Why 'We the People' remains a work in progress

+ pyrotechnic chemistry US Edition - Today's top story: 'We the People' includes all Americans – but July 4 is a reminder that democracy remains a work in progress [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 July 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Plan to shoot off fireworks? Read this first]( - [How to tell a patriot from a nationalist]( - [Surprising facts about the Declaration of Independence]( Lead story Many things have changed since America’s Founding Fathers gathered in 1787 to draft the Constitution, famously declaring in the preamble, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union …” The document set the stage for democratic governance – at least in name. That’s because at the time, “We the People” didn’t include everyone who actually lived in what became the United States. And even today, despite many legal reforms and advancements, [many people are still not equally represented]( under this sweeping term, writes West Virginia University historian and ethicist Joseph Jones, who explores the expansion of who “We the People” refers to in today’s lead story. “America’s founders did not trust everyone’s ability to equally participate in the new democracy,” Jones writes. “But the overall expansion of voting rights and a historical understanding of ‘We the people’ shows that everyone belongs in a democratic society, regardless of wealth, achievement or other differences.” [ [Science from the scientists themselves. Sign up here for our weekly science email newsletter.]( ] Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor When the Constitution was written, the term ‘We the People’ had a very limited application for voting rights. Antenna/Getty Images [‘We the People’ includes all Americans – but July 4 is a reminder that democracy remains a work in progress]( Joseph Jones, West Virginia University The meaning of the Constitution’s preamble, which begins with the words ‘We the People,’ has evolved over time as voting rights have expanded. Environment + Energy - [Human exposure to wildfires has more than doubled in two decades – read this if you’re planning fireworks on July 4]( Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State University Nearly 22 million people lived within 3 miles of a US wildfire in the past two decades. A new study tracking their locations flips the script on who is at risk. Politics + Society - [What is the difference between nationalism and patriotism?]( Joshua Holzer, Westminster College Nationalism and patriotism are sometimes treated as synonyms, but they have very different meanings. - [Why some Americans seem more ‘American’ than others]( Katherine Kinzler, University of Chicago The US and other countries have a legal definition of citizenship, yet human psychology and identity politics result in ingrained biases over who truly belongs. - [The Declaration of Independence wasn’t really complaining about King George, and 5 other surprising facts for July Fourth]( Woody Holton, University of South Carolina A scholar of early US history celebrates the country’s birthday with six under-appreciated ideas about the founding document. Science + Technology - [Red, white but rarely blue – the science of fireworks colors, explained]( Paul E. Smith, Purdue University Most of us look forward to the fireworks on the Fourth of July. But did you ever wonder how the chemists create those colors that light up the night sky? Are some colors harder to create than others? - [As American independence rang, a sweeping lockdown and mass inoculations fought off a smallpox outbreak]( Woody Holton, University of South Carolina In the summer of 1776, Boston offered smallpox inoculation to everyone and required those who declined to leave town or stay in their homes. International - [French riots follow decades-old pattern of rage, with no resolution in sight]( François Dubet, Université de Bordeaux Efforts have been made to improve housing in working-class neighbourhoods, yet the social and cultural mix has deteriorated. What remains is a face-off between young people and the police. Trending on site - [The Global South is on the rise – but what exactly is the Global South?]( - [Fiber is your body’s natural guide to weight management – rather than cutting carbs out of your diet, eat them in their original fiber packaging instead]( - [400 years ago, philosopher Blaise Pascal was one of the first to grapple with the role of faith in an age of science and reason]( Today's graphic 📈 [Fraction of donations going to Republicans from all individuals employed by a top 10 energy-sector company. The proportion of managers and executives who donate to Republican causes is much higher than the proportion of scientists employed in the energy sector who do the same.]( From the story, [Scientists’ political donations reflect polarization in academia – with implications for the public’s trust in science]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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