by Henry Lamb
February 9, 2004
There are only two systems of governance available to society. In the first system, government is the absolute authority and grants (or denies) rights and freedoms to the people. Throughout history, most people have lived under some variation of this system of governance.
In the other system of governance, the people have absolute authority, recognizing that certain rights and freedoms are endowed by the Creator, including the right to invent a government and limit its power and authority. This system of governance began to nudge its way into existence relatively recently, in historic terms, and reached maturity in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
There can be no doubt that government in the United States was created by the people, who limited the power of government to those powers enumerated in the Constitution, and specifically retained all other rights and powers to the states or to the people.
Both major political parties pay tribute to this american system of governance. Neither of the major political parties, however, is the least bit reluctant to ignore the limitations of governmental power imposed by the Constitution--and consolidate power to the government at the expense of the peoples' freedom.
They do so because the people allow it and even seem to want it. The people can stop the encroachment of government into individual freedoms by electing representatives who pledge to uphold constitutional limitations of government power. The candidates who make such a pledge are rarely elected. Instead, the people tend to elect candidates who promise to provide even more government power and control, along with increased social programs.
In the current presidential election campaign, the choice is not between a candidate who pledges to honor the constitutional limitations on government power and one who does not. It is a contest between two candidates who promise different degrees of even more government power and control.
Change at the top of the ticket will not come from the top. It will come from the bottom. But change is not happening at the bottom of the political ladder. In fact, it is from the city, county, state and congressional levels that the top of the ticket is determined. City, county and state government officials who believe government is the solution to all problems are consistently elected. It is little wonder that this attitude is reflected in Congress and in the White House.
If america is ever to return to the system of governance created by the Founding Fathers, it will have to begin at the local level, where city councils and county commissions honor and respect the limitations of government power, rather than continually striving to expand government power. State and congressional candidates often move up the political ladder from these positions. Consequently, the current crop of officials and candidates do, in fact, represent the will of the people who elected them.
Too often, the people who complain most bitterly about the direction of the country and the failure of politicians are the people who are not involved in the selection or the election of candidates. Too few people are involved in political parties at the county and state level, where the candidates are groomed. Too few people ever get involved in an election campaign.
The simple truth is that the people who believe that government should abide by the limits imposed by the Constitution have been outworked and outnumbered by the people who want government to ignore those limitations.
Franklin Roosevelt completely ignored the constitutional limitations of governmental power and was re-elected again and again. Since then, the nation has moved further and further away from the system of government created by the Founders.
Roosevelt was re-elected because he used the power of government to take money from those who had it and give it to those who had none. During the Roosevelt years, this was a very popular system of governance, especially among the recipients, who always outnumber--and out vote--those from whom money is taken.
Just how far the nation has strayed from the Founders' vision is reflected in the campaign speeches of every candidate. The promise from all the candidates is more government and less freedom. It will likely remain so unless a new generation of candidates can be cultivated, starting in every city, county and state.