Ambiguous Sovereignty and American Division
The American Revolution wasn’t just about gaining freedom; it unleashed a critical ambiguity regarding national sovereignty, the supreme governing power. This foundational uncertainty, born from rejecting British Parliament’s singular authority, continues to fuel the deep divisions roiling the United States today.
Instead of one supreme ruler in London, the Founding Fathers inadvertently created three: the new federal government, individual state governments, and the people. This tripartite division arose because the Constitution’s framers, despite recognizing the federal government’s need for ultimate authority, couldn’t fully agree. Their fear of a new tyranny, particularly among the pro-slavery faction unwilling to cede power, prevented a clear declaration of federal supremacy.
This compromise birthed states’ rights, a significant portion of sovereignty reserved to states where federal powers weren’t explicitly defined. However, the Founders understood that true supreme authority cannot be divided. To navigate this dilemma, they fatefully declared “the people” as America’s sovereign, a truth in that government derives its power from the consent of the governed. Yet, in a republic, laws enacted by the people’s elected representatives hold ultimate authority. This subtle distinction, blurred by the powerful rhetoric of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution’s “We the People,” became a source of enduring confusion.
This inherent ambiguity has historically “justified” anti-government actions, culminating in the extreme example of the January 6th Capitol attack by “patriots” and “sovereign citizens.” Furthermore, it hindered the federal government’s crucial role as a neutral manager, a reconciler of competing interests, and a preventer of extremes.
Instead, the federal government often favored nation-building, economic growth, and relentless progress, eventually leading to hyper-progress and rapid change that destabilized the nation over the past half-century. Obsessed with novelty, the government spectacularly failed to address the negative consequences of this progress on ordinary, often lesser-educated people, aging communities, and the environment.
Ambiguous Sovereignty’s Legacy: Trump’s Authoritarian Drift
MAGA and Donald Trump are direct consequences of this unchecked progress and the underlying ambiguity of sovereignty. Now, President Trump appears to assert that his election granted him the people’s assumed supreme authority, justifying his personal rule over all government and the nation as he sees fit.
His administration’s dismantling of government agencies, falsely framed as cost savings, aims to reduce and eliminate any restraint – regulation, oversight, licensing – on money-making activity. Attacks on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, unions, the Environmental Protection Agency, and any entity that can curb business are central to this agenda.
While proponents of ultra-free enterprise claim “political freedom cannot long exist without economic freedom,” America’s current struggles demonstrate the opposite. Unfettered economic freedom threatens political freedom when those harmed by it express their frustration through violence and authoritarianism.
America can only achieve stability by a government that restrains ultra-free enterprise into simply free enterprise and prioritizes tangible improvements in societal interests like healthcare, housing, and taxation. Without this rebalancing, where the economically powerful remain unchecked and common people vulnerable, the nation’s future likely involves more violence and authoritarianism.
The outcome of the current upheaval hinges on the courts, ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court, and the willingness of the Trump administration and the public to accept rulings that clarify the law as America’s supreme authority. However, the deeply ingrained belief in popular sovereignty, the influence of powerful economic forces manipulating government, and the partial sovereignty of the states suggest a long and arduous path forward.
The Founders’ Legacy: A Gamble on Freedom
Perhaps the Founders recognized the precarious foundation of their creation. Benjamin Franklin’s famous “A republic, if you can keep it” speaks volumes. Trapped by their fear of tyranny and the institution of slavery, they took a gamble. But the inherent contradictions of their “experiment” and the relentless power of greed were always destined to cause significant challenges.
The Revolution unleashed too much liberty too quickly. The urgent task now, for national stability, is to carefully, incrementally, re-establish necessary boundaries without shattering the fundamental spirit of freedom.