Our Common Values

The perspectives offered on this page were developed in discussions with people in the United States of America. Ultimately the Compassion Forward movement aims to gather perspectives from citizens of other nations as well to help support global efforts of civic healing.

Disagreement, debate, and painful conversations are not flaws of democracy, they are the features of a healthy society. We believe most Americans share a core set of values, and that debates on policy that adhere to our common values can help bring us together and drive good governance. Toward this end, we talked with people from many different backgrounds and perspectives to develop this list of common values. If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please send us a message via our contact form on our home page.

This list is not comprehensive by any means; it is meant only to provide a starting point for respectful discussion.

We Believe

  • Pluralistic Constitutional Democracy

    A pluralistic constitutional democracy is a form of government where power is distributed among competing interest groups, with a constitution ensuring no single group dominates.

    The United States has been often cited as a good example in the world of Pluralistic Democracies. The US has a long history of power sharing among diverse groups competing for influence over public policy. We do not believe in concentrating power in a single elite or a simple majority.

    We believe an individual’s vote is the fundamental unit of democracy and that all eligible voters should be afforded the ability to vote without fear, favor, or intimidation. The government should ensure that access to the ballot box is made safe and easy for all eligible voters.

    We believe that the United States Constitution provides the framework for the law of the land. Our elected leaders and our military must hold allegiance to the constitution, not to any individual.

  • Rule of Law

    We believe in equal protection under just laws. No one is above the law. We believe that enforcing our laws should be executed without political pressure and without fear or favor. We believe that unjust laws (statutes that are discriminatory or otherwise violate ethical principles, such as fairness and equality) have no place in our society.

  • Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Religion

    We believe that the government should not promote or otherwise be involved in our faith organizations, and that government should play no role in establishing what are “correct” religious beliefs. We believe that each individual has the exclusive right, without fear of government reprisal or favor, to their own religious beliefs—including the right to not embrace any religious framework.

  • Quality Education

    We believe that quality education should be accessible to all US citizens from kindergarten forward, and that public schools should teach science and history based on facts. We believe that education helps improve quality of life for everyone and an educated society is more competitive, productive, and peaceful.

  • Health Care and Disease Control

    We believe that all citizens should have access to quality health care for both proactive life-extending care as well as emergency care and treatment for diseases that impact quality or term of life. We believe that the US government should promote evidence-based recommendations and refrain from promoting non evidence based medical advice.

We believe that each individual, who has agency to do so, should be allowed to make their own healthcare decisions without government intervention.

  • Let People be who they are

    Working within our just legal framework, we believe that society should strive to support its citizens to achieve their individual potentials.

    We believe that everyone should be allowed to be who they are and no individual, or group, should dictate what a “correct” individual is.

  • We are a nation of immigrants

    The United States was built by immigrants who arrived in North America in search of freedom and opportunity. We believe that the United States is strongest when we respect all people and recognize everyone's contributions regardless of where they are from.

  • Due Process (writ of habeas corpus)

    We believe that no one should be detained or deported without due process.

  • We the People

    We believe that all people are created equal.

    The U.S. Constitution declares that the government's authority comes from the citizens, not a monarch or elite class.