6 predictions for democracy in '26

Am I wrong? Let's hear your predictions, too.

9,081,224

Number of times Bright America columns were read in 2025 that advocate for protecting the rule of law and our Constitutional freedoms through the high impact litigation of our strategic partner Campaign Legal Center.

It’s been a hard year.

We’ve seen freedoms we took for granted tested. Norms we believed were foundational proven fragile. Laws and institutions we thought were beyond the reach of any single person’s whims bent and, in some cases, broken. These weren’t partisan talking points — they were the guardrails that made our democracy work, regardless of who held power.

If you’re reading this and feeling that weight, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans are grappling with a reality that seemed impossible in the United States. And yet, here we are.

But here’s what I keep coming back to: the very thing that made this moment possible is also what makes our course correction not just possible, but probable.

The uniquely American belief that anything can happen cuts both ways. If the impossible can arrive, then the impossible can also be reversed. If we can lose our way this dramatically, we can also find it again.

And something remarkable has happened this year, even amid the chaos: more Americans give a damn.

You can see it in the polling numbers. You can hear it in the defections and the growing chorus of voices saying “this isn’t who we are.” You can feel it in conversations that used to be avoided and are now unavoidable. Millions of people have moved from the sidelines into the arena — not because they wanted to, but because they realized they had to.

For a democracy, there is no greater silver lining than citizens who refuse to accept the unacceptable.

When we conceived Bright America early this year, I kept returning to one image: a lighthouse casting light into darkness. A lighthouse doesn’t fear the storm; it exists because the storm exists. It doesn’t chase down every ship or fight every wave. It stands firm on the rocky shoreline, offering a consistent, unwavering signal that says, “Here is the truth, and here is the safe water.”

That’s what we’ll continue building in 2026: More lighthouses.

We take the raw fuel of education, hope — and we could never forget high-impact litigation — and focus it into a steady beam that cuts through the noise, proving that the darkness is not absolute. We’re not here to scream louder than the wind. We’re here to hold our ground and offer clarity — to remind our neighbors that they don’t have to wreck on the rocks of the present moment. And the safety of the harbor can and should transcend our politics.

This work matters more than ever as we head into the new year. The storm isn’t over. But neither are we.

And with that, here are my predictions for 2026:

1) High-Impact Litigation will remain the most effective way to save the rule of law and our constitutional freedoms

Litigation will remain the fastest path to durable guardrails in 2026. A court order can stop an illegal policy, force transparency, and set precedent that outlasts any election cycle. We’ve had inspiring wins this year, despite the setbacks, driven by our strategic litigation partner Campaign Legal Center — a nonpartisan team advancing democracy through law across voting rights, redistricting, ethics, and campaign finance.

2) Patriotism will be reclaimed — locally, visibly, together

Despite efforts by the Administration to dominate the spotlight around major moments like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th birthday, a quieter and more durable expression of American patriotism will emerge. It will be defined by neighborhoods, faith communities, veterans’ groups, and civic volunteers — not by parties or policy litmus tests.

3) A new coalition will form around skepticism of AI’s unequal gains

Artificial intelligence will accelerate economic change faster than our institutions can absorb it. In 2026, the pushback will broaden and cohere. Communities will challenge data-center permitting and environmental impacts at the local level. Workers displaced by automation will demand national guardrails. Policymakers, labor leaders, environmental advocates, and small-business owners will begin converging — less to stop AI than to question who benefits from it. Expect early, serious conversations about restructuring parts of the economy to better distribute opportunity in an AI-driven era.

4) Electoral wins won’t resolve political fragmentation

Democrats will perform well in November — but not decisively enough to create sustained counterweight to Trump-era politics. The party will enter an open, sometimes messy search for 2028 leadership, with distinct camps forming around competing theories of the future. Republicans, meanwhile, will continue to fracture as internal battles over identity and leadership intensify. The result: motion without resolution, energy without alignment.

5) A global shock will reset the international landscape

History suggests the most consequential geopolitical events are the ones experts do not predict. With volatility across the Middle East, China–Taiwan relations, Ukraine, and Venezuela, a war, revolution, or sudden leadership change (anywhere in the world) is likely to alter global calculations. The United States will struggle to respond coherently — not for lack of power, but because of unresolved internal conflict over when to lead and when to step back.

6) The economy will dominate daily life — and defy easy answers

Kitchen-table economics will eclipse nearly every other issue. Both parties will strain to offer solutions that feel tangible. Healthcare costs will rise to the top tier of voter concern as Republicans remain without a credible plan and Democrats revisit familiar ideas while experimenting with state-level innovations to lower costs. Any leader, faction, or party not zeroed in on affordability will be punished by voters.

What predictions would you add to the list? Let us know by leaving a comment…