For those concerned about the future and the immense challenges confronting the American people.

Liberty and the American Idea

Rebuilding the Foundations

This book comes to you in two parts: First, a review of ideas and influences that have made the United States what it is—things we would do well to consider if we care about the future. What shall we keep, and what would we prefer to reject? In Part Two, the book proposes a community-based strategy for making meaningful dialogue actually possible, and addresses the challenges this potential presents. Learn more…

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“Harriman has made a vital contribution with this book. Its intended impact will be realized when readers translate its wisdom into action in their own communities. It offers a vision and strategy for reviving an America “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” dedicated to a freedom grounded in responsibility and truthfulness. It charts a course for a mature nation, transformed by patient work, where individualism finds its highest expression in the justice born of mutual and prosperous community life.”

Timothy Marr, PhD., Professor of American Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Liberty and the American Idea is an essential read for anyone concerned about the future of American self-government. It will resonate with readers across the political spectrum who value thoughtful analysis over partisan noise. Harriman reminds us that liberty is not automatic or self-sustaining—it is an idea that must be understood, renewed, and actively defended.”

Tamera Cooke, Amazon Review

“This is a most timely book. With a clear-eyed and unflinching view, the author surveys and analyzes how America built a democracy and society that has historically been the beacon and envy of the world, how this beacon has gradually become dimmed over recent decades and how we can not only reclaim it but improve upon and perfect it.”

Gary Kugler, Amazon Review

MEET THE AUTHOR

William Thomas Harriman

Tom Harriman is a ninth generation American who is committed to the vision of the American Founders and the pragmatic integrity of the United States Constitution. A former project manager now in his retirement years, he is writing for a future we can all respect and believe in. Learn more…

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From the Blog

Choices We Actually Have

The world has long been dominated by conflict and discord. Even our efforts to seek safety and security are often advanced with a readiness to use force. But it does not have to be this way. What is the alternative? Ultimately, the threat of violence, the degradation of social order, and the deterioration of economic stability are all unnecessary in a world governed on the basis of justice, mutual respect, and unity of purpose. How can this be made possible? Some will argue that disharmony Read more...

Forging a Durable Union

The American Founders thought long and hard about structuring our Constitution for a country that was notoriously contentious. They knew unity would be a challenge. The new Constitution would have to make it possible for Americans to create a durable union that transcended significant differences. As great a challenge as this was, the Union they created has lasted longer than any other Constitutional Republic in the history of the world. What was their solution—the recipe that worked? Americans have not become any less combative and Read more...

Freewill: Blessings and Limits

It might not seem obvious, but both justice and morality constrain freewill. Both are firmly grounded in the same reality—an ultimate order that provides functional coherence for everything in our world. Nothing would work without functional order; not in the physical universe, not in science or mathematics, and not in the basic necessities of human well-being. We resist this truth, sometimes fiercely. We are attached to our own perceptions of reality, which can be influenced as much by imagination as by intelligence. We expect personal Read more...