A recent Rasmussen poll found that 39% of likely United States voters believe that American leaders have done a good job of keeping the republic. However, 47% of voters believe the republic that the Founding Fathers established has already collapsed.
An additional 14% are unsure.
Many voters believe that the current American government has deviated from the country’s founding principles. Namely, the principle that governments get their authority “from the consent of the governed.” Just 26% of voters believe the federal government currently has the consent of the governed, whereas 57% believe it does not. An additional 17% are unsure.
63% of Republican voters, 43% of Democrat voters, and 65% of independent voters indicated that the federal government currently doesn’t have the consent of the governed.
44% of Democrat voters believe the government does have the consent of the government, but only 19% of Republican voters and independent voters agree.
50% of Democrats believe America’s leadership class has done a good job of keeping the republic, while only 34% of Republican voters and 32% of independent voters share the same view. 54% Republican voters and 56% of independent voters believe that the republic the Founders created has already died, in addition to 35% of Democrat voters.
Of the voters who believe that the republic has already collapsed, 62% indicated that the federal government currently does not have the consent of the governed.
58% of white voters, 44% of black voters, 63% of Hispanic voters and 58% of other non-white minorities believe the federal government currently does not have the consent of the governed. 41% of white voters, 35% of black voters, 34% of Hispanics voters and 32% of other non-white minorities believe the American ruling class has done a good job of keeping the republic.
As far as income categories are concerned, 48% of voters making over $200,000 annually indicated that the federal government currently has the consent of the governed. By contrast, only 20% of voters making below $50,000 annually share the same sentiment.
Indeed, the US has seen better days. For over the last century, since the creation of the Federal Reserve and income tax, the US federal government has grown at rates that would have the Founding Fathers rolling in their graves.
Tough reforms will need to be made if this great republic is to continue existing well into the 21st century. That means a veritable revolution will need to occur in American politics to ensure that the government is restrained. A failure to reassert republican principles will put the US on the path of despotism and civilizational decline.
That’s what’s at stake in this political struggle of our epoch.