Countdown to the Declaration - Liberty Fund

Countdown to the Declaration

New material every month as we explore the Declaration's past, present, and future.

17

months to go

24

Liberty v. Tyranny

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A River Fed By Many Streams

There is a long tradition of debating the right to resistance: What aspects of that tradition were most influential in forming the Declaration mindset?

Published July 2024

23

Education

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Citizenship, Seminars, and the Declaration of Independence

What kind of education is necessary for a citizenry that takes the Declaration seriously?

Published August 2024

22

Law & Constitutionalism

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The Declaration of Independence and the American Theory of Government

Does the Declaration offer us any permanent guidance in thinking constitutionally?

Published September 2024

21

Equality

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Anything But Compromising

Writing a Declaration that could secure support required compromises and negotiations: How did these compromises chart the course of, or delay the recognition of equality for coming generations?

Published October 2024

20

Political Institutions

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Republican Government after the Digital Revolution

Does technology fundamentally alter the basis for representative government? Does it give us cause to reconsider the principles of the Declaration?

Published November 2024

19

Philosophy & Theology

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Against Authority

How important are religious and Enlightenment ideas to the concepts in the Declaration? Are these influences necessarily in conflict?

Published December 2024

18

Political Economy

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Economic Wisdom for Tumultuous Times

Why do we find ourselves refighting the same debates between open markets and mercantilism that preoccupied the 18th century?

Published January 2025

17

Education

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Educational Experience and the Challenge to Empire

What in the Founders’ education prepared them to be able to craft the Declaration? To what degree did it challenge the ideals of empire?

Published February 2025

16

Liberty and Tyranny

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What sustains liberty? Does the Declaration offer a model for future political resistance to tyrants?

Coming in March 2025

15

War & Peace

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The Declaration did not just declare American independence, but implicitly declared war on England. What happens to the voices of loyalists in the shadow of the revolution?

Coming in April 2025

14

Law & Constitutionalism

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What is the constitutional importance of the Declaration of Independence?

Coming in May 2025

13

Law & Constitutionalism

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Shifts in our prevailing philosophies and theologies seem to make the Declaration’s ideals little more than a pleasant fiction. What would we need to bring the Declaration back into a place of primacy in our common life?

Coming in June 2025

12

War & Peace

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The Declaration served as a model for countless later revolutions and rebellions against authority. How has the legacy of these revolutions shaped our world today?

Coming in July 2025

11

Education

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Education is increasingly technological and individualized. Can this be conducive to producing citizens who share a common set of political ideals?

Coming in August 2025

10

Law & Constitutionalism

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How did the multi-stranded Western legal tradition help frame the Declaration?

Coming in September 2025

9

Liberty & Tyranny

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The Declaration sets out standards for the just conduct of government: To what degree are these still relevant to American politics today?

Coming in October 2025

8

Equality

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What must we consider going forward to fulfill the Declaration’s claim that we are self-evidently equal?

Coming in November 2025

7

Political Economy

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Both the Declaration and Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations were published in 1776. Do these works share similar preoccupations and concerns?

Coming in December 2025

6

Philosophy/Theology

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Modern Americans live with a kind of religious and cultural diversity that the Founders would have a hard time imagining. Does the Declaration offer us the tools to help navigate these differences and dissensions?

Coming in January 2026

5

Equality

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Contemporary debates over the Declaration and America’s founding suggest that the Declaration enshrines inequality at the core of our public life. How do the political compromises that were necessary to agree on the Declaration continue to haunt us?

Coming in February 2026

4

Political Institutions

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How did the Declaration seek to vindicate the political rights of the colonists?

Coming in March 2026

3

Political Economy

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Many of the colonists’ complaints centered on unjust taxation. To what extent do those complaints continue to be relevant today?

Coming in April 2026

2

Political Institutions

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Has the model of representative government embraced by the Founders stood the test of time? Is it a dead hand holding us back or the backbone of our liberty?

Coming in May 2026

1

War & Peace

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Does the Declaration offer a practical framework for future decisions regarding just war?

Coming in June 2026

July 2026
250th Anniversary

We are a private educational foundation that encourages thought and discussion of enduring issues about liberty.

Liberty Fund offers a rich set of educational programs. These include Socratic-style conferences, thought-provoking books, and engaging online resources focused on the understanding and appreciation of the complex nature of a free and responsible society.