When America became independent from the British Empire, it formed a nation that was supposed to be a remedy for all the evils that the founders saw in their former imperial masters. The founders’ ideas found their reflection in the First Principles and the resulting Articles of Confederation and Constitution. One of the First Principles is equality before the law, as opposed to the law being subservient to a monarch. Regardless of their station in life, all people followed the same rules. A second Principle was the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, which were innate in every person, and did not come from a government. The founders warned against a government infringing upon these rights. A third Principle is of Social Compact, which means that all power comes from the people, and a government exists to serve the population with its consent, and not vice versa. Finally, a fourth Principle is that of limited government, which means that a government has to be strong enough to protect every citizen’s rights, but not strong enough to do anything else.
The First Principle of Social Compact is based on democratic values, as in a democratic society, all power comes from the people as well. However, the difference between a democracy and a republic is that, in a democracy, people are expected to have a direct say in public affairs, while in a republic, they elect a representative. According to Shoemaker (1966), many prominent eighteenth-century figures felt that democracy was suitable for a smaller country where every citizen could assemble in person. However, a country as vast as America simply could not support that. The republic is based on democratic values, but it transforms them into more practical implementation.
A lot has changed since the Revolution, and the government is an enormous machine that does not derive its power from the people. Non-wealthy citizens usually do not have much say in what happens unless they form a group and pool their resources. The majority of the citizens will likely never affect any change that is not beneficial to a wealthy special interest group. Based on that alone, the modern American republic is more akin to aristocracy than democracy. That is why the idea of “a good citizen” should not be based on political action or even exist at all.
References
Shoemaker, R. W. (1966). “Democracy” and “Republic” as understood in late eighteenth-century America. American Speech, 41(2), 83.