Despite troubling policies and actions by the current administration in the White House, social workers should embrace the Declaration of Independence’s yet-unfulfilled aspirations as the nation celebrates 250 years of existence. Public opinion suggests that the overwhelming number of Americans remain committed to the promise of the Declaration, even as they disagree profoundly about how that promise should be fulfilled. In the Public Religion Research Institute’s (PRRI) 2025 American Values Survey, 88 percent said believing in the Declaration of Independence was important to being “truly American.”
The Gallup Poll tells us that most Americans (78%) believe the American Dream is still worth striving for, while fewer than half (46%) believe everyone in the country has an opportunity to achieve it. A majority (58%) believe the American Dream is unfinished, and 26 percent believe it has failed. So there is a lot of work to do. There will always be zealots at the extremes of the continuum. Most of us can be found among the two-thirds who More in Common describes in its Hidden Tribes report as the “exhausted majority.”
The goal of achieving a functioning multi-racial society is a never-ending journey, much like our march towards a more perfect union declared in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Americans will never reach a consensus on policy; however, three-quarters of American adults believe racial and ethnic diversity benefits the country. We generally agree on who should be acknowledged as American. The Supreme Court’s recent decision affirming birthright citizenship got the bottom line right, even if the closeness of the Court’s reasoning should trouble anyone who believes citizenship should not depend on bloodline or ancestry. I was surprised to read Karl Rove’s Wall Street Journal op-ed condemning so-called “heritage Americanism.”
If you want a glimpse of a cosmopolitan world, spend some time watching the World Cup. One commenter said that every team in the World Cup is the home team. The stadiums are packed with rabid fans rooting for either team. Some of those fans follow their teams from overseas, but most live in the United States. The United States is not merely hosting the world; much of the world already lives here.
FIFA does not consistently track race and ethnicity, but the matches themselves reveal the teams’ racial diversity. The data FIFA collects show that nearly one-quarter of players were born outside the countries they represent, largely because Europe serves as the training ground for many professional footballers—or, as Americans would say, soccer players. Twenty-one of the 26 players on France’s team are of African descent. England has 15 African or mixed-race players, while Germany and Belgium have nine. More than half of the players on the United States’ team hold dual citizenship. Six of the players were born outside the country, and others have deep immigrant roots.
Beyond the statistics, the field itself tells the story. The 2026 World Cup is, by light-years, the greatest sporting event I have witnessed—surpassing even the Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, and NBA playoffs. It took me some time to fully appreciate the game, but its intensity is undeniable. The players compete with remarkable physicality, and every goal is a battle. Just as striking is what happens after the final whistle: opposing players—black, white, and otherwise—show a collegiality that is genuinely delightful to witness.
I appreciate the play of the old-timers like Argentina’s ageless Lionel Messi, England’s Harry Kane, and Portugal’s 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. But it is the young players who make the game worth watching, what legendary Pele called “the beautiful game.” The newbies include Spain’s 18-year-old Lamine Yamal and the Ivory Coast’s 19-year-old Yan Diomande, joining veteran stars like France’s 27-year-old Kylian Mbappe, who is a joy to watch.
I believe the youth of America will make strides in bending the arc towards a more perfect union. The lesson is not simply that young people bring energy. It is that they often see possibilities that older generations have learned to dismiss. Recent primary elections, particularly among Democrats, are an early indication that they have had enough of the status quo. More on that soon.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence and the framers of the Constitution were not a bunch of gray-haired, stodgy old people, as often depicted in movies. Alexander Hamilton was 30 years old. James Madison was 36 years old, and Thomas Jefferson was a ripe old forty-four. Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey was 26 years old. Nearly half of the delegates (24 out of 55) were in their 20s or 30s. The average age was forty-two, and the mean was forty-three. Ben Franklin, at 81, was by far the oldest.
Being committed to the values of the Declaration of Independence is not enough. We should help make them real—in policy, in practice, in communities, and in the institutions where decisions are made. That is the work before us as we prepare for the 2027 Social Work Day on the Hill. While there is hope in young people, young social workers could benefit from the experience and guidance of older social workers. They need to see us working together, engaged in activities that will strengthen the profession and brighten their future.