Our Damaged Democracy

How Technology Greed and Apathy is ruining the American Dream

How We Got Here

80 years of change, from World War 2 to the present

The Shattering of Shared Reality

America once relied on shared information sources that built common understanding. Their collapse opened the door to confusion and distrust and rising division.

The Fragmentation of Community Life

As towns and schools and workplaces and civic groups weakened Americans lost the local connections that once bridged differences and supported democratic norms.

Economic Pressure and the American Unraveling

Decades of wage stagnation and inequality and shrinking economic security created resentment and fueled political anger and eroded faith in institutions.

The Rise of the Culture War Industry

Media and political actors discovered that cultural conflict generates attention and loyalty and profit while turning identity into a weapon that divides Americans.

The Algorithmic Age and the Outrage Machine

Social platforms began rewarding emotionally charged content and amplifying fear and misinformation and extreme voices far faster than truth could compete.

The Capture of American Politics

Polarization deepened as political incentives shifted toward conflict and minority rule strategies grew and bipartisan governance collapsed under partisan pressure.

A Nation at the Breaking Point

American institutions now struggle to function and public trust is near historic lows and escalating division threatens democratic stability and national cohesion.

Reclaiming our Damaged Democracy

Rebuilding America requires restoring shared truth and strengthening institutions and reducing division and reclaiming civic life through collective action and honest leadership.