institutions has left people isolated and hopeless.
Citizen Action Spotlight:
🌱 How can we rebuild communities that foster resilience, meaning, and recovery for all?
🦠 6. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness
Building a Healthier, Safer Nation Together
COVID-19 exposed the fragility of our health infrastructure. How do we invest in smarter, more resilient systems to protect everyone?
The Challenge:
COVID-19 revealed both the strength and fragility of our public health infrastructure. Misinformation, distrust, underfunding, and fragmented leadership left many Americans unprotected and unprepared.
Why It Matters in 2026:
Future biological threats—natural or manmade—are inevitable. The question is whether we’ll be ready. Investing in public health is not a partisan issue—it’s a democratic imperative.
Citizen Action Spotlight:
🧬 What lessons from the pandemic can we turn into permanent reforms—and how do we ensure no community is left behind?
By elevating these themes through citizen forums, research, public journalism, and policy proposals, Project 2026 seeks to foster the kind of informed, inclusive debate democracy requires.