government. The Declaration establishes the rational foundation for the very existence of this country.Posted on 07/03/2009 10:56:26 AM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative
Just in time for America’s Independence Day holiday, Rasmussen has released its analysis of a poll examining the attitudes of Americans regarding the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence is one of the two crucial founding documents of the US – the other, of course, being the Constitution. The Constitution is the technical document outlining the structure and powers of the national government. The Declaration establishes the rational foundation for the very existence of this country.
Rasmussen’s strategy – and I’m not sure that this was the best idea – was to take various famous phrases from the document, and ask: “Do you agree with this?” The answers were recorded without any sure knowledge of what the respondent thought the phrase meant.
The response that jumped out to me was the one asking respondents’ opinion of this part of the Declaration:
That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
The pollsters shortened this to “Governments derive their only just powers from the consent of the governed”. This paraphrase actually skirts around Jefferson’s profound assertion that the purpose of government is to secure the God-given rights of the people. But that’s the subject of another post, another time. The paraphrase was fair enough, because it adequately portrayed the other profound assertion in this statement.
So, what did the respondents think of the paraphrase?
56% Agree
25% Disagree
19% Not sure
Modern America has a shallow understanding of the phrase “consent of the governed”. Does it mean that, as long as most of the people are okay with it, the government can do whatever it pleases?
I would argue that this is what most people believe. In fact, this is the very essence of democracy: the will of the people legitimizes the actions of the government.
But America was not established as a democracy. It was established as a constitutional republic. In a constitutional republic, there are boundaries to the “consent of the governed”.
Under our Constitution, the government is supposed to be constrained, regardless of the will of the people. Just because a majority of the people consent to (or even demand) some action of the government, such consent does not necessarily legitimize the action.
The many unconstitutional actions of the Obama administration, done to wide acclaim, should serve to abundantly illustrate the problem. President Obama does not recognize any meaningful boundaries on his powers to transform America in his image.
What about the 25% who disagree? I wish that Rasmussen could have asked some followup questions to find out what these respondents were thinking. For example, some might have been thinking of the biblical notion (found, for example, in Romans 13:1) that governments derive their just powers from God Himself. We’ll never know for sure if this is why they disagreed.
As for the 19%… who are these people? 1 in 5 people have no idea what makes a government legitimate? Are these the fabled “moderate” voters, who refuse to be pinned down on the important issues of the day?
Whatever. I wish more people would put more thought into what constitutes legitimate government, and that they would follow their reasoning through to its logical conclusion.
Despite the responses to this and other questions in the poll, I disagree with Rasmussen’s conclusion that Americans “still embrace ideals from the Declaration of Independence”.
How can they embrace what they do not comprehend?
Correction!
We are set up as a “constitutional republic” however our BASIS was the principles of CHRISTIANTY and the BOUNDARIES upon which our democracy was supposed to operate. We didn't declare a national religion however JUDEO CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES were used to drive this country. They don't and things are a mess.
I'm disappointed that this hot air author can't acknowledge that FACT.
Congressman Billybob
We are set up as a “constitutional republic” however our BASIS was the principles of CHRISTIANTY and the BOUNDARIES upon which our democracy was supposed to operate. We didn't declare a national religion however JUDEO CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES were used to drive this country. They don't and things are a mess.Speaking as "this hot air author", I say that you missed my point completely.I'm disappointed that this hot air author can't acknowledge that FACT.
I was speaking of the boundaries placed on government power by the U.S. Constitution. It is true that these boundaries are an acknowledgment of what the Bible teaches about the fallen nature of man (and the destructive capabilities of fallen man when given political power), but that's a topic worth its own post.
So, do you have the Ben Franklin “look”, or will a lot of makeup be required? :-)
I am mindful of a quote from Franklin, "I do not regret being old. I do regret being old and fat." I have already offered to join Jim Rob on parts of his journey across America coming up to September 12 in Washington. But it will be Ben, not John, who stands at Jim Rob's side.
John / Billybob
That contrived document? That has been dead for many years now.
No need to concern yourself with worthless paper unless you can find enough people who might consider it worth saving.
Our government is in conflict with the Constitution by virtue of countless laws policies, agencies, procedures, bureaucracies and judicial precedents. p>Acknowledging this wholesale repudiation of the Constitution 0 has acted aggressively to establish a fascist administration with absolute power. His illegal usurpation of the Census guarantees his ability to control the electoral process.
The Congress is specifically designated as solely responsible for the Census. By virtue of their acquiescence in 0's crime against the clear will of the Constitution they are complicit in this audacious criminal enterprise.
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