Calling It What It Is
James Quillian, Economist, Political Analyst, Natural Law
Every so often, a country drifts so far from its own description that the polite thing to do is stop repeating the label. America still calls itself a republic, but that word has become more of a sentimental keepsake than an operating description. We keep it around the way families keep an old photograph on the mantle — not because it reflects the present, but because it reminds us of what we once were.
A republic is supposed to be a system where the people are in charge and the government works for them. That’s the definition. But definitions don’t govern anything. Function does. And if you look at how power actually behaves in Washington, you’ll notice something uncomfortable: the people who are supposed to be in charge aren’t, and the people who are supposed to be working for them aren’t doing much of that either.