United We Stand

A popular attraction in Washington, DC is the National Archives, which, in addition to housing important documents relating to our government, is home to original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Each year, thousands of people flock to see these timeless documents, which, though their words have faded, have stood the test of time.  Our Constitution is the oldest of all democracies in the world, and the system of government it established has helped our country be the freest and most prosperous nation on earth.

There are, of course, many other democracies today, some of which looked to our Constitution as they drafted their own.  But, what sets our experiment in government apart?

Our government is unique in that it is founded on two ideas, not accidents of history or tribal tradition. 

First, we have certain natural, God-given rights.  The Declaration of Independence contains these memorable lines: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  So, we have certain rights that no government can give us or take away.  For people in other countries, the government existed first, and rights flowed from the government.

Second, our government derives its power from the people.  The Constitution begins: “We the People.”  Our government is formed by the people from the bottom up.  That means the people give the government its power, not the other way around.  And our Constitution embodies this principle.

In order to maintain order and security, the people have to cede some of their freedoms to the government.  Indeed, the political debates going on throughout the country today frequently involve how much more power the government should have.  Thus, if the people aren’t aware of the limits set forth in the Constitution and why those limits are there, they may begin to give the government powers that erode the very rights that the Constitution is supposed to protect.

The Constitution and Declaration are more than historical relics.  They embody values and ideas that continue to animate our nation today.  This spirit unites us as Americans and, my hope is, inspires future generations to hold dear American principles and continue our success in self-government.

 

Further Reading:

The Citizen’s Constitution: An Annotated Guide by Seth Lipsky

The Federalist Papers

Founding.com: A Project of the Claremont Institute

AEI Program on American Citizenship

Heritage Foundation: First Principles

01/18/11 The Necessary Saucer

11/29/10 The Importance of Civics Education

06/28/10 Rediscovering America’s First Principles

Further Reading:

“Don’t Know Much about History” by David Feith, Wall Street Journal

“Our National Alienation and Amnesia” by William Bennett, National Review

Founding.com: A Project of the Claremont Institute

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