The American experiment isn’t something that happened—it’s something that’s still happening.

As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, The Dispatch is launching The Next 250—a year-long project examining America’s founding principles and what makes this country, imperfect though it may be, so exceptional. Featuring exclusive essays from historians, political theorists, military experts, legal scholars, and cultural commentators, we’ll explore the biggest questions facing our nation and the unique qualities of this big, messy experiment we call home.