Social Dynamics

• Social Cohesion: Trust within communities and between groups

• Horizontal Equity: Fair distribution of public resources

• Economic Inequality: Concentration of wealth and its political impacts

Economic Ecosystem

• National Economic Security: Balancing broader economic dynamism and global trade while protecting US security interests and infrastructure

• Liberal Markets: Fair markets with reasonable regulation and consumer protection

• Freedom of Inquiry and Innovation: Capacity to pursue independent inquiry and innovation, safeguarding academic freedom and fostering environments conducive to research and development

Media Infrastructure

• Independence and Safety of Journalists: Protecting media professionals from intimidation and violence

• Media Freedom and Plurality: Diverse outlets across the political spectrum that operate independently from government control or pressure

• Information Integrity: Media literacy and fact-checking capacity to counter untrue or misleading information

Democratic Norms

• Civic Culture: Public support for and practice of democratic values

• Inclusion of Diverse Voices: Meaningful representation of marginalized and minority groups

• Respect for Human Rights: Protection of fundamental freedoms

Civic Participation

• Citizen Engagement: Voting patterns and civic involvement in political forums beyond elections

• Contentious Politics and Popular Mobilization: Ability to exercise the right to peaceful protest and assembly

• Civil Society Oversight: Independent organizations monitoring government activities and performance

Party Politics

• Political Party Development: Strong, disciplined parties with effective leadership capable of making coherent policy decisions

• Inter-Party Deliberation and Respect: Constructive debate and mutual respect across party lines

• Party System Plurality: Competitive electoral landscape with meaningful policy alternatives

Electoral Processes

• Electoral Process Validity: Free, fair, and accessible elections

• Campaign Finance: Transparency and regulatory control over the undue influence of money in politics

• Nonviolent Transfers of Power: Peaceful and smooth transitions between administrations

Legal System

• Rule of Law: Equal application of legal standards that ensures political rights and civil liberties while constraining potential abuses of state power

• Impartial Access to Justice: Accessible legal system that ensures that all individuals are treated fairly and with dignity in law enforcement and the courts

• Judicial Independence: Courts operate freely from undue influence or political pressure and do not abuse their autonomy to pursue narrow interests

Constitutional Balance of Power

• Legislative Processes: Congress's ability to enact legislation, provide oversight, and check executive authority beyond stalling or blocking executive initiatives

• Executive Precedent: Norms and limits on presidential power that prevent the executive from skirting legal checks while facilitating responsive governance

• Judicial Review and Constitutional Adjudication: Established legal checks through the Supreme Court and constitutional conventions and interpretation

Sovereign Relations

• Sub-national Autonomy: Striking a functional balance between national and state authority preserving local decision-making, sufficient resources, and room for policy experimentation while ensuring smooth national coordination

• External Influence: Globalization requires resilience against foreign interference in domestic elections, public discourse, and policy decisions

• Intergovernmental Cooperation: Clear responsibilities across government levels help citizens identify which authorities are responsible for specific outcomes

Executive Operations

• Civil Service Professionalism: Merit-based recruitment and career systems build institutional expertise and memory across political transitions

• Agency Politicization: Striking the balance between political appointees and career officials to avoid negative impacts on performance and service delivery

• Independence of Oversight Bodies: Internal watchdogs like attorney generals operate with sufficient autonomy to provide credible checks on executive power

Functional Governance

• Regulatory Systems: Fair oversight frameworks that establish clear rules while allowing appropriate flexibility to avoid undue burdens

• Service Delivery: Professional provision of public services that reach all segments of the population equitably with systems to monitor and evaluate performance

• Crisis Response: Effective emergency management that balances decisive action with emergency powers that remain time-limited and proportionate

Modern Open Government

• Open Data: Accessibility of government data and information

• Digital Efficiency & Modernization: How technology streamlines or transforms administrative processes

• Digital Democracy: Online participation forums, digital government services, and algorithmic systems that make ‘e-governance’ accessible and accountable