The Oath and the Algorithm
When government follows the Moral Algorithm, the nation prospers. When it deviates, inequality and instability follow.
A CALL TO CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY
To all who have raised their right hand and sworn to support and defend the Constitution:
Your oath is more than words. It is a sacred trust between you and every American—past, present, and future. But what, precisely, did you swear to uphold?
The Constitution you pledged to defend is animated by a fundamental operating principle: The Moral Algorithm. First encoded by John Adams in 1780, this constitutional DNA declares:
"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men."
This is not a peripheral concept. This is the core principle that gives meaning to your constitutional duty.
When Adams wrote these words into the Massachusetts Constitution—America's oldest continuously functioning written constitution—he was establishing the ethical framework for all American governance. This document, predating the U.S. Constitution by seven years, transformed revolutionary ideals into practical governance principles that would later shape our federal system.
Your oath binds you to this principle.
Every decision you make, every policy you implement, every judgment you render must be measured against this standard. Are you serving the common good? Or are you, perhaps unwittingly, serving private interests?
History judges harshly those who defend the letter of the Constitution while betraying its spirit. Adams himself would have viewed such a contradiction as the gravest of constitutional failures.
Today, as in every generation, powerful interests work to bend government toward their private advantage—exactly what the Moral Algorithm forbids. They may speak of freedom while seeking privilege, of prosperity while pursuing profit, of security while solidifying status.
You stand as the bulwark against this constitutional betrayal.
Challenge yourself daily with these questions:
- Who truly benefits from my decisions?
- Am I serving the many or the few?
- Would my actions withstand scrutiny from our Founders?
- Does my service honor the full meaning of my oath?
The path of constitutional fidelity is not easy. It requires moral courage to stand against the currents of power and privilege. It demands intellectual honesty to recognize when we have strayed from our founding principles.
But this is precisely what your oath requires.
Educate yourself about the Moral Algorithm. Study Adams' writings and the Massachusetts Constitution. Understand how this principle has been contested throughout American history—sometimes honored, sometimes betrayed.
Then stand firmly on this constitutional foundation. Let it guide your service. Let it give meaning to your oath.
For in doing so, you fulfill the highest purpose of American governance: serving not yourself, not special interests, not the powerful few—but the common good of all.
This is your constitutional duty. This is your moral obligation. This is the true meaning of your oath.
The Moral Algorithm Movement
THE MORAL ALGORITHM
America's Constitutional DNA
WHAT IS THE MORAL ALGORITHM?
The Moral Algorithm is America's constitutional operating system, first coded by John Adams in 1780:
"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men."
This powerful directive—written into America's oldest functioning constitution (Massachusetts, 1780)—established that legitimate government must serve the many, not the few. This principle predates and shapes the U.S. Constitution, forming the ethical framework for all American governance.
WHY IT MATTERS TODAY
When government follows the Moral Algorithm, the nation prospers. When it deviates, inequality and instability follow. Today's challenges—from healthcare access to climate change, from corporate influence to economic inequality—all connect to this fundamental question: Is government serving the common good or private interests?
The Moral Algorithm provides a non-partisan standard for evaluating policies and leaders. It's not about left vs. right, but about whether government serves all citizens or just powerful elites.
HISTORICAL EXAMPLES
The Moral Algorithm has been contested throughout American history:
ALIGNED WITH THE ALGORITHM:
- 1787: U.S. Constitution — Establishes purpose "to promote the general Welfare"
- 1906: Pure Food & Drug Act — Protects public health over corporate profit
- 1935: Social Security Act — Creates economic security for elderly Americans
- 1956: Interstate Highway System — Public infrastructure serving broad prosperity
- 1964: Civil Rights Act — Extends equal protection to all Americans
- 1970: Environmental Protection Agency — Protects commons from private pollution
DEVIATIONS FROM THE ALGORITHM:
- 1886: Corporate Personhood — Supreme Court extends constitutional protections to corporations
- 1928: Lochner Era — Court strikes down worker protections as interference with "freedom of contract"
- 1971: Powell Memo — Corporate interests organize to roll back public interest regulations
- 2010: Citizens United — Removes limits on corporate political spending
- 2023: Project 2025 — Plan to concentrate power in "unitary executive" over common good
THE ECONOMIC COMPANION: MODERN MONETARY THEORY
The Moral Algorithm has an economic counterpart in Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), which recognizes that:
- A government issuing its own currency isn't constrained by revenue, only by real resources and inflation
- Taxes regulate demand, not fund spending
- The real constraint is productive capacity—labor, resources, infrastructure—not the budget
When combined, the Moral Algorithm and MMT reveal that we have both the constitutional mandate and economic capacity to serve the common good.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
The Moral Algorithm movement is reclaiming America's founding purpose through:
- Community assemblies discussing local applications
- Constitutional education recovering our historical principles
- Candidate accountability measuring alignment with the common good
- Cross-partisan cooperation on shared concerns
Take the Moral Algorithm Pledge: "I affirm that government exists for the common good—for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of all people. I commit to supporting policies, leaders, and initiatives that serve this purpose, and to opposing those that place private profit above public welfare."
