Reaffirming the federal nature of elections can only reaffirm the federal nature of government. Doing so, therefore, can only increase the political strength of people locally, and create a better atmosphere for liberty to flourish!
Thus, I can think of but one source of right to government, all branches of it, as well as the final decision on its makeup; and that is The People. They, and only they, have a right to determine whether they will make laws, or execute them; or do both in a collective body, or by a delegated authority. Ultimately, those who love liberty must favor decentralization of power because it is the path towards greater individual freedom and the respect of rights.
The People of this country must either create a new ways of dividing power, or create a presidency as envisioned by the framers. After the last one-hundred years of oppressive centralization, this is the only path to long-term peace and liberty. If we, as a people and a nation, cannot or will not take such a path, we would be better off without a president at all.
In relationship to the Electoral College and our system of choosing a president, it is these radical thoughts, both old and new, that I will endeavor to examine in forthcoming papers.
"The way to have good and safe government, is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to every one exactly the functions he is competent to. Let the national government be entrusted with the defence of the nation, and its foreign and federal relations; the State governments with the civil rights, laws, police, and administration of what concerns the State generally; the counties with the local concerns of the counties, and each ward direct the interests within itself."
-Thomas Jefferson
In the spirit of liberty and prosperity,
Franklin
This essay is the 28th edition of the series The Populist Papers, which are published bi-weekly at www.populistamerica.com. Written anonymously to promote discussion of the principles alone, these essays attempt to both explain the complexities of government, and determine the proper place of a federal government based on the inherent rights of all people. Feedback is welcome at info@populistamerica.com
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