America turns 250 in 2026. As we approach this milestone, we face a choice: Will we drift into an uncertain future, or will we design and build the one we want?

The Truman National Security Project is choosing the latter. Our new Tricentennial Project is a 50-year strategy to ensure that when America celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2076, our democracy emerges strong, safe, secure, prosperous, and free.

That might sound ambitious. But consider the alternative: the technological revolution - from AI to biotech to space commerce -  won’t pause for us. The question isn’t whether change is coming—it’s whether America will shape that change or be shaped by it.

Why Start Now?

Fifty years might seem like forever, but it’s the minimum time needed to build the civic infrastructure and public understanding required for the challenges ahead.

The children starting kindergarten today will be leading America at our Tricentennial. The infrastructure investments we make now will still serve communities in 2076. The international partnerships we build today will determine if we face future challenges alone or with allies.

Crucially, the civic habits we develop now—how Americans engage with complex challenges, how institutions earn trust, how we balance innovation with democratic values—will determine whether our democracy thrives.

This is why the Tricentennial Project emphasizes experimentation and community engagement from the start. You can’t design a 50-year strategy in a Washington conference room; you must test ideas in real communities and build understanding across the country.

Building for the Long Term

Sustainable change requires public buy-in. Americans need to understand not just what policies their government pursues, but why those policies make their lives better.

For example, instead of just focusing on export controls in the tech race with China, the Tricentennial Project asks: How do we ensure American communities benefit from innovation? How do we build the workforce for emerging industries? How do we maintain democratic oversight of powerful new technologies?

These are civic questions, requiring ongoing engagement, experimentation, and patience.

The same logic applies to other long-term challenges. Climate adaptation is about building resilient communities, not just reducing emissions.Strengthening democracy is about creating institutions that Americans trust to solve problems and plan for the future.

The Truman 2.0 Framework

The Tricentennial Project builds on Truman’s new strategic framework:, amplifying voices from communities, building rapid-response capabilities, and articulating positive visions that Americans can support.

This recognizes that America’s strength abroad depends on strength at home, and vice versa. We can’t promote democracy overseas if our own institutions are failing or compete technologically if our workforce lacks skills. But American leadership in the world creates opportunities at home, and demonstrates that democratic values can address 21st-century challenges.

The Technology Challenge

Nothing illustrates the need for long-term thinking better than the technological revolution. AI, biotechnology, and space will redefine warfare, governance, and economic competition.These changes are happening whether we plan for them or not. The question is whether America will lead in developing these technologies in ways that strengthen, rather than undermine, democratic values.

That requires public understanding, democratic oversight, and ensuring benefits reach all communities. Most importantly, it requires sustained commitment over decades, not just until the next election.

Making It Real

Critics might dismiss this as typical Washington long-term planning that never survives political reality. But the Tricentennial Project is different. It builds from communities up, emphasizes experimentation and adaptation, and measures success by whether America is stronger and more resilient.

It also creates accountability. By 2026, we aim for measurable progress in civic engagement and institutional trust. By 2036, America should be leading in key technological areas while maintaining democratic governance. By 2046, a generation of Americans should be comfortable with technological change because they’ve had a voice in shaping it.

These aren’t just aspirations—they’re benchmarks for a democracy that takes its future seriously.

The Choice Ahead

As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we have an opportunity: the resources, knowledge, and global position to actively design our future.

The Tricentennial Project represents a bet that Americans are ready for this long-term thinking - that we can look beyond the next news cycle and build civic movements that sustain effort across decades.

The alternative is to drift from crisis to crisis, letting technological and geopolitical changes happen to us. That’s not a strategy—it’s an abdication.

America became a global leader because previous generations thought decades ahead, invested in institutions and infrastructure that outlasted their lifetimes, and built coalitions that sustained innovation efforts.

The Tricentennial Project offers us the chance to do the same. The question is whether we’ll take it seriously enough to begin the work now, while we still have time to shape the future rather than just survive it.

At Truman, we’re all in on America’s future. Join us.