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Defending the power of our states since 2009
On this day, 250 years ago, the Continental Congress passed a resolution separating the American colonies from Britain. Two days later, on the Fourth of July, the same Congress passed a statement of principles in support of that resolution. It is this statement, our Declaration of Independence, that we celebrate each year. For 250 years, Americans have celebrated this statement because it is true and because it is the reason for our constitutional republic.
Human beings have an enduring sense of fairness. We know how we want to be treated by others and can figure out that we, in turn, owe such treatment to others. These instincts can be twisted, ignored, or overridden, but they remain “self-evident” truths. This fact is the foundation of freedom, establishing the legitimate purpose for government—protecting rights—and thus the limits of government.
The alternative view is that government creates rights. This is naturally attractive to elites, as it suggests that the more power they have, the more rights they can give everyone else. In fact, it means that anything government does is legitimate—no external standard applies, and government is, in this view, a secular god.
The American Founders believed in individual rights and limited government powers. This is why they established a constitution that separates, checks, and balances power. The Electoral College, which I created Save Our States to defend, is part of that constitutional structure.
The Electoral College serves the principles of the Declaration of Independence. It limits, or checks, the power of the biggest states, population centers, and media markets. That check creates greater balance, spreading power out to more states and thus more people. It protects the distinct voice of people in distinct areas. And it allows power over elections to remain closer to the people—in each state. The president is not in charge of presidential elections, thanks to the Electoral College.
As we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, which is really the Declaration of Independence Day, we should remember these principles. The government of the Constitution only makes sense, and will only endure, if the American people continue to believe that we have rights that precede government, that government exists for certain reasons, and that its powers must remain limited.