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Theb coreb principlesb ofb theb Americanb Revolutionb areb popularb sovereignty,b limitedb
government,b separationb ofb powers,b checksb andb balances,b andb federalism.b Popularb
sovereigntyb gaveb theb peopleb ab newb outlookb ofb theb governmentb getsb it'sb powerb fromb theb
peopleb andb theb peopleb haveb theb rightb tob changeb orb abolishb theirb government.b Sinceb theb
peopleb wereb nob longerb livingb underb theb ruleb ofb ab king,b theb peopleb createdb limitedb
governmentb tob issueb outb theb sameb justiceb tob anb averageb personb allb theb wayb upb tob theb
president.b Separationb ofb powerb dividedb theb governmentb intob threeb branchesb inb orderb tob
disperseb theb powerb ofb theb electedb personsb thatb wereb chosenb byb theb people.b Checksb andb
balancesb wasb createdb tob stopb theb abuseb ofb theb powerb fromb theb threeb branchesb ofb
government.b Federalismb wasb establishedb tob separateb theb powersb ofb theb federalb governmentb
andb theb stateb government.
Allb ofb theseb principlesb stillb applyb todayb inb ourb modernb republicb societyb andb keepb usb asb ab
nationb fromb regressingb backb intob theb past,b whenb theb richb ruledb theb countryb andb madeb allb theb
laws.
Theb differenceb betweenb ab democracyb andb ab republicb isb inb ab democracyb theb peopleb controlb
howb theb governmentb operatesb throughb votingb andb inb ab republicb theb peopleb electb
representativesb tob makeb theb lawsb andb anb executiveb tob enforceb thoseb laws.
Theb foundersb visionb ofb theb ab separateb nation-statesb withinb theb U.S.b governmentb whereb theb
peopleb consentb tob theb governmentb underb ab universalb setb ofb rulesb stillb existsb butb theb
governmentb insteadb reignsb supremeb overb theb people.b Theb Constitutionb playsb ab veryb
importantb roleb inb ourb societyb today.b Theb Constitutionb explainsb howb theb governmentb works,b
whenb electionsb areb tob beb held,b andb listsb someb ofb theb rightsb web have.b Itb alsob explainsb whatb
eachb branchb ofb governmentb canb do,b andb howb eachb branchb canb controlb otherb branches.
Theb differenceb betweenb Republicb vs.b Democracyb is:
Inb ab democracy,b lawsb areb madeb directlyb byb theb votingb majorityb leavingb theb rightsb ofb theb
minorityb largelyb unprotected.
Inb ab republic,b lawsb areb madeb byb representativesb chosenb byb theb peopleb andb mustb complyb
withb ab constitutionb thatb specificallyb protectsb theb rightsb ofb theb minorityb fromb theb willb ofb theb
majority.
Theb currentb USb Governmentb comparesb tob theb republicb theb Foundersb hadb envisionedb by,b ourb
Foundersb wereb afraidb ofb governmentb controlledb byb theb richb andb yetb thatb isb whatb theyb wouldb
seeb today.b Theb Foundersb wouldb alsob beb seeingb anb USb filledb withb crimeb andb violence.b Withb
393b millionb peopleb tob seb easilyb gainb accessb tob suchb ab deadlyb weaponb isb notb helpingb keepb
violenceb down.b Theb USb hasb simultaneouslyb becameb theb countryb ofb equalityb byb ourb
Foundingb Father,b butb hasb alsob becomeb whatb theyb wereb afraidb of.b "Theb foundationsb ofb theb
governmentb ofb theb Unitedb Statesb areb orientedb aroundb theb ideasb ofb libertyb andb equalityb asb
articulatedb inb theb naturalb rightsb traditionb ofb Johnb Lockeb andb others.b Thisb traditionb holdsb
that,b byb natureb ofb theirb existence,b humanb beingsb possessb rights,b independentb ofb anyb
governingb orb societalb power.b Inb theb maintenanceb ofb theseb rightsb naturalb rightsb thinkersb sawb
theb greatestb possibilityb forb individualsb tob flourishb throughb theb freedomb tob directb theirb ownb
lives.b Theb peopleb maintainb theirb freedomb andb rightsb throughb formalb institutionsb ofb
governmentb andb informalb communityb traditionsb andb institutions"b (Principlesb andb virtues,b
n.d.).b Theseb coreb principalsb applyb tob ourb modernb governmentb asb theyb createb balanceb
betweenb theb peopleb andb theb governmentb andb keepsb theb governmentb fromb becomingb tob
powerful.b Ab republicb differsb fromb ab democracyb asb ab republicb isb ab governmentb systemb wereb
