Reclaiming the Republic

"Reclaiming the Republic." Show of hands: are you aware of the concept of separation of powers and/or the three branches of government? If you raised your hand, congratulations: you have been thoroughly misled for most likely your entire academic life. This is nothing to be ashamed of, since most people understand these concepts as a triangle consisting of the Congress, Presidency and the Supreme Court; this is understandable given the standard American History lesson most are taught in grade school. In reality, however, the Founding Fathers had a different diagram in mind. Their "triangle" consisted of: the People, the States and the federal government. With the powers of the federal government clearly defined, they devised a system designed to ensure that the federal government was kept in check. The most basic being the 9th and 10th amendments. These amendments state: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." Also: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Combined with the nineteen enumerated powers of Congress, these guidelines were intended to be clear and unmistakable proof of the Founding Fathers' intent to limit the federal government. Along with those amendments to the Constitution, they designed within the constitution a government to protect the sovereignty of both the people and the states. They protected the rights of the people in two ways: First they ensured that all monetary bills would have to be introduced and passed by the house of representatives. Second, they made the state supreme in all matters of government, minus defense and foreign policy. By making states and their respective governments responsible, the Constitution and the Founding Fathers anticipated the greatest power going to those who are most directly responsible to the individual citizen. They protected the supremacy of the states by giving them a voice in the federal government. Prior to 1913 the Senate was chosen by the State Legislator of the various states. By changing this the states were knocked out of the checks-and-balances triangle, thus redefining the relationship between the federal government and the states. No longer were the Senators beholden to the States' interests; instead, they were part of the federal government branch. It is no surprise that the federal government only expanded as rapidly as it did AFTER 1913 since the prior check had been dismantled. If we restore the Founders vision of a Federal Republic of United States, it is the people who will benefit. I say give the power back to the people who most directly represent us instead of giving it to people who in some states represent 10-20 million.