What
ties us uniquely together as Americans is not place or
even bonds of blood, but a commitment to shared ideals
of political community. The cornerstone of these ideals
and of our republican system of government is the United
States Constitution. That historic document, originally
drafted in 1787, established the blueprint of government
still in place today. The Constitution organized the federal
government to include three co-equal branches: the legislative,
the executive and the judicial. Placing checks and balances
upon these branches of government, prevents any one of
them from holding and exercising too much power.
This system enables us to participate in our own government, whether directly or through our elected representatives. Being an engaged and active citizen starts locally: serving on juries, voting, communicating with elected officials, following current events and volunteering in the community.
In order to be engaged citizens, however, all of us have the responsibility to be informed citizens. As James Madison, the “father of the Constitution,”” observed, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” Why is knowledge so important for citizens? Madison emphasized, “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
Educating ourselves as citizens is central to the success of our constitutional democracy. It means appreciating our common law history as a people and the special role that courts play as guardians of the Constitution. It means recognizing the responsibilities as well as the rights of citizenship.
As individual citizens, we all have a duty to help our nation live up to the ideal articulated memorably by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address: “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III
President-Elect
American Bar Association
Attorney At Law
Frost Brown Todd LLC
