051: We the people
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In this episode of the Spirit of Leading podcast, I comment on what I believe are the three most important words of the U.S. Constitution. They form the premise of why we have the constitution.
Our elected leaders, uniformed military, and naturalized citizens swear to defend the constitution. When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we pledge allegiance “to the republic for which it stands.” The republic as defined and explained by the U.S. Constitution.
A constitution is the supreme law of the land. Yet according to research (see link below) a majority of Americans know little or nothing about how their government functions or any details about the articles and amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
We talk about freedom and democracy and how much we “love” them. Then, when it comes to voting (actual participation in the democracy) we fail to show. American voters are more likely to vote in high profile presidential elections than in any other (about 60% in 2016). When it comes to local elections, participation drops to 20% or less (see article below).
America is great when individual citizens are informed and engaged. After all, we aspire to “liberty and justice for all.”