Today, Explained Grading America's first 250 years
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May 2, 2026 
Heather Cox Richardson, Boston College historian and writer of Letters from an American, takes stock of America at 250. She explores whether the country needs a new social contract. The conversation touches on democracy’s long evolution, the rise of Trumpism, patriotism and national myth, Gettysburg’s legacy, voting rights, campaign reform, schools, health care, and national service.
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Political Renewal Starts In Culture And Shared History
- Richardson argues political renewal starts in culture, then gains force when Americans reclaim older stories of democratic agency.
- She points to art and music as seedbeds, then compares Hungary's anti-Orban coalition to earlier US alliances in the 1850s, 1890s, 1930s, and 1950s.
Trumpism Grew From A Long Republican Project
- Richardson says Trump emerged from decades of Republican right-wing rhetoric, then intensified it by openly empowering racist, sexist, and nationalist currents.
- She argues he moved beyond party power toward a personalist autocracy focused on power for himself, not just Republicans or allies.
Democracy Weakened When People Assumed It Was Safe
- Richardson argues Trump was not inevitable; democratic norms weakened after many Americans assumed liberal democracy would keep advancing on its own.
- She says the right filled that vacuum with a gripping national story, and Trump's 2025 return exposed how fragile guardrails were.