On July 4th 2026, America will celebrate its 250th birthday. The United States is the world’s oldest and still-evolving experiment in democracy. From a political perspective, how have the last 250 years shaped the way this nation governs itself? And how have we, the governed, evolved in how we see ourselves? USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page, a journalist who has had the privilege of interviewing ten presidents out of a total of just 45 over the course of her career, joins The Excerpt to share her thoughts on this noteworthy occasion. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com.   Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.