Great perspective and inspiration, John. If each of us choose just one of these “gifts” to endorse and actively participate in, the promise of another 250 years in this great experiment will be assured. Thanks!
Many of the proposals outlined here depend upon citizens remaining capable of understanding where authority resides, how decisions are formed, and whether participation still meaningfully constrains power.
But modern republics increasingly operate through systems that are administratively layered, procedurally diffuse, and difficult for ordinary public judgment to follow directly.
Can civic trust remain durable once governance becomes too operationally distant to remain publicly intelligible?
I am happy you refer to our nation as a "Republic". It concerns me that on the 250th anniversary of our Republic that there is a movement taking hold in congress and with some national political leaders to legislate a transition from a Republic to a borderless "Majoritarian System" of government. Now that is a big "choice". Essentially create a pure Democracy. Of course it is a Democracy that this group would pick and make the rules. They see it as, delivering a polished, highly managed, 21st-century upgrade to the Founders' work. They believe that by eliminating the 18th-century speed bumps our republican form of government has established, they are securing a transition to a stable "Democracy" of the majority. They are seeking to end the Electoral College, eliminate state voting districts, add DC and Puerto Rico as states, end the Filibuster and increase membership to the Supreme Court to 13. Essentially it creates a one Party system. Niall Ferguson calls it the Californiacation of America. It eliminates the Republic and many geographic and individual minority protections. Some might call it revolutionary. Senior advocates of this movement are quoted saying we need to “Burn down the Government to save it,” and “do it now and tell the voters later”. Incredibly, this movement gets very little attention.
I imagine our founders might take exception. Adams: "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself." Franklin: "A republic, if you can keep it." I only mention this because it is actively being worked upon and legislated. The effort is organized and commands a large number of senior legislators and advocates in Congress.I know some of them intimately. I am sure they are all well meaning but their movement is elementally flawed and dangerous in my humble opinion. I bring this up because it could happen, it is Jacobin in nature and risks a "Thermidorian Reaction", if imposed. My fear, if acted on, is that dismantling the constitutional guardrails of our Republic that protect individual freedoms risks destroying the legitimacy of the system for America permanently. I think this movement should be front and center at both the Miller Center and the Karsh Institute. I think it is worthy of public discussion.
One of the best things I've read on America's 250th yet. Thank you for the continued inspiration.
Great perspective and inspiration, John. If each of us choose just one of these “gifts” to endorse and actively participate in, the promise of another 250 years in this great experiment will be assured. Thanks!
Very inspirational and thought-provoking ideas.
Thank you for sharing your voice! We will be sharing this with our members in our monthly newsletter.
Beautiful!
Sir,
Many of the proposals outlined here depend upon citizens remaining capable of understanding where authority resides, how decisions are formed, and whether participation still meaningfully constrains power.
But modern republics increasingly operate through systems that are administratively layered, procedurally diffuse, and difficult for ordinary public judgment to follow directly.
Can civic trust remain durable once governance becomes too operationally distant to remain publicly intelligible?
— CIVIS AMERICANUS
John this is great. Thank you.
I am happy you refer to our nation as a "Republic". It concerns me that on the 250th anniversary of our Republic that there is a movement taking hold in congress and with some national political leaders to legislate a transition from a Republic to a borderless "Majoritarian System" of government. Now that is a big "choice". Essentially create a pure Democracy. Of course it is a Democracy that this group would pick and make the rules. They see it as, delivering a polished, highly managed, 21st-century upgrade to the Founders' work. They believe that by eliminating the 18th-century speed bumps our republican form of government has established, they are securing a transition to a stable "Democracy" of the majority. They are seeking to end the Electoral College, eliminate state voting districts, add DC and Puerto Rico as states, end the Filibuster and increase membership to the Supreme Court to 13. Essentially it creates a one Party system. Niall Ferguson calls it the Californiacation of America. It eliminates the Republic and many geographic and individual minority protections. Some might call it revolutionary. Senior advocates of this movement are quoted saying we need to “Burn down the Government to save it,” and “do it now and tell the voters later”. Incredibly, this movement gets very little attention.
I imagine our founders might take exception. Adams: "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself." Franklin: "A republic, if you can keep it." I only mention this because it is actively being worked upon and legislated. The effort is organized and commands a large number of senior legislators and advocates in Congress.I know some of them intimately. I am sure they are all well meaning but their movement is elementally flawed and dangerous in my humble opinion. I bring this up because it could happen, it is Jacobin in nature and risks a "Thermidorian Reaction", if imposed. My fear, if acted on, is that dismantling the constitutional guardrails of our Republic that protect individual freedoms risks destroying the legitimacy of the system for America permanently. I think this movement should be front and center at both the Miller Center and the Karsh Institute. I think it is worthy of public discussion.
What a lift to see such sweeping progress as we head toward the 250th anniversary of America.