Ideas

America Is Great When America Is Good

Those who believe in liberty and dignity must never give in to the forces arrayed against the things we hold dearest.

First published in The Atlantic on November 6, 2025

by Nancy Pelosi, The Atlantic

November 13, 2025 | reading time: 4 Min.

As America approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, I have returned again and again to the words of Thomas Paine, who advanced the cause of American freedom with a memorable call to action: The times have found us.