Principles for Progressives

The following text has been developed by web participants on a site sponsored by 2020 Democrats: www.principlesproject.com. You can read the (very spirited, divergent) log of participation on the project at that site. You need to register to post there, though.



We believe that America’s strongest and most defining principles lie in the promise of liberty, justice and the expansion of opportunity for all people. It is this commitment to fundamental human dignity and a better America for us all that drives the American spirit in everything we accomplish. We recognize that with the great freedoms we are afforded comes an even greater responsibility to see that those freedoms are extended to all people in all places. We believe that this shared responsibility for our families, our communities, our nation, and our world, is what strengthens our country, secures our future and transforms an American promise into a global aspiration.
We believe in defending dignity:
“All people are created equal” is not just a fact -– it is a call to action. Either we create justice for all or we have justice for none.
All people must have the right to lead their personal lives in accordance with their own beliefs, free from the imposition or monitoring of others.
All people must have a right to the basic necessities required to lead a dignified life and pursue happiness.
We believe in strengthening democracy:
It must be the shared responsibility of a nation, through its government, to ensure each citizen’s freedom, security and equality.
Government must be transparent, accessible and open to all citizens who wish to monitor its workings and share in its benefits.
America must work to enhance the democratic process by ensuring an educated citizenry, equal opportunity for influence, honest public debate, competitive elections and robust civic participation.
A healthy democracy requires tireless vigilance against corruption and abuses of power, and a government that is accountable to its people.
We believe in promoting progress:
We must promote innovation and entrepreneurship, cultivate the arts and sciences, and ensure a quality education for everyone. When we invest in individual potential, the benefits are shared by all.
America must continue to be a welcome home to all people. We believe that diversity of faith, culture and perspective enriches our nation.
America must keep a watchful eye on the economy to ensure fairness, transparency and genuine opportunity for all.
Each generation has a duty to protect and improve those resources we hold in common -– our community spaces, our public institutions and our natural environment.
We believe in embracing leadership:
America’s security requires an effective military and a commitment to enduring alliances, but we must remember that America’s true power is found in its wisdom, as well as its strength.
America must understand that our security and prosperity is reliant on the security and prosperity of others throughout the world. By helping others, we will help ourselves.
America must join with like-minded nations to build global institutions that protect the vulnerable, promote democratic self-government, and improve the health and welfare of all people throughout the world.
America must never suspend its belief in democracy and human rights in the pursuit of its global objectives. Noble ends require nothing short of noble means.
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As progressives, these are our guiding principles -- to defend dignity, to strengthen democracy, to promote progress and to embrace leadership. We believe that our country must always be looking towards a better and brighter future for all the people of the world -- and in this pursuit we pledge to come forward and work with whomever we can. We will press these issues in every community, every forum and every office of government because the struggles of this next century will not be about preserving the freedoms and liberties we already enjoy. They will be about sharing these unalienable rights with those who have yet to experience them.


Almost needless to say, I endorse these principles. OK, maybe could've been done better. But not bad as principles.

This guy's no "conservative"

Here's a brief and incomplete list of whole categories of things the Bushites have been failing to conserve:

Federal spending
Natural resources
Emissions of greenhouse gases
Effectiveness of our military reserve system
Civil liberties--domestic
Balance of trade
Principle of progressive taxation
Pay-as-you-go retirement structure
Domestic jobs
American record of compliance with international law


You can add your own favorites: sanctity of life, scientific advancement, women's right to choose, church/state separation...etc. Divergent values of our heritage, somehow to each a violation. There's only one coherent theme in Bushite governance: affirmative action for the privileged elite.

In this time of bewilderingly rapid change, we all yearn to keep the things from our past that were good, but he's not doing it.