Can America still compete? Although the United States has led the world in agricultural and industrial production, we’re now threatened by global competitors as science and technology, freer markets and cheap labor make foreign economies grow.

Fortunately, embedded at the United States’ core are two principles that have made us strong—and that at all cost we must preserve in our struggle with menacing levels of debt and economic foreboding.

First is our constitutional commitment to rule by law, which levels the playing field and reassures entrepreneurs, investors and workers that the game will be fair—and provides recourse should that not be so. In contrast lie nations whose rules are inconsistent, less transparent and more corruptible by money, sex and politics.

This pursuit of fairness—of equal opportunity to play, not of equal result—is a defining American characteristic. Our rule by law makes both our market and our personal freedoms possible.

Second is our diversity, with its rich mix of cultural experiences that studies confirm generate more robust inspirations. In nations with homogenous populations, cultural practices are well established, and changing them is difficult. Things remain a certain way because that’s the way they’ve always been!

Unfortunately, political trends threaten both of these advantages. First, Congress is shamefully ineffective in law making, apparently confusing absence of rules with freedom. There are many on Capitol Hill who block action rather than enable innovation. They’d rather move backwards or stand still, than to lead or get out of the way.

Second, instead of recruiting international talent, we’re raising, not lowering, barriers for legal immigrants who create jobs, not just take them. And we still resist women and minorities at the highest level, denying ourselves the wealth and inspiration of fresh ideas.

As we respond to global competition we should consider how we’ve succeeded in the past. We need leadership not bickering. We need to heal our differences not open new wounds.