Have We Lost Sight of the Nation our Founders Envisioned?
The United States of America was formed to be something novel in the history of the world -- a Republic created for the purpose of protecting the life and liberty of its citizens and ensuring there is a place in the world for those who yearn to live free.
Our nation – an experiment in self-government – requires the constant vigilance of the populace and its active participation. No other republic has lasted as long as America because it is difficult to remain focused on the advancement of ideas and principles when the political jockeying of captivating personalities takes center stage in culture.
We fight so hard every four years to elect a savior promising to either return our nation to its founding principles or fundamentally transform America into something new. We place our faith in flawed human beings instead of ideas and wonder why we are continuously let down.
Our founding fathers did not want America to be controlled by a king. Our government was never intended to have three co-equal branches, with the president governing over us. We were meant to govern ourselves, through our representatives in Congress. Unfortunately, Congress has abdicated this authority and instead of reigning supreme, its influence has atrophied.
Rather than acting on behalf of the people and states of our nation to transform our ideas into the laws by which our society is governed, members of Congress have transformed the institution into a launchpad for the office of president. Instead of engaging in the difficult work of debate, persuasion, and compromise, our elected representatives pander in empty chambers to the lowest common denominator in hopes of creating a viral soundbite in the mainstream media or to give them fodder to fundraise on social media.
Only when a party is fortunate enough to gain control of the House, Senate, and White House, does Congress act to advance any policy of substance. Unfortunately, even in this situation, Congress will only act in favor of the partisan agenda of the party in power, not necessarily what is in the best interest of our nation as a whole.
Where Congress has acquiesced except in the times of a so-called “mandate” as outlined above, the Presidency and our Courts have filled the void. As a result, most policy is decided by two branches of government that are largely unaccountable to the people.
This is unsustainable. Congress’ failure to do its job is leading to increasingly volatile partisan swings, as individuals find prominence by promising to break through the partisan gridlock through extreme ideas and radical systemic change. The cult of personality surrounding these individuals is detrimental to the health of our Republic.
John Adams once observed that our government is one “of laws and not men,” America is a nation of ideas and not personalities.
Rather than a unified identity as Americans, we suffer a malady of identification with political figures and factions – all of whom fall short of a perfect representation of our ideas and will lead to our own disappointment until we move on to the next.
The cliche of “two Americas” has never rung truer than it does today. The hate and vitriol have never been higher, as prominent political figures call for the blacklisting, labeling, and doxxing of their political opponents and their supporters.
We cannot keep pitting ourselves against our fellow Americans to satisfy the political ambitions of individuals who are always seeking to run for the next higher office. While we may disagree on policy and our visions for the future of the country, rather than shoving an agenda down our the throat of the opposition, we should engage in vigorous debate and come together to compromise on a way forward. We must no longer stand for political paralysis and brute-force politics.
There is far more that unites us than divides us as a country, and it is only through a shared purpose of ensuring the continued existence of our Republic dedicated to protecting our rights and promoting the idea of accountable self-government that our great American Experiment may continue.
Now more than ever, it is critical we rededicate ourselves to the basic ideals upon which our nation was founded. We must stop living solely in our echo-chambers and engage in debate, persuasion, and compromise with our fellow countrymen on the difficult issues our nation faces.
A nation founded on timeless ideals can and will endure so long as the populace ensures that is where the focus remains. A society reliant upon individuals and the cult of personality has consigned itself to a limited lifespan.
