The US Constitution (Art IV, S4) guarantees a republican form of government, representative rule of law, not a Republican Party

Jonathan Miltimore, in “How the Ancient Greeks ‘Protected’ Democracy—and What It Teaches Us Today”, Epoch Times, December 22, 2024, wrote excellent commentary without citing the Democrat Party’s futile promotion of liberal democracy. The extant Democrat Party would overtake the United States’ constitutional-republic, in other words, pursuit of statutory justice. Perhaps Miltimore, writing to his audience, wanted to avoid “Republican Party”.

I am writing to lessen Miltimore’s omission of “republic”. Most importantly, the civic people of the United States required, in their 1791 representative-ratification, that their states be guaranteed a republican form of government.
                Like any civic citizen, I do not want the Democrat Party to continue to destroy itself. Their chief problem is solidarity. They could, should, learn from the French that unity begs not only chaos but bloody ruin. Watching their lock-step arrogance during Speaker Mike Johnson’s January 3, 2025 address convinces me the Democrat Party invites ineffectiveness for the next 70 if not 100 years. Not one civil Democrat in the House of Representatives seems a civic citizen. “Civic” refers to reliable responsibility to necessary goodness.

Every human infant has the opportunity to discover, comprehend, and intend to pursue necessary goodness. My wife serenely, confidently lived this principle. Alas, it took 50 years of marriage for me to catch on and purse life without repetition of error, whether experienced or observed in others.

Below are my comments from/about Miltimore’s possible subject.

1.       In Greece 2500 years ago,

a.       Citizens could vote for a fellow citizen to be ostracized on opinion that they were too powerful or dangerous to the city – unwanted. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ancient-athenians-voted-kick-politicians-out-if-enough-people-didnt-them-180976138/

b.       The state, controlled by the people, was obligated to justice not always delivered.

c.       Wrongfully punishing demagogues lessened civic responsibility to justice.

d.       Democracy often banned fellow citizens who held unpopular opinion, such as entitlement to luxury.

e.       Miltimore did not point out that Socrates was unjustly accused, convicted, and sentenced to either banishment or death.

                                                               i.      Socrates annoyed fellow citizens.

                                                             ii.      Socrates, despite friends’ objections, chose death, so died to defend the rule of law, even in injustice.

2.       Today, some people object to the power, authority, and responsibility to pursue privacy, justice, and free speech. Some seek a higher power to deliver their personal reliability – either a God or a government they choose.

a.       “In 2020, in an interview with NPR, New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon declared free speech to be a threat to democracy.”

                                                               i.      It matters not to her that the US is a republic.

b.       “Writing in Vox, Ian Millhiser recently described the Constitution as a ‘broken’ document because of its many ‘antidemocratic features,’ including an executive branch that is ‘increasingly subordinate to the courts,’ a Senate that over-represents voters in sparsely populated states, and an Electoral College that hurts Democrats.”

                                                               i.      It matters not to him that the court sometimes unconstitutionally legislates.

                                                             ii.      It matters not to him that the Democrat Party conducted the Jan 6 charade by preventing participation by the Republican Party.

3.       US laws are intentional

a.       US Constitution, Article IV  Relationships Between the States, Section 4 Republican Form of Government, “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.”

                                                               i.      The people in their states limit their state constitutions, reserving power, authority, and responsibility to themselves.

                                                             ii.      The people in their states limit the US Constitution, granting only necessary powers their states cannot fulfill, for example, defending all national borders and providing the necessary military power.

b.       “In his autobiography, Thomas Jefferson explained that ‘it’s not by the consolidation, or concentration of powers, but by their distribution, that good government is effected’.”

                                                               i.      Jefferson referred to legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the central government.

                                                             ii.      Also, each citizen democratically governs their city, their county, and their state under a federal constitutional-republic.

1.       Some neighborhoods even authorize a taxing district to influence local property owners.

2.       People approve local taxes because they want the services.

c.       “’The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny,’ James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 47.”

                                                               i.      Absolute power corrupts, and that is why I want a civic Democrat Party.

                                                             ii.      I want to vote for a Democrat who effects necessary goodness when the Republican Party is so leading and otherwise.

d.       ‘John Adams wrote. ‘There never was a Democracy Yet, that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to Say that Democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less ambitious or less avaricious than Aristocracy or Monarchy.’”

                                                               i.      Tyrants “Hugo Chávez, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini all rose to power through democratic elections”.

e.       The intentions stated in the preamble to the Constitution are: “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common [defense], promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”.

                                                               i.      I collapse these predicate phrases to nouns, as follows: integrity, justice, safety, strength, prosperity, and responsibility.

1.       The list excludes religion and race.

2.       Promoting either Protestantism or socialism is unconstitutional.

                                                             ii.      Union is not possible when some people don’t want integrity.

                                                           iii.      Neither a God nor a government can provide liberty to irresponsible citizens.

1.       The revered words of the 1776 Declaration of Independence – war against England -- are personal integrity: “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

2.       The 1791 US Constitution carries ratification by the civic faction of We the People of the United States.

4.       Failure to appreciate and pursue the intentions of the United States’ constitutional-republic invites personal ruin.

a.       Globally, “democracy” is, blindly, the individual’s opportunity to vote, whether they support tyranny or practice responsibility.

b.       But the civic citizen does the work to know how to vote in self-interest including their family and posterity, collaborating with fellow citizens. Civic citizens oppose tyrants.

c.       Democracy promises chaos and the Democrat Party need not advocate it.

d.       The civic faction of We the People of the United States accepts the power, the authority, and the responsibility to aid amending the Constitution whenever injustice is discovered.

e.       Each member of the civic faction owns commitment to their personal view of the intentions sentence in the preamble to the Constitution.

f.        Careless people may reform; criminals invite constraint; and tyrants beg annihilation.

g.       I propose licensing only the civic faction to vote in national, if not all, elections.

Every person is born with the potential to discover and accept the opportunity then pursue necessary goodness during their life. This principle was creatively practiced by Sumerian-speaking people 5500 years ago and expressed by Semitic-speaking people in Genesis 1:26-28:  Humankind may and can rule to necessary goodness on earth. The laws of physics affirm to everyone and the United States Constitution abstractly accommodates “to ourselves and our Posterity” the Genesis 1 suggestion.

Copyright©2025 by Phillip R. Beaver. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for the publication of all or portions of this paper as long as this complete copyright notice is included.