Issue 5.15
The founders created a variation on the old forms of government that built the Roman and Greek empires – a Republic. This system is marked by the concept that the people send representatives to confer with other representatives from around the nation or empire to decide legal and policy matters that affect all the people and their dealings with other groups within and from outside their nation. The variation we have is that our representatives are not sent by our nationally appointed governors, they are chosen by the people. Not just by wealthy land owners, but by all the people
This is also a change from our beginnings when only those who were educated and owned land were able to vote which also meant that women, Native Americans and slaves could not vote because they did not own land. We have come a long way from that to allowing all adults who have not committed felonies and who are citizens to vote. Some feel that we have gone too far since we allow people who are not informed, educated or even literate to help choose our leaders, but that is a topic for another day.
Historically, most nations have been led by rulers. Those could be called kings, ministers, high priests, chief judges and a number of other titles within a myriad of forms of governments. They are marked specifically by the fact that the rulers were not answerable to the people to any great extent. Yes they could be replaced if enough of the population got fed up and rose in rebellion, usually armed conflict. If people separated from that nation to create their own, they would choose their form of government and leadership. In either case, they often traded the tyranny they had known for a new tyranny created by the new leaders. This is the major difference between revolutions such as the French Revolution where the new leaders executed much of the previous ruling and aristocratic classes and the American where the new leaders thoughtfully incorporated historically significant ideals into a new government and welcomed all to its benefits – even those who had disagreed with separating from England.
The challenging difference is that a nation that is ruled largely leaves the decisions and responsibility for those decisions to the ruling class. An evil king or system creates much suffering and promotes poor outcomes and standards for the people with high taxes, unnecessary wars and often licentious lifestyles that are a poor example. A good king or ruler can create a positive and peaceful kingdom where people are respected and their rights and happiness are supported. Often however, a good ruler is supplanted by those who want power and perceive the “nice” guy as easy to dethrone.
In a democratic republic, the people are ultimately responsible to pick good, honest and thoughtful representatives and to hold those representatives responsible to make good decisions. The tendency is to pick those who promise us much or bring to the people they represent money or jobs or power and prestige, regardless of the cost to the nation as a whole. This is short-sighted and creates debt and supports war on other nations which creates more jobs and causes many other problems. That is why the founders created two houses of legislation; the House of Representatives which were sent by the people and the Senate which were sent by the State legislatures. The Senate was the check and balance to the House and held the line against frivolous spending and foreign entanglements. That ended with the 17th Amendment which caused Senators to also be elected and have to promise much to keep their jobs.
When asked what form of government the Constitutional Convention had created, Benjamin Franklin reportedly responded “A Republic, if you can keep it.” That is our responsibility as citizens. If we do not protect and defend the Constitution and require of our representatives that they keep their oath to do so, we will all suffer real consequences and our children’s children will live with less freedom, less prosperity and less happiness.
Lynn West is a thinker, a teacher and a patriot. You can reach him through email at forgingthefuture2021@gmail.com or through this newspaper. Liberty is a state of being which must be continually created. These articles can help all of us discover the ways we can contribute to that outcome.