A Republic If You Can Keep It
The indictment of Donald Trump will be more than a test of only our political institutions
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“A lady [a Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia] asked Dr. Franklin Well Doctor what have we got a republic or a monarchy – A republic replied the Doctor if you can keep it.” -From the journal of James McHenry, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention
So what do we think, America- can we keep it? Is the longest-enduring democratic republic in the world about to lurch into some form of fascist autocracy or will it survive as it has other crises it faced in its history? It is often said that crisis creates opportunity and in this sense, the past is instructive.: Think of the changes made after the Civil War and during the Great Depression to both our political system and to society writ large. Given our history, perhaps the question should be phrased differently: Are we still capable as a society to do what is necessary to repair American democracy?
In my most recent piece this month, I pointed to some of the forces undermining faith and trust in our institutions. Just as a structure built on a weak foundation is in danger of collapsing, a political system whose institutions are questioned- sometimes by the very persons who hold positions within those institutions- is likewise at risk. William Galston of the Brookings Institution, quoted in a recent analysis in the Washington Post, pointed out that “a constitutional democracy stands or falls with the effectiveness and trustworthiness of the systems through which laws are created and enforced. If you have fundamental doubts raised about those institutions, then constitutional democracy as a whole is in trouble.”
Governing in a democracy is often messy and, in seeking order, some people become susceptible to the siren call of the demagogue, of late a wannabe autocrat like Donald Trump. Trump is not the cause of the situation but he is the first to take advantage of it at such a high level. Bless his grifter's heart, the man indicted on close to 70 felony charges reacted by attacking those holding him to account. And he had the chutzpah to say it in plain sight, declaring that, when he is re-elected as President, he will be seeking retribution from the deep state for the wrongs he insists it has visited upon him. His closest rival for the Republican Presidential nomination is Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Governor, a man of an obvious authoritarian disposition who has busied himself wielding the tools of the state government to restrict various rights and liberties in the Sunshine State. Behind these two are others in the political class who are bent on replacing the republic, the government of the people, with an oligarchy, plutocracy, or some other autocratic form.
In the past, the nation has had the good fortune to have great leaders emerge at times of crisis, men such as Lincoln and FDR. Each had flaws, but both understood their job was to serve the public and both possessed the ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner. Each inspired trust in a majority of the people and each accepted the essential responsibility of decision-making. It has sometimes been the case that the role of a leader was thrust upon a person whose prior life provided no evidence of the requisite qualities. Harry Truman, a nondescript machine politician who was elevated to the Presidency by the death of Franklin Roosevelt, proved to be an effective leader. unafraid to make tough decisions. He kept a sign on his desk with the motto “The Buck Stops Here” painted on it. So perhaps another question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not fortune will smile on us again and some heretofore unknown person will emerge to lead us through these fraught times.
And that may simply be whistling in the wind, of course, hoping for someone to do what we need to do ourselves. And again I repeat James Madison’s assertion “that it is ultimately up to we the people to reform ourselves and demand better from our elected leaders. We cannot count on the government to save us from ourselves”. Voting is important, of course, but civic duty in a democracy entails more. A good starting point would be accepting that disagreements are bound to happen and should be resolved peacefully. Democracy also means decisions are made by a majority, usually through the agency of their elected representatives. The Founders may have feared a tyranny of the majority but a tyranny of a minority is what is threatening us now.
Ultimately we need to immunize ourselves from the fear and rancor that characterizes today’s public discourse. More of us need to question the motives of those who promote divisiveness among us- what’s in it for them? And we need to understand that this republic has endured by periodically reforming itself. Such progress is slow and tedious but a better path to follow than allowing this experiment in democracy to fail from neglect.
Suggested Reading
Richard R. Beeman, Ph.D., Perspectives on the Constitution: A Republic, If You Can Keep It
Dan Balz, Ann E. Marimow, Perry Stein, Trump’s indictment plus candidacy could endanger democracy and the rule of law
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