This is the summary for the white paper, "Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy." The crisis facing American democracy and the challenges plaguing the U.S. higher education system are two sides of the same coin. Higher education is an engine for economic mobility. Median annual earnings increase with education: Individuals who hold bachelor's degrees earn 44 percent more than those who hold associate degrees and 63 percent more than those who complete only high school. However eroding public trust, increasing inequality, and weakening civic engagement are not separate issues; they are deeply interconnected, systemic problems that affect both higher education and a range of national institutions.