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The future of the American idea is very much in question. The promise that the United States represents a fresh chance for individuals to start over, assuming that they accept the creed of individual freedom, personal responsibility, and dedication to democratic ideals, has never seemed so endangered. Our very belief in ourselves has been undermined by an elite culture that seems continually focused on America's past evils; we no longer ask newcomers to accept our values (or, often, even to speak the English language). A recent study showed a steep drop in the last few decades in the percentage of countries using the U.S. Constitution to write their own governing charters, and at least one Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has said that our governing document isn't a good model for countries today. Ginsburg's comments perfectly illustrate the endangered American idea: voiced by someone at the highest echelons of the U.S. democratic system, her words reflect a loss of confidence, a loss of faith, and a sense of confusion about the virtues of the United States and our role in the world and in history. Surveys in recent years reveal how Americans have lost their faith in the American Dream—once a defining national idea. In a CNN/ORC poll, 59 percent of respondents said that the American Dream is now unattainable for most Americans. This disillusionment has many roots: institutional failure, we would argue, is perhaps the primary driver. The American economy's failure to support a robust middle class as it once did is a big part of the loss of conviction. It's hard to believe in "America" when your fortunes are turning downward. Another daunting challenge is the loss of national cohesion—the ebbing away of a common sense of American identity. We're so tangled by now in identity politics and recriminations on issues like race, religion, sexuality, the teaching of history, and the meaning of America itself that it's no wonder the country feels so divided—not just politically but also along lines of self-definition, loyalties, and first principles. Part of this is class-oriented: the division between the haves and have-nots in America continues to grow. But it's not all about class, it's also about how we understand what it means to be Americans—our rights, yes, but also our responsibilities as citizens and our duty to uphold and carry on the democratic traditions that have brought unparalleled prosperity and inspiration to millions. Even today, looking at a world in tumult, it should be easy to conclude that being American remains the most fortunate of fates. But do we, as a people writ large, still believe this? Perhaps we're about to find out. The challenges we now face will be difficult to meet without some rebirth of national conviction.