theb powerb isb withb individualb citizensb andb ab democracyb theb powerb isb heldb byb theb entireb
population.b Theb currentb U.S.b governmentb comparedb tob whatb theb Foundersb hadb envisionedb isb
notb theb same.b Equalityb forb allb isb theb suggestedb visionb butb U.S.b historyb showsb otherwise.b Ib
realizeb thatb theb foundersb wereb amongb theb richestb peopleb inb theb countryb atb theb timeb andb thatb
theyb wereb concernedb aboutb theb widerb publicb havingb moreb influence.b Myb personalb feelingsb
isb thatb nowb inb politicsb itb seemsb thatb theb wealthyb willb alwaysb haveb muchb moreb influenceb
thenb theb middleb class.b Couldb thatb notb beb true,b sure!b Thatb isb justb myb personalb opinion.b
Duringb myb searchb forb coreb principlesb ofb theb Americanb Revolutionb Ib foundb theb sameb coreb
principlesb asb youb popularb sovereignty,b limitedb government,b separationb ofb powers,b checksb
andb balances,b federalismb andb theb additionb ofb judicialb review.b Everythingb thatb youb haveb
wroteb isb anb accurateb definitionb .b Allb theseb principlesb dob applyb todayb asb theyb didb inb theb pastb
butb oftenb sob muchb isb notb asb youb suggestb asb stillb theb wealthyb ruleb throughb theb sameb meansb
theyb alwaysb have.b Thisb isb theb leaningb throughb forceb orb intimidationb orb knowb what’sb goodb
forb youb waysb whichb isb whomb yourb friendsb areb andb whereb yourb checkb comesb fromb andb beb
thisb forb themb forb you.Thisb isb alsob ab corporateb worldb whereb youb useb theseb tacticsb orb
purchaseb yourb wayb tob influenceb interestsb asb theyb alwaysb have.b Yourb definitionb ofb ab
Republicb vsb ab Democracyb isb muchb theb sameb asb Ib understandb it.b Ourb statesb haveb powerb andb
alwaysb answerb tob theb federalb government.b Ib alsob agreeb thatb ourb foundersb wereb seekingb
changeb andb thatb theyb wouldb beb appalledb withb theb governmentb asb web knowb itb today.b Theirb
visionb wasb equality,b notb slavery,b notb womanb fightingb tob haveb rights,b norb theb richb
influencingb electionsb andb theb wayb theb governmentb operated.b "Ourb foundingb fathersb
envisionedb ab nationb withb theb unalienableb rightsb ofb life,b liberty,b andb theb pursuitb ofb happiness.b
Inb addition,b asb statedb inb theb Declarationb ofb Independence,b “Web holdb theseb truthsb tob beb self-
evident,b thatb allb menb areb createdb equal".b Inb ourb nation’sb infancy,b theseb unalienableb rightsb
wereb notb availableb tob everyone.b Inb fact,b peopleb ofb Africanb Americanb andb Nativeb Americanb
heritage,b alongb withb womenb ofb allb ethnicb backgroundsb hadb oneb thingb inb common.b Notb onlyb
wereb theyb preventedb fromb participationb inb government,b butb alsob fromb theb unalienableb rightsb
web cherishb today".Ib gatherb thatb amendmentsb wereb acceptedb tob weakenb theb antib -b federalistsb
positionb andb thisb wasb notb initiallyb theb Billb ofb Rightsb butb forb commercialb andb shippingb
interests.b Itb looksb likeb muchb ofb theb differentb positionsb wereb inb theb newspapersb atb theb time.b
Theb majorityb wasb theb federalistb whichb hadb approvalb fromb theb continentalb congressb andb isb
perhapsb whyb whenb addingb theseb concessionsb andb theb Billb ofb Rightsb theb constitutionb wasb
passedb ratherb quicklyb stateb byb state.Theb visionb tob createb ab governmentb withb ab Constitutionb
asb ab livingb documentb hasb allowedb theb Unitedb Statesb tob evolveb intob oneb ofb theb bestb nationsb
inb theb world"b dependsb onb whob youb talkb to.b Thereb haveb beenb manyb strugglesb forb Africanb
Americansb andb womanb alongb theb way,b whichb areb stillb strugglesb today.b Fromb policeb brutalityb
targetedb atb ab specificb groupb ofb individualsb tob theb governmentb wantingb tob controlb whatb
womanb canb andb cantb dob withb theirb bodies.b Ourb foundersb wantedb freedomb andb equalityb yetb
thereb haveb beenb manyb hardshipsb andb strugglesb thatb Ib don'tb thinkb ourb foundersb wouldb haveb
wantedb forb ourb country.
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