“My book is my report to you, having spent the last three years in deep research and much reflection about why it is that we’re in a situation that we are in.”

Those were the words of former Congressman and author Chris Gibson as he described his new book, The Spirit of Philadelphia: A Call to Recover the Founding Principles, on a snowy Sunday afternoon before an in-person crowd of 21 and additional attendees on Zoom.

Above all, Gibson said the first step in addressing the nation’s challenges is recognizing current realities so that Americans can “find a way forward from there.”

Gibson’s book examines constitutional balance, civil discourse and the broader challenges facing American democracy.

In welcoming attendees, Time and the Valleys Museum President Richard Coombe thanked those who braved the weather and praised Gibson’s long record of public service.

“He didn’t forget where he came [from],” Coombe said, citing Gibson’s career as a retired Army colonel, congressman and former Siena College president.

Gibson represented parts of the Hudson Valley as Congressman for New York’s 20th District from 2011 to 2017. He thanked both the in-person audience and those attending virtually. Referring to the day’s mixed precipitation, he joked that Sullivan County residents are no strangers to rough winters, pointing to historic regional snowstorms previously covered in local newspapers.

A native of Columbia County, Gibson reflected on his roots in rural communities and agriculture, which he said shaped both his upbringing and his approach to serving in Washington. After leaving the Army, he participated in what he called “dairy boot camp” to better understand the daily realities farmers in his district face.

“I was up at three in the morning,” Gibson recalled. “Even the Army doesn’t get up at three.”

He said the experience reinforced how central agriculture is to rural lifeand the broader economy. During his time on the House Agriculture Committee, Gibson said he came to view the federal Farm Bill as more than farming legislation.

“It’s absolutely about farms,” Gibson said, “[but] it’s also about folks who eat and consume from the farms. It’s also about how we do infrastructure … not only roads and bridges, but also electrification … and of course Internet and everything like that.”

From there, Gibson shifted to the book’s broader theme: what he described as the need to strengthen civic norms and restore trust in democratic institutions.

Citing the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Gibson described the “Spirit of Philadelphia” as a willingness among the nation’s founders to debate strongly while still working toward compromise and the common good. He stressed that the Constitution was designed with checks and balances, distributing power among the legislative, executive and judicial branches to prevent over-centralization.

“[In the last 125 years] we’ve centralized power over time. We’ve centralized it early in the office of the presidency. By second order of fact, that’s impacted our teamwork and it’s dampened and really caused our spirit to go dormant,” Gibson said. “There are strong opinions on this: people are either really liking the idea that one person is doing things or they’re really not liking it. My research found that there were good intentions while we did this. Those founding ideas, even if they were right, they’re not right for today.”

Through his research, Gibson said he has focused on long-term trends in public trust and civic engagement. While Americans continue to value democracy and individual freedoms, he expressed concern about growing polarization and declining confidence in institutions.

Although he did not single out current officeholders or political parties, Gibson emphasized the importance of constitutional guardrails, civic engagement and respectful dialogue.

For Gibson and his wife, Mary Jo, the event was also personal. He spoke of fond memories throughout the region, from community breakfasts to community gatherings with longtime friends still rooted in Sullivan County.

 “If there’s ever a time in the United States of America needs us to sit down and think a little bit about our roots, [it’s now].”

Gibson remained afterward to continue conversations and answer questions from attendees.