REPUBLIC FIRST, DEMOCRACY SECOND
Welcome to Republic First!
We are taught from a young age that our nation is a democracy, with "rule of law" as our bedrock principle. This is untrue. Our nation was founded as a republic with democratic institutions. Understanding the true foundation of our great nation is critical to rebuilding America's liberty and prosperity.
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Our nation was born on July 4, 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our constitution was not written and approved for another dozen years.
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"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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
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In a republic, the form of government is of secondary importance. What matters is that our God-given, unalienable Rights are respected by the government. It is immaterial whether that government is a democracy, monarchy, theocracy or military dictatorship, so long as the people's Rights are observed and protected.
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Our Founding Fathers judged democracy to be the most likely form of government to protect our Rights over time. But they also understood the dangers of unconstrained majority rule.
Our nation was founded as a republic first, democracy second.