Our country is at an inflection point—one that challenges the premise of the American experiment. Just as Vanderbilt served as a source of unity after the Civil War and Nashville as an incubator for the civil rights movement, our community is poised once again through our geography, our commitment to problem-solving, and our talent to “strengthen the ties” and, therefore, answer an urgent need to heal our divisions. Vanderbilt University's Project on Unity and American Democracy leverages Vanderbilt’s intellectual capital and commitment to solving society’s big problems to explore publicly paths to unite the American people, examining vital questions of our democracy’s efficacy, durability, and capacity. This effort offers a non-partisan hub for leading scholars, key policymakers, activists, opinion leaders, and others to develop evidence-based solutions that are not driven by ideological predispositions. The Project aims to inform thinking and reframe public discourse through the following initial themes. We say initial intentionally because, as an evidence-based undertaking, we expect what we learn will inevitably lead us to revise these starting points: • Polarization: Its Past, Present, and Future • Hours of Hope: Case Studies in American Progress • Race in America: Toward a Nation of Equality • Under God: The Role of Religion in a Divided Time • To Keep the Republic: Strengthening Democratic Principles at Home and Abroad • Information Marketplace: Ensuring the Public has the Data • Cultural Bridges: Using Artistic Expression to Narrow the Divide Former Governor of Tennessee Bill Haslam chairs the Project along with faculty members Samar Ali—a leading voice at the intersection of civil rights, national security, and economic development—and Jon Meacham, an acclaimed scholar on leadership and the American presidency.