Lawmaking is the central feature of government. In republics, lawmaking is the responsibility of representatives of the component members of society. Notwithstanding our beloved Constitution, I shake my head in disbelief when I occasionally read at conservative websites that modern America is a republic; it is little more a republic than Imperial Rome circa 300 AD was a republic just because emperors kept up the charade of republican institutions. Then, as now, what passes for republican government better resembles scenes of power-mad factions going at each other’s throats, rather than constituent members joined in common purpose to advance the best interests of the nation.
Great points! The fighting over political spoils at the federal-level has reached the current heights because there is so much potential advantage to be gained. In the early days of our republic there just wasn’t that much at stake as the individual states were sovereign and the US government was small and comparatively weak.