Rot and Reform An interview with David Bateman and Julie C. Suk on the state of American democracy in 2026. , and ▪ Illustration by Anna Sorokina Traditionally, anniversaries serve two functions. They allow us to take stock of where we are, and they allow us to celebrate what has been accomplished with the passage of time. The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is coming at a low point in the country’s complex history, which makes the latter feel out of place.