There is a misconception by many people in America that the United States is a Democracy. IT IS NOT! It is a Republic, meaning that we elect Representatives to make decisions for us. In a Democracy we would, each and every one of us, consider and vote on every action the government takes. We don't do that. We elect officials to do that for us. Therefore, this is a republic and so when we say it is a Republican form of government we are not referring to the GOP, but to the form of government we have and the representatives we elect.

This being a Republic, we expect certain things from our elected officials. We expect them to represent our wishes, even when those wishes are in conflict with their own. And, when we say OUR wishes we are referring to the majority of constituents of the representative. We elect people who we believe have our same beliefs and interests, but that isn’t always so. Yet, it is the duty of the elected representative to present those majority interests in the government, even when they conflict with their own. This is a principle which many of our elected officials seem to have forgotten.

The only reason a society has for having a government is to provide for the basic needs of its citizens which includes the infrastructure which that society needs to sustain itself. In our country that includes roads, bridges, airports, etc. Then, government also provides for the safety and security of its citizens through armed forces and police. These agencies of the government also assure that the will of the citizens, as expressed through the elected government, are upheld. That will of the people amounts to the culture of our society. So, in other words, the purpose of government is to maintain the culture of a majority of its citizens as expressed through their election of representatives.

Unfortunately, in today’s America, we’ve come to expect much more from our government. What is needed is a return to the basic principles of our nation. Not just less government, but a more efficient government that will take care of our social basics and let the people take care of themselves and others as they see fit.