Is It Time to Uphold or Refresh the Constitution?
The future is calling. We must be the answer.
“The Constitution belongs to the living, not the dead.” — Thomas Jefferson
In this pivotal moment, Americans stand at a crossroads. From every corner of our divided republic, we hear a familiar refrain: “Defend the Constitution.” Yet what does defense truly mean when the world has changed and the foundation beneath our democracy shows deep cracks?
The Constitution we revere was never meant to be static. It was born in the fiery crucible of 1787, crafted by visionaries who knew that democracy must evolve—or risk collapse. Today, we find ourselves in a similar storm. Economic inequality deepens. Political paralysis festers. Trust in our institutions wanes. And amid these tremors, we must ask: Is it enough to uphold a Constitution frozen in time? Or must we summon the courage to refresh it for the world we now inhabit?
As Justice Thurgood Marshall once declared, “The Constitution is not a perfect document, but it is a living one.” It breathes life only when we—the people—breathe new purpose into it. This isn’t about destruction, but about renewal. About ensuring liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness for generations to come. Let’s reignite the spark of the American Dream for our children and all future generations.
Today’s reality is stark: Our government is no longer powered by the collective will of its citizens but is instead driven by dark money and entrenched interests. Political power has become the province of the few, while ordinary Americans are left with diminishing influence over the decisions that shape their lives.
#unifyUSA was born from this crisis of representation. We are building an inter-partisan citizens’ movement—not to tinker at the edges of our flawed system, but to lead the co-creation of a citizen-driven democracy. One where everyday Americans reclaim their rightful place at the heart of governance. One where policy is shaped not by corporate lobbyists, shadowy donors, and dark money, rather by the lived experiences and aspirations of the people.
Let’s look to our history for guidance. When the Articles of Confederation failed, our Founders didn’t merely defend them—they wrote something better. They were stepping forward, writing a new chapter.
Today, we need that same audacious spirit. Citizens’ Assemblies—already sparking change in states like Colorado and New Hampshire—offer a path forward. Imagine everyday Americans gathering not just to complain, but to co-create a new blueprint for our refreshed democracy. A Constitution that works for the digital age, for an economy that should lift all boats, for a country that needs healing and bold leadership.
New Hampshire Together Citizens Assembly, 2024
This is not a call for timid reforms. This is a call for renewal over rigidity, construction over nostalgia, courage over complacency.
So I ask you: Is it time to uphold the Constitution—or to refresh it with the power of the people?
Join the movement at unifyusa.org.
The future is calling. We must be the answer.
Dr. Paul Zeitz is the Co-Founder of #unifyUSA, an inter-partisan citizens' movement dedicated to Hit Refresh the U.S. Constitution through Citizens’ Assemblies and author of Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution: A Revolutionary Roadmap for Fulfilling on the Promise of Democracy and Revolutionary Optimism: 7 Steps for Living as a Love-Centered Activist.