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Concern for United States democracy amid deep national polarization has prompted the entities supporting 13 presidential libraries dating back to Herbert Hoover to call for a recommitment to the country鈥檚 bedrock principles, including the rule of law and respecting a diversity of beliefs.

The statement released Thursday, the first time the libraries have joined to make such a public declaration, said Americans have a strong interest in supporting democratic movements and human rights around the world because 鈥渇ree societies elsewhere contribute to our own security and prosperity here at home.鈥�

鈥淏ut that interest,鈥� it said, 鈥渋s undermined when others see our own house in disarray.鈥�

The joint message from presidential centers, foundations, and institutes emphasized the need for compassion, tolerance, and pluralism while urging Americans to respect democratic institutions and uphold secure and accessible elections.

The statement noted that 鈥渄ebate and disagreement鈥� are central to democracy but also alluded to the coarsening of dialogue in the public arena during an era when officials and their families are receiving death threats.

鈥淐ivility and respect in political discourse, whether in an election year or otherwise, are essential,鈥� it said.

Most of the living former presidents have been sparing in giving their public opinions about the state of the nation as polls show that large swaths of Republicans still believe the lies perpetuated by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Mr. Trump, a Republican, has also lashed out at the justice system as he faces indictments in four criminal cases, including two related to his efforts to overturn the results of his reelection loss to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Thursday鈥檚 statement stopped short of calling out individuals, but it still marked one of the most substantive acknowledgments that people associated with the nation鈥檚 former presidents are worried about the country鈥檚 trajectory.

鈥淚 think there鈥檚 great concern about the state of our democracy at this time,鈥� said Mark Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, which supports the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to go much farther than January 6 to realize that we are in a perilous state.鈥�

Efforts to suppress or weaken voter turnout are of special interest to the LBJ Foundation, Mr. Updegrove said, given that President Lyndon Johnson considered his signing of the Voting Rights Act his 鈥減roudest legislative accomplishment.鈥�

The bipartisan statement was signed by the Hoover Presidential Foundation, the Roosevelt Institute, the Truman Library Institute, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, the LBJ Foundation, the Richard Nixon Foundation, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, the Carter Center, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, the Clinton Foundation, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and the Obama Presidential Center. Those organizations all support presidential libraries created under the Presidential Library Act of 1955, along with the Eisenhower Foundation.

The Eisenhower Foundation chose not to sign, and it said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press: 鈥淭he Eisenhower Foundation has respectfully declined to sign this statement. It would be the first common statement that the presidential centers and foundations have ever issued as a group, but we have had no collective discussion about it, only an invitation to sign.鈥�

The foundation said each presidential entity had its own programs related to democracy.

The push for the joint statement was spearheaded by David Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute. Mr. Kramer said the former president 鈥渄id see and signed off on this statement.鈥�

He said the effort was intended to send 鈥渁 positive message reminding us of who we are and also reminding us that when we are in disarray, when we鈥檙e at loggerheads, people overseas are also looking at us and wondering what鈥檚 going on.鈥� He also said it was necessary to remind Americans that their democracy cannot be taken for granted.

He said the Bush Institute has hosted several events on elections, including one as part of a joint initiative with the other groups that featured Bill Gates, a member of the board of supervisors in Arizona鈥檚 Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. The county, its supervisors, and its elections staff have been targeted repeatedly by election conspiracy theorists in recent years.

Mr. Gates and his family have been threatened by people who believe false allegations of election fraud.

鈥淲e wanted to remind people that those who oversee our elections are our fellow citizens,鈥� Mr. Kramer said. 鈥淪ome of them told stories that are almost heartbreaking about the threats they faced.鈥�

He said he hoped the joint statement would generate wide support, but he added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say whether it will or not in these polarized times.鈥�

Melissa Giller, chief marketing officer at the Ronald Reagan Foundation and Institute, said the decision to sign on was a quick one. The foundation was approached shortly after it launched a new effort, its Center on Public Civility in Washington, D.C. She said the statement represents 鈥渆verything our center will stand for.鈥�

鈥淲e need to help put an end to the serious discord and division in our society,鈥� Ms. Giller said in an emailed response. 鈥淎merica is experiencing a decline in trust, social cohesion, and personal interaction.鈥�

Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama who is now CEO of the Obama Foundation, said the former president supported the statement.

鈥淭his is a moment where we could all come together and show that democracy is not about partisan politics,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about making our country strong, making our country more decent, more kind, more humane.鈥�

Ms. Jarrett said one of the foundation鈥檚 priorities is trying to restore faith in the institutions that are the pillars of society. To do that has meant taking on disinformation and creating opportunity where 鈥減eople believe that our democracy is on the up-and-up.鈥�

She said Mr. Obama has led a democracy forum and is planning another later this year in Chicago.

鈥淚 think part of it is recognizing that we are very fragile right now,鈥� Ms. Jarrett said, citing the fact that 鈥渨e didn鈥檛 have a smooth orderly transition of power in the last election鈥� along with people鈥檚 mistrust of the court system and elected officials.

鈥淭he wheels on our democracy bus,鈥� she said, 鈥渇eel a little wobbly right now.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.