Keeping America’s Promise

When I first arrived in America, I was struck by something I couldn’t yet name: the sheer energy of possibility. It felt as if the air itself promised that with hard work and creativity, you could build something extraordinary. I didn’t fully understand it then, but I was experiencing the power of Free Enterprise, a system that doesn’t just allow human creativity to flourish: it depends on it.

At its core, Free Enterprise is a system built on belief: belief in the dignity of each person, in the power of innovation, and in the idea that we can contribute something meaningful to the world. But belief must be grounded in trust.

The free market depends on mutual trust; it begins not with laws, but with each of us keeping our promises, owning our responsibilities, and holding ourselves accountable. Every act of honesty strengthens the system; every lie, cheat, or shortcut weakens it. Often, the “bad actors” in business are not some distant others; they are among us, every time we cut corners or betray trust. Practicing trust and integrity daily ensures that Free Enterprise thrives.

Contrast this with systems that stifle initiative. In Switzerland, my father spent more time navigating bureaucracy than innovating. Every tiny decision required approval; every risk met resistance. It valued safety over creativity, stability over growth. And in Eastern Europe under communist regimes, ambition was dangerous. Innovation was a threat to the collective, and those who dared to dream beyond their assigned roles often paid a heavy price. Opportunities were rationed, lives constrained, creativity suppressed. In America, by contrast, initiative was rewarded, mistakes were viewed as lessons, and ambition was a path to meaningful contribution.

I experienced this firsthand during an unpaid internship at an early internet startup. I knew nothing about software, and my English was shaky, but curiosity and effort carried me forward. Tasked with a problem I didn’t understand, I failed repeatedly. Each failure taught me to ask better questions, seek out mentors, and approach problems with creativity rather than fear. Failure wasn’t a dead end, it was a stepping stone. Those lessons became the foundation of my entrepreneurial mindset and the most valuable tools I carried into my career.

Free Enterprise thrives on this dynamic. It doesn’t just tolerate creativity, it demands it. Unlike systems that stifle innovation, Free Enterprise values freedom, rewards risk, and encourages competition. It turns human potential into human progress, and that is worth protecting.

Yet the system is vulnerable. Cronyism, when large government and big business collude to limit competition and shut others out, threatens its fairness. Ignorance of how markets work leaves people susceptible to false promises of central control. And when profit is pursued without virtue, Free Enterprise becomes extraction rather than creation.

To strengthen it, we must act. Civic education in economics is vital; people need to understand why markets thrive. Stronger enforcement against cronyism protects competition. And ethical entrepreneurship, leaders who see their work as serving others, not just making money, is essential.

When we believe in Free Enterprise, we are believing in each other. We are affirming that initiative, creativity, and hard work can flourish when guided by virtue. We are committing to a vision of America where opportunity is real, dreams are attainable, and progress aligns with the common good.

That is the America I fell in love with when I stepped off the plane all those years ago. It is the America I believe in, and the one we must preserve and strengthen for generations to come.

Andreas Widmer is the founder and director of the Art & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business where he loves to teach and mentor students to find their true calling. He is also the author of several books, including The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship (Matt Holt Books, 2022).