The Promises to Be Upheld
The essential conditions any just society must fulfill for its people
When a government no longer honors the needs of its people, it becomes not only the right but the responsibility of the people to name those unmet needs—and to demand their fulfillment. These Promises are not abstract ideals but necessary conditions for a functioning democracy. They represent the social contract between institutions and the people they serve—a contract that must be continually renewed and protected.
What These Promises Represent
These 20 Promises articulate what we as citizens must demand from our institutions if we are to maintain a free and just society. They are drawn not only from our founding ideals but from the thousands of broken moments where those ideals were betrayed—and from the enduring hope that they can yet be fulfilled.
These are not complaints. They are conditions for peace. They are not partisan. They are human. They form the essential covenant between a people and its government—the promises we must now uphold together.
The 20 Essential Promises
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1. Responsive Government
We promise that laws will reflect the will of the people, grounded in transparency, participation, and accountability. Without responsive governance, legitimacy withers, and with it the social contract itself.
Minimize: Public feelings of voicelessness, distrust, and elite-driven legislation
Maximize: Transparency, representative participation, and citizen influence on lawmaking
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2. Local Autonomy
We promise that local communities will have the freedom to solve local problems, with national support that empowers, not overrides.
Minimize: Top-down overreach that stifles local solutions
Maximize: Local autonomy, tailored solutions, and supportive partnerships between local and national institutions
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3. Protected Civic Voice
We promise to protect the voices of those who gather, organize, and dissent.
Minimize: Suppression of civic participation and peaceful dissent
Maximize: Open dialogue, freedom of assembly, and institutional pathways for public influence
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4. Election Integrity
We promise that elections and appointments will be fair, transparent, and worthy of trust.
Minimize: Election manipulation, perceived or real, and distrust in leadership legitimacy
Maximize: Transparent processes, public trust in outcomes, and integrity of selection methods
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5. Equal Justice
We promise that access to justice will not be reserved for the privileged few.
Minimize: Barriers such as legal cost, complexity, and delay
Maximize: Affordable, timely, and impartial access to fair legal resolution
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6. Humane Immigration
We promise that those seeking to build a life here will be met with fairness, humanity, and dignity.
Minimize: Discrimination, unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles, and fear among newcomers
Maximize: Equitable access to opportunity, humane immigration processes, and pathways to belonging
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7. Trust-Based Safety
We promise that public safety will be rooted in community trust and respect for human dignity.
Minimize: Excessive force, militarization, and fear-driven policing
Maximize: Trust-based protection, community-centered safety programs, and de-escalation practices
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8. Privacy Protection
We promise that homes and private lives will be secure from unjust intrusion or surveillance.
Minimize: Unwarranted surveillance, forced entry, and loss of privacy
Maximize: Personal security, consent-based governance, and civil liberties protections
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9. Judicial Independence
We promise that our courts will be independent and evidence-based.
Minimize: Political interference, corruption, and bias in judicial outcomes
Maximize: Impartial adjudication, legal consistency, and public confidence in judicial fairness
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10. Local Justice
We promise that legal matters will be resolved close to home, respecting community ties and context.
Minimize: Displacement from local justice systems and isolation from community support
Maximize: Local access to courts, community familiarity, and culturally competent justice
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11. Jury of Peers
We promise that trial by jury—judgment by one's peers—will be preserved and protected.
Minimize: Unilateral government judgments without community oversight
Maximize: Peer-based review, fairness, and trust in community standards of justice
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12. Self-Governance
We promise that governance will remain accountable to the people it affects.
Minimize: Distant or foreign control over local affairs
Maximize: Local self-governance, accountability mechanisms, and subsidiarity (decision-making at the closest level)
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13. Fiscal Responsibility
We promise that taxes will be imposed justly and spent transparently. Taxes are our way to invest in our communities and must be treated as such.
Minimize: Waste, secrecy, and regressive tax burdens
Maximize: Visible public benefit, efficiency, and citizen trust in resource stewardship goes here
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14. Protected Dissent
We promise that criticism and dissent will be protected, not punished.
Minimize: Retaliation, censorship, and chilling effects on free speech
Maximize: Open debate, protected whistleblowing, and robust public discourse
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15. Due Process
We promise that no life or livelihood will be destroyed without cause, recourse, or proportion.
Minimize: arbitrary government action and abusive use of authority
Maximize: due process, proportional enforcement, and protection of basic rights
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16. Equal Application
We promise that laws will apply equally to all—including those who wield power.
Minimize: Selective enforcement, legal impunity for the powerful
Maximize: Equality before the law, impartial justice, and system credibility
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17. Ethical Use of Force
We promise that the use of force will reflect our shared values, governed by transparency, ethics, and consent."
Minimize: Secretive outsourcing of violence and unaccountable force
Maximize: Ethical oversight, civilian control of security forces, and public consent for use of force
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18. Leadership for Unity
We promise that leaders will foster unity and understanding, not division and scapegoating.
Minimize: Polarization, scapegoating, and manufactured division
Maximize: Mutual respect, civic solidarity, and shared national purpose
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19. Freedom of Belief
We promise that each person will have the freedom to explore, form, and live by their beliefs."
Minimize: Coercion, punishment, or marginalization for personal beliefs
Maximize: Freedom of conscience, personal integrity, and emotional/spiritual autonomy
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20. Freedom of Expression
We promise that the expression of beliefs—through speech, art, ritual, and way of life—will be protected and celebrated.
Minimize: Cultural suppression, ideological silencing, and censorship
Maximize: Inclusive public spaces, cultural flourishing, and mutual respect across differences
A Living Heritage
These Promises draw on our richest democratic traditions while addressing the specific challenges of our time. Many echo principles found in our nation's founding documents, from the Bill of Rights to subsequent constitutional amendments. Others respond to more recent failures of governance or emerging threats to human dignity.
They stand as both an inheritance and an obligation—reminding us of what previous generations fought to secure while challenging us to extend and deepen these commitments in our own time. In times of crisis or contention, these Promises provide a shared reference point around which to organize our demands and our hopes
Keeping the Promises
For these Promises to have meaning, they must be actively monitored and institutions must be held accountable when they fail to fulfill them. This requires:
Ongoing Assessment: Regular, public evaluation of how well our institutions are meeting these commitments
Transparent Reporting: Clear communication about where progress is being made and where violations occur
Citizen Oversight: Mechanisms that empower ordinary people to monitor and enforce these promises
Path to Remedy: Clear routes for addressing broken promises and restoring trust
These Promises are not simply aspirations. They are standards against which we measure our institutions and the basis upon which we organize for change when those institutions fall short.
How These Promises Connect
The Promises to Be Upheld connect deeply with other elements of our framework
They flow from the Principle of Sovereign Thought and Belief, articulating what institutions must do to protect that sovereignty
They are made concrete through the Pillars, which establish the social conditions necessary for these promises to be fulfilled
They depend on the Responsibilities of the People—particularly our commitment to hold power accountable, participate in governance, and bridge divides
Help Uphold These Promises
These Promises gain power when citizens actively claim them, monitor them, and organize to enforce them. Join us in bringing these commitments to life in our communities and institutions.