President Donald Trump took office in a situation of extraordinarily heightened expectations and anxieties about who we are. In his inaugural address—his first words as president—he doubled down on his campaign rhetoric, proclaiming a policy of “America First.” Yet rather than uniting the nation, his first weeks in office seem to have deepened polarization and anxiety. How he responds to those expectations and anxieties will set the tone for his term of office.

Read more at firstyear2017.org.