The Idea of America led to independent sovereign States, then to a Constitution and a new Union. The results of this "American Experiment" were exceptional. Phase One, the first 120 years or so, marked a quantum leap in the standard of living and wealth, the result of a free people living under the Rule of Law. In Phase Two, since about 1900, America has diverged from its founding principles; today we find a country exceptional in many other ways, some of them not so positive. We are now entering Phase Three, and it is critical that more Americans are involved in the democratic process;...