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Of Privileges and Responsibilities: By R. Matthew Lytle, Ph.D. "It becomes necessary to every subject then, to be in some degree a statesman: and to examine and judge for himself of the tendencies of political principles and measures.” John Adams Elections offer citizens of this great nation and state the opportunity to become statesmen and speak out on their own behalf concerning the affairs of how the nation and state are governed. Indeed involvement of the citizens in government goes back to the framing of the Constitution of the United States, which begins as a declaration by “We the People of the United States.”1 Similarly, Abraham Lincoln called America a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” almost a century after the penning of the Constitution.2 From the beginning, the founding fathers of the United States envisioned—and indeed required—participation by its citizens. The U.S. Constitution “guarantee[s] to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.”3 “Republican” here does not refer to a political party, but to the way in which the government has been established. The glossary at www.usconstitution.net defines “republic” as “a government in which supreme power is held by the citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives governing according to law.”4 The government is elected by the people and serves the people’s interests by making, interpreting, and enforcing laws. While the government is responsible for running the affairs of the country, the Constitution makes it clear that the citizens are responsible for ruling the country. The founding fathers set up a government of the people because they knew of no better alternative. Thomas Jefferson, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, said: “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.”5 Ruling the Country Voting is the most obvious and active way that most citizens of this country can exercise their “ultimate powers.” A key component of voting, as evidenced by Jefferson’s words above, is the necessity of education. Formal education is not Jefferson’s aim here. Instead, Jefferson calls for education about the candidates and issues relevant for each election. James Madison, the chief framer of the Constitution and subsequent President, said, “A popular government, without the popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to farce or tragedy.”6 In the minds of the founding fathers, then, it was not enough that the citizens merely vote. If the country is to avoid “farce and tragedy”—indeed if it is to flourish—the citizens must be informed citizens. Lack of this information does not mean the end of the voting process, but instead means that more education concerning the candidates and issues is required. It is therefore imperative that citizens take an active role in gathering as much information as possible concerning what will appear on his or her ballot. Kenyn Cureton of the Family Research Council points to an old proverb that states, “Bad politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote.” This proverb stands as an extension of the founding fathers’ call for informed voting. Informed voting is the Constitutionally-guaranteed mechanism for a smoothly running government and country. What are some ways to make sure that one is properly exercising the right and responsibility of voting? Register to Vote: The first step is to make sure that one is registered to vote. Only those who are registered to vote can participate in ruling the country. In North Carolina, voter registration is done through local Boards of Elections, as well as other locations such as public libraries and driver’s license offices. The North Carolina Family Policy Council has prepared a Voter Registration Guide designed to help North Carolinians register to vote. To download this resource, visit ncfamily.org. Get Informed: The next step is to become informed about candidates and issues. In keeping with Jefferson’s and Madison’s call for an informed citizenship, the North Carolina Family Policy Council has prepared the 2008 Voter Guide. The Voter Guide is an impartial and nonpartisan look at candidates running for office in North Carolina. In preparing this resource, national and state-level candidates running for public office were sent a questionnaire inquiring as to his or her stance on a variety of issues. Each candidate’s answers have been compiled into a form that allows voters to quickly determine where each candidate stands on each issue (if a candidate did not answer the questionnaire, the Voter Guide notes this). These questionnaires survey the candidates for their positions on important issues like abortion and embryonic stem cell research, State Marriage Amendment, school choice, gambling, sex education, religious expression, the state budget, property rights, and more. Vote: The final step is to vote. North Carolina has made it increasingly easy for its citizens to vote. In addition to the polls on Election Day, North Carolina offers absentee and one-stop voting (see the box below for important dates concerning absentee and one-stop). These convenient options mean that most citizens are without excuse when it comes to voting. Ruling North Carolina Every four years, the eyes and minds of most Americans turn to the national elections so much so that most people generally associate this election with the selection of a President. Others may consider congressional and other national-level elections, but still ignore state and local-level races. In this way, North Carolinians have the opportunity to “rule” the state by being the ones to choose who will represent their interests in the North Carolina government, and it is the North Carolina government that has a more direct influence over the daily lives of North Carolinians. The Governor, legislators, and state-level judges make decisions that impact each citizen. The members of the General Assembly enact laws that are binding statewide. Since these laws are voted for by elected officials, the responsibility for the quality of North Carolina’s laws falls to the citizens who elect lawmakers. These laws are then interpreted by the judicial branch. Unlike many other states, North Carolinians elect their judges, which means that the ultimate responsibility for how North Carolinas laws are interpreted lies with the citizens. Local-level races arguably have even more effect on citizens. County commissioners, school boards and city or town councils determine to a large extent the daily affairs of a town. Sheriffs help to determine how local law will be enforced. District judges determine how state laws will affect local communities. These officials cannot accurately represent the will of the people if the people are ill-informed or do not vote. They may not be as glamorous or fun to follow as the presidential election, but state and local-level elections are in some immediate ways more important for North Carolinians because these elections touch more areas of life. For this reason, it behooves voters to educate themselves on whatever local elections will appear on the ballot and to vote his or her conscience. By doing so, each voter helps to ensure that North Carolina’s government represents the wishes and values of the entire population. A Privilege and a Responsibility From the beginning, the founding fathers of this great nation saw fit to vest the nation’s ultimate power in the citizens. In this way, the citizens are afforded a privilege that sets them apart from many of the other nations of the world. Through the privilege of getting to decide who will represent them in overseeing the affairs of state, the citizens assume their Constitutionally-established place as the ultimate seat of power in the United States. John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, put it this way, “The Americans are the first people whom Heaven has favored with an opportunity of deliberating upon and choosing the forms of government under which they should live.” Jay, one of the founding fathers, saw voting as a privilege and a sign of favor. Furthermore, he understood it as the way in which Americans choose the government, which handles matters of state. While it is true that the government oversees the daily affairs of state, this government is established by the people and is accountable to them. This means that if there is a problem with the way that the country is governed, the responsibility lies with the citizens to correct it. The framers of the Constitution established voting as the main mechanism for affecting this correction. Voting is thus also a grave responsibility. Alexander Hamilton wrote, “A share in the sovereignty of the state, which is exercised by the citizens at large, in voting at elections is one of the most important rights of the subject, and in a republic ought to stand foremost in the estimation of the law.” Hamilton understood, as did the founding fathers, that voting in elections is one of the most important rights that a citizen can have. It is through this right that citizens shape the state and therefore bear the ultimate responsibility for the action of the state. It may sound like a truism, but it is important to remember that the government is elected by those who vote. Whenever a large percentage of eligible voters fail to vote, the elected government may not reflect the values of the majority. Because voting is a responsibility, those who do not vote are as much responsible for who is elected (or not elected) as those who vote. The serious implication from this statement is that every citizen is partly responsible either for his or her action or inaction at the polls. The proverb above rings true: if good people do not vote, the result could very well be bad leadership. When citizens inform themselves and vote their consciences, then the system developed by the founding fathers works as it should, and the government is truly a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Endnotes:
R. Matthew Lytle is director of research with the North Carolina Family Policy Council. Copyright © 2008. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.
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