Thoughts from the Middle

American Democracy and Freedom:  A Gift that Requires Much Work

By Robert Fischer

Introduction

While I have striven to stay in the middle when presenting topics in the past, I have often failed.  The past four years have moved my position to the left in some of my posts. In four years of office, President Donald Trump has managed to trample on the basic foundation of this country—our Constitution. As a Presidential candidate, Trump used the slogan “Make America Great Again.” In my opinion, America IS great!  Although there are some who would question the greatness of the United States, we are among the few nations that afford the most individual freedoms.  As a nation, our democratic, capitalist, republic has been a model for many other countries. 

Our founding fathers created a new system of government unlike any that existed at the time– and perhaps in all of history.  During their lifetime, countries were governed by monarchs, and the people were subjects.  The founding fathers had the audacity to suggest that the people should be the government. There was no need for a king.

 I’m not sure that President Trump views America this way.  He seems more interested in his own image and often projects the image of a monarch rather than an elected president.  Unfortunately, he has managed to convince a vast number of people that he alone holds the answer to their perceived problems. 

The Foundation of Democracy

How do you build and maintain a government of the people when so many fail to understand the basic foundations that this nation was built on?

Historic Experiments and Thinking

What led these founding fathers to believe that thirteen very different colonies could, and even want to, try to govern themselves? The idea of a democracy was not new.  The Greeks had tried it on a small city/state level.  The Romans had a republic with a senate and emperor.

The founding fathers used these experiments with rule (or at least involvement) of the people over government as a starting point. They supplemented this base with other ideas. These individuals were well educated in 17^th Century philosophy.  Writers such as Thomas Hobbs wrote that people cannot govern themselves because they are self-centered and quarrelsome.  On the other hand, philosophers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau encouraged thoughts of rule by the people, questioning the authority of absolute monarchies.  Montesquieu went on to suggest a shared government, with separation of powers through various branches of government.

Foundations for the American Experiment in Democracy

Of these 17^th Century writers John Locke was perhaps the most influential.  Locke contended that rulers could only rule with the consent of the governed.  In other word, the government’s duty is to protect the rights of the governed.  These rights included life, liberty, and property.  In fact, Thomas Jefferson used much of Locke’s thinking in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.

Even though the colonies revolted against the king of England, the English form of government was still the basis for much of this country’s government and law.  The Magna Carta (1215) required that the king consult nobles before making major decisions.  This right led to the creation of Parliament.  In 1628, “commoners” were given a voice in Parliament.  And in 1688, Parliament passed the English Bill of Rights, guaranteeing free elections as well as rights to those accused of crimes.

American Democracy Today

Our founding fathers used various ideas to craft a government of the people.  While a unique blend of historic ideas, a government by the people and for the people became the primary  reality.  There were those who didn’t think that the “experiment” would succeed.  However, the United States of America has retained our government by the people for over 250 years.  But today, the country is perhaps suffering from too much government by a president who thinks he can make all the decisions, and too little active participation by the people.  This lack of participation is partially the result of inadequate education about our form of government and the thinking of those who founded this nation. In addition, as a result of a shift in power to the moneyed interests, many voters feel that their votes not longer count. However, the encouraging news is that the Presidential election of 2020 resulted in a massive voter turnout.

The Foundational Principles for American Democracy

The Power of the Constitution

Our founding fathers were some of the brightest people of their time.  Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of our Constitution, cautioned, “On every question of construction [of the Constitution] [let us] carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.” George Washington instructed that, “The power under the Constitution will always be in the people.  It is entrusted for certain defined purposes, and for a certain limited period, to representatives of their own choosing; and whenever it is executed contrary to their interest, or not agreeable to their wishes, their servants can and undoubtedly will be recalled.”

The Assumption of Virtuous People

Both of these men believed in the power of the Constitution and the people.  It is the belief in the power of good, moral people that sustains the freedom that we have under the Constitution.  Still, there were reservations and warnings from our founding fathers.  Benjamin Franklin believed, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.  As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”  Daniel Webster warned, “I am committed . . . to the Constitution of the country. . . And I am committed against every thing, which, in my judgment, may weaken, endanger, or destroy it. . .; and especially against all extension of Executive power; and I am committed against any attempt to rule the free people of this country by the power and the patronage of the government.”  Samuel Adams wrote, “. . . if we are universally vicious and debauched in our manner, though the form of our Constitution carries the face of the most exalted freedom, we shall in reality be the most abject slaves.”  And perhaps the most important warning came from Thomas Jefferson.  “We in American do not have government by the majority— we have government by the majority who participate… All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for the people of good conscience to remain silent.”

Education

George Washington believed in the necessity and power of education.  He believed that there “should be the education of our youth in the science of government.  In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important?  And what duty more pressing. . . than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?”  James Madison agreed.  “A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people.”   Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I know of no safe depositor of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.  This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”

Franklin is credited with answering a question from a concerned constituent about democracy.  He may have said, “We have created a democracy, now can we keep it?”

Keeping the American Democracy Alive — Conclusions

While we still live in a country that values democracy, we must also face the fact that there is much social unrest and disagreement over what the United States stands for.  Are we the land of opportunity?  Do we welcome the poor and huddled masses?  Are we participating in our government by at least casting a ballot?  Are we educating our youth regarding the foundation and operation of our government?  Do we teach American values through history?  Do we still teach about American heroes? 

I believe that we have come to a point of self-analysis.  Many Americans only see the problems and missteps that our government has made over the course of its existence.  Granted, it is important to be critical of the way the Native Americans were and are treated.  It is important to remember, not forget, our heritage of slavery and the problems that are still present among black citizens.  And more recently, we should not forget that there have been many Americans who failed in their duty to protect democracy.  Think about Watergate, the My Lai massacre, Abu Grab, and other misdeeds.

However, we must also not present our nation as somehow failing.  We must regain our pride in being Americans.  We must continue to work to fix our flaws.  We should also honor the people who sacrificed to make this nation great.  We must learn to debate and find solutions to our differences.  Polarization (far left or right) only leads to a path of self-destruction.

We must remember that despite President Trump’s decisions over the past four years, the United States can still be a world leader and should be a role model   We must take pride in this leadership role and continue to evaluate our behavior on the world stage!