July 2026—when we are writing this introduction—marks 250 years since the adoption of the United States’ Declaration of Independence by the second Continental Congress.1 The document itself is remarkable. Its statement of what is sometimes called ‘the American dream’ still resonates deeply, generations later: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It defends not only the right, but the “duty,” “to alter or to abolish” any government that “becomes destructive of these ends,” and elaborates the many reasons why the tyrannies of the British government so clearly justified revolution. It explicitly states that any alternative government must be based on “the consent of the governed.”

The Declaration is also meaningful as a representation of the liberal Enlightenment ideals of self-government and individual liberty. Many generations of Americans, and democratic revolutionaries around the world, have been inspired by its promise of freedom from tyranny. Further, the language of the Declaration has become an even stronger statement in favor of freedom than it was during the time it was written. As our society’s understanding of what it means to be free and who deserves to be free has expanded, so has the idea that “all men” have the right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” As such the impact of the Declaration of Independence extends far beyond its direct and textual significance (Maier 1997). Reflecting on its legacy is an inquiry into the resilience of self-government and the feasibility of liberal democracies.

For the past year, the contributors to this special issue have been critically reflecting on this American milestone. Did this great experiment in constitutional self-government free citizens from tyranny? Was the system designed by the first generations of Americans resilient enough to sustain against those who would predate or manipulate it for their own ends? Did the tools of democracy prove compatible with liberal values like freedom, justice, and equality? Was the system of democratic self-government up to the challenge of correcting its own internal contradictions—such as the existence of practices like slavery, discriminatory law, and abuses of political and military powers? In short, are we still a free people? Were we ever?