THE MORAL ALGORITHM CHALLENGE
A Four-Step Process for Evaluating Public Policy
Every policy decision shapes who benefits from our shared governance. The Moral Algorithm Challenge provides a structured method to ensure policies serve their constitutional purpose—the common good. This four-step process grounds policy evaluation in America's founding principles while incorporating timeless ethical frameworks and modern economic understanding.
STEP 1: CONSTITUTIONAL ALIGNMENT
The Moral Algorithm Test: Does this policy align with John Adams' constitutional principle?
"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men."
Why This Matters: This principle is America's constitutional DNA, encoded in our founding documents and reaffirmed throughout our history. It establishes that legitimate governance serves broad public interests, not narrow private ones.
Key Questions:
- Who primarily benefits from this policy?
- Does it concentrate advantages in a small group or distribute them broadly?
- If private interests benefit, is this incidental to serving the common good or the primary purpose?
STEP 2: ECONOMIC REALITY CHECK
Modern Monetary Theory Test: Does this policy reflect how our monetary system actually works?
Why This Matters: MMT explains how a currency-issuing government operates differently from a household or business. Understanding these differences prevents artificial constraints on public good policies based on misunderstanding government finance.
Key Questions:
- Does the policy artificially limit public capacity based on revenue concerns?
- Are real resource constraints (labor, materials, ecological capacity) properly considered?
- Does it prioritize controlling inflation through appropriate means?
- Does it recognize that public spending creates private money, not the reverse?
STEP 3: FAIRNESS EVALUATION
Veil of Ignorance Test: Would you support this policy if you didn't know your position in society?
Why This Matters: Philosopher John Rawls proposed that truly fair policies are those we would choose if we didn't know our own circumstances—whether we'd be rich or poor, advantaged or disadvantaged by the policy.
Key Questions:
- If you didn't know your economic class, race, gender, ability, or geographic location, would you still support this policy?
- Does it protect the most vulnerable members of society?
- Does it concentrate risks in populations with least power to refuse them?
STEP 4: VIRTUE AND EXCELLENCE
Aristotelian Test: Does this policy promote human flourishing and excellence?
Why This Matters: Aristotle taught that good governance should help citizens develop their capabilities and live virtuous, fulfilled lives. Policies should cultivate community and individual excellence, not just manage problems.
Key Questions:
- Does this policy help people develop their capabilities?
- Does it strengthen community bonds and civic participation?
- Does it balance individual liberty with collective responsibility?
- Does it promote long-term well-being over short-term gain?
AUTOMATED EVALUATION AVAILABLE
This four-step process has been automated through "The Moral Algorithm" GPT available. This tool helps citizens, community groups, and policymakers quickly apply these principles to specific policies, creating a common framework for evaluating governance based on its constitutional purpose.
WHY THIS PROCESS MATTERS
When policies fail these tests, they often create cascading problems that require additional interventions—treating symptoms rather than causes. Policies aligned with the Moral Algorithm tend to be more sustainable, equitable, and effective at addressing root issues.
This challenge process transcends partisan divisions by focusing on fundamental principles that have guided democratic governance throughout history. It offers a shared framework for evaluating how well our collective decisions serve their constitutional purpose—promoting the common good of all citizens.
"When the governing class isn't governed by the Moral Algorithm, the system fails." — TheMoralAlgorithm.com