A Republic worth defending
Recently, many political voices on the left have framed nearly every issue as a fight to “protect our democracy.” It is a clever slogan, but it misstates America’s true design. The United States was not founded as a pure democracy. It was built, deliberately and painstakingly, as a constitutional Republic. This system was created to restrain raw majority power and secure the God-given liberties of every individual. For nearly 250 years, this structure has safeguarded the most diverse and free nation in human history.
The Founders understood the dangers of simple majority rule. James Madison warned that democracies become “spectacles of turbulence and contention.” That is why the Constitution disperses power through federalism, the Electoral College, an independent judiciary, and a Bill of Rights that politicians may not violate, even when a majority demands it.
Today, as some advocate sweeping structural changes, nationalized narratives, mandatory voting schemes, or expanded federal authority over civic life, we should pause. In the rush to “save democracy,” we risk throwing personal liberty out with the bathwater.
The French gave us the Statue of Liberty” not the “Statue of Democracy.” Without strong protections for individual rights, all that remains is mob rule. Much of what we see today in the streets reflects this danger, with one organized protest after another aimed at tearing down the president and members of his administration. This is what happens when Congress abdicates organized debate. The public loses trust in this branch of government and turns to protests in the streets, with the chaos that inevitably follows.
Congress must reclaim its role as the nation’s primary forum for serious debate, compromise, and accountability. Preserving our constitutional Republic does not require reinventing it. It requires discipline, patience, and civic virtue to use it as it was designed.