I recently made a pilgrimage to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., to see the United States Constitution — the one that George Washington and 38 other Founders signed with a goose quill 238 years ago.
When you enter the rotunda where the Constitution is displayed, it almost feels like you’re visiting a cathedral, minus the smell of incense.
The ceiling is high.
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The lights are dimmed so that the fragile calf-skin document will not be damaged.
Visitors speak in hushed tones.
Bestselling author A.J. Jacobs of New York City, at left, spent a year “living” the Constitution — and that included visiting the Constitution up close at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. His new book about the experience is “The Year of Living Constitutionally.” (A.J. Jacobs; iStock)
And there, at the far end of the room, in a softly lit case made of thick glass and titanium and filled with inert Argon gas, you can see those four butter-colored pages.
As you step up to the case, the first thing you notice are the three famous words written in elegant, back-slanted calligraphy: “We the People.”
To me, these are the three most important words in our founding document — and the most inspiring.
They are words that I believe we need to emphasize in these stressful political times. Because America only functions when “we the people” care, pay attention and get involved.
“America only functions when ‘we the people’ care, pay attention and get involved.”
One of the guides who works at the National Archives told me she loves talking to Americans when they visit the Constitution in person.
She said they come away from the experience rejuvenated. They want to participate in democracy. They are inspired to vote in elections — and not just presidential elections, but also local elections.
The National Archives in Washington, D.C. “One of the guides who works at the National Archives told me she loves talking to Americans when they visit the Constitution in person,” says Jacobs (inset). (AJ Jacobs; iStock)
Or they’re motivated to run for the PTA.
They are reminded that those three words — “we the people” — refer to them.
It’s a good antidote to the all-too-common feeling of powerlessness, apathy and cynicism.
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Today, people on all sides feel disconnected.
Many dismiss the system as too corrupt or unfair to save, so why bother getting involved?
“I’m a fan of having schools teach kids how to be better citizens.”
But the best way to improve a participatory system is to participate.
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Visiting the Constitution is one way to remind ourselves that America is a collection of “we the people.” But we need other strategies as well.
For starters, I’m a fan of having schools teach kids how to be better citizens. We need to add more civics to the curriculum — though maybe we shouldn’t call it “civics.”
A voter fills out a ballot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Nov. 2022. “The best way to improve a participatory system is to participate.” (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
That word just puts people to sleep. It’s too abstract and flavorless.
However, the topic isn’t abstract at all. It takes on the question: How can we create a society where people who have different preferences can live together happily and prosperously?
It’s about how “we the people” live our lives.
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I also think it’d help to focus more on that first word: “We.”
To survive, America needs to be a country of “we,” not a country of “us versus them.”
We need some sort of glue to bind this increasingly divided nation. What is that glue?
Jacobs studied and “lived” the words and actions of Ben Franklin, shown at right, and other Founding Fathers of America. (A.J. Jacobs; Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
I don’t have a definitive answer.
But I do think an emphasis on service of some kind might play a part.
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When our country was founded, men were part of a militia. All males between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to report for training four times a year.
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I’m relieved this requirement no longer exists, but perhaps it acted as a glue for the nation in our founding times.
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Whatever service people might take part in today, I hope it delivers a shared experience that’s worth thinking about.
“The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning” by A.J. Jacobs (2024) is published by Crown.
