“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
—George Washington, Farewell Address, September 17, 1796 (Source: MountVernon.org)
Over the past few months, I’ve attended Dr. David Adler’s “Constitutional Conversations” lectures. His historical perspective has enriched my understanding of the Constitution and its relevance to current events.
A couple of things have stood out to me:
- Dr. Adler pointed out that in arguments at state conventions to adopt the Constitution, proponents heavily relied on the idea that a president should not be above the law and the framers purposely left out mentions of immunity.
- He stated that Supreme Court decisions up to that point (his next lecture, on July 10, will deal with the most recent decisions) indicate that we’ve been moving toward a political court rather than a court of law.
Voter turnout hovers around 50% in many places, including Idaho. This means the people who show up, even if they don’t represent a wide swath of the population, are making the rules. Indeed, most of the current appointees to the Supreme Court were made by people who, even though they became president, lost the popular vote.
Here are some interesting points to consider as we examine what’s happening in our republic. (This is, in fact, a type of democracy, although it isn’t a direct democracy since the direct votes of the people don’t elect our president or determine our policies.)
- George H.W. Bush, who was elected in 1988 and started his term of office in 1989, was the last Republican president to win the popular vote for a first term.
- His son, George W. Bush, won the popular vote for his second term, but his first term was an Electoral College victory after the Supreme Court ordered Florida to stop its recount. (He still lost the popular vote.)
- May 14 Pew Research report: 63% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
- May 10 Ipsos survey: Only 34% of Americans oppose any type of student loan forgiveness. This indicates that most Americans favor some type of cancellation.
- Recent NPR/Ipsos surveys: 80% of gun owners favor universal background checks and a majority support red flag laws.
Here in Idaho, the vocal minority that turns out to vote has its impact. According to BSU’s annual Public Policy Survey, in the last several years, Idahoans have been most interested in housing, the economy and education. Sixty-nine percent of us trust librarians. So, why does our legislature target marginalized communities and pass library bounty bills instead of addressing the homestead exemption and feeding hungry kids with our federal dollars?
A representative republic only works if our elected leaders actually represent us.
Miranda Marquit, Master of Business Administration, is a nationally recognized financial wellness expert, writer, speaker and podcaster. She is the vice chair of the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee.