Presidential centers issue joint statement calling out the fragile state of US democracy

WASHINGTON Concern for U.S. democracy amid deep national polarization has prompted the entities supporting 13 presidential libraries dating back to Herbert Hoover to call for a recommitment to the country's bedrock principles, including the rule of law and respecting a diversity of beliefs.

The statement released Thursday, the first time the libraries have joined to make such a public declaration, said Americans have a strong interest in supporting democratic movements and human rights around the world because free societies elsewhere contribute to our own security and prosperity here at home."

But that interest, it said, "is undermined when others see our own house in disarray.

The joint message from presidential centers, foundations and institutes emphasized the need for compassion, tolerance and pluralism while urging Americans to respect democratic institutions and uphold secure and accessible elections.

The statement noted that debate and disagreement are central to democracy but also alluded to the coarsening of dialogue in the public arena during an era when officials and their families are receiving death threats.