ABOUT THE PROJECT
Restoring America's Credibility
This project is a response to a crisis of American credibility that has been building for decades, under both parties, but has reached an inflection point under Donald Trump. His administration and the Republican enablers who have abdicated their responsibility to uphold the norms and institutions of American democracy have pushed that crisis to a new level. At the same time, Democratic leaders have too often failed to mount an effective response.
This crisis has exposed vulnerabilities in our institutions and raised fundamental questions about the limits of presidential power, the rule of law, and whether America can still be counted on by its allies. Restoring credibility will require political accountability, institutional reform, and a renewed commitment to democratic principles.
What do we mean by credibility?
Credibility is trust that the rules will hold.
Credibility does not mean believing that a government will always make the right decision, or that everyone will agree with it.
It means knowing that the rules are clear, that commitments will be honored, that institutions will function, and that those in power are subject to meaningful checks.
At home, that means Americans can trust elections, courts, government institutions and one another to operate within a system of rules.
Abroad, it means allies, partners and other countries can believe that American commitments will survive changes in political leadership.
How do we restore credibility?
Credibility must be rebuilt.
Restore
Restore the institutions, norms and commitments that have been weakened or dismantled.
Repair
Repair the damage that has already been done, at home and abroad.
Reform
Reform the system so that no future president, Republican or Democrat, can wield power without meaningful limits.
This project starts with you.
We don't have all the answers. That's why we're starting by asking people what they think should come next.
We're looking for concrete ideas about what the next president and Congress should do. Some ideas may require legislation. Others may involve executive action, institutional reform or simply restoring a commitment that should never have been abandoned.
The goal is to gather those ideas, examine them against history, evidence and public opinion, and develop them into a practical roadmap for restoring America's credibility.
What happens to your idea?
Ideas will be developed into a Credibility Agenda: a public, practical roadmap for restoring America's credibility at home and abroad. The goal is to have something concrete for the next president and Congress to act on, not just a collection of opinions.
This is early-stage work. As the project grows, the review process may expand to include others with relevant expertise.
The American Credibility Project is an independent political project, not affiliated with any party, campaign, or candidate. It draws on years of experience in local and statewide politics, public policy, and government.
The goal is to develop a practical Credibility Agenda for restoring America's credibility at home and abroad, bringing together concrete ideas about what the next president and Congress should do to restore, repair, and reform the institutions and systems Americans rely on.
An independent project
Your privacy matters
Ideas submitted through this project are private. We will not publicly attribute an idea to you without your permission.
If you choose to provide your email address, here is how it's used: To send occasional updates about the project, and nothing else.
We will not sell, rent, or share your email address with any outside organization or individual.
You can ask to be removed from our list at any time by emailing info@restoringcredibility.com.
Idea submissions are collected through Google Forms. Google's own privacy policy governs how that platform handles submitted data; we do not control or have visibility into that beyond what you submit to us directly.
If you have questions about your data or want your information removed, contact us at info@restoringcredibility.com.