Nations Stature Is A Reflection Of Its People

In every election especially presidential elections attention is focused on the qualities and attributes or lack of them of the various candidates who clamor for our vote. People tend to give most of their attention to the shortcomings of the candidates and those already in office.

What about our own shortcomings as citizens? How much of what is wrong with our nation reflects what a substantial number of our citizens want from those they elect?

This very interesting and important question was raised in an article entitled Great Nations Need Great Citizens written during the 1992 presidential election by former Democrat governor of Colorado Richard Lamm.

Lamm pointed out “Great nations must have great citizens and the kind of future we will have depends on what kind of people we are and what kind of kids we produce.” In other words the health and well-being of a nation is more an indication of the quality and character of its ordinary citizens than its leaders. Even extraordinary national leaders are limited by the qualities of the people they lead.  Consequently in a nation that elects its leaders every election will be a referendum based on the values of the majority … what they believe and what they want from the government.

If there is one thing that most Americans would agree they value it would likely be our Constitution.  In fact most elected and appointed officials would passionately affirm their belief in the Constitution. However a substantial number of those who hold office are really not committed to the Constitution which they take an oath to uphold and defend. It appears they have forgotten or chosen to ignore the limits the Constitution imposes on government.  It seems that few elected or appointed officials Republican or Democrat give any thought to whether or not the laws they pass the judgments they render or the regulations they impose can be justified by the Constitution.

Such ignorance or disregard of the Constitution poses few problems for politicians because so few of our citizens are educated about our Constitution and the limits it imposes on our elected and appointed officials. Even the supposedly best-educated among us are uneducated when it comes to a basic knowledge of the Constitution and government. For example a 2001 survey of college students from some of our nation’s top colleges found that 81 percent did not have a basic knowledge of our nation’s history and government. In fact over half of them did not know that the Constitution is the source of the doctrine of separation of powers.

Widespread ignorance of the Constitution has lead to a disregard for the limits it places on government which explains why we have so many laws and judicial decrees allowing things the Constitution does not allow and prohibiting things that the Constitution does not prohibit.

It is profoundly sad that by neglecting our responsibility to be informed and engaged citizens we are dispossessing the next generation and rendering the Constitution and the rights it guarantees meaningless. How can we expect our politicians to adhere to the principles of limited government outlined in the Constitution if we don’t know or even worse we no longer care what those principles are?

We should not support politicians who promise to do the most for us with government programs that undermine the Constitution. Instead we should follow those who promise to give us the freedom to do the most for ourselves as individuals and through our communities and local institutions. Choosing such leaders requires a populace which willingly accepts responsibility as citizens and who care about our nation. This not only includes caring enough to be informed and vote but for some it means caring enough to run for office or help someone else’s campaign.

As Lamm pointed out “The Constitution is a structure for citizens who are dedicated and motivated. It will not save a society that does not vote does not care has no sense of posterity …. The Constitution however brilliant will not make up for people who have lost the ability to care about the future of their nation.” 

In the end the stature of a nation is more a reflection of its people than its leaders.