Description:
In recent years, the Constitution has become a source of political controversy between conservatives and progressives. While the right defends our founding document, the left argues that it's an antiquated plan of government that goes against basic principles of democratic sovereignty.What's missing from this debate is an appreciation for the Constitution's purpose. What kind of government were the founders trying to achieve?
In his new book, Democracy or Republic? The People and the Constitution, Jay Cost provides insight into that question. He argues that the founders' vision was for a republic, not a democracy.
In both types of government, the citizens have the power to rule, but republics go further than this. A republic, as Abraham Lincoln put it, is a government "of the people, by the people, for the people." But in a simple democracy, the majority can rule for the good of themselves, rather than the whole community. How do you place the people in charge without creating a democratic tyranny?… Read More
