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Republicanism
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Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, with an emphasis on liberty, rule of law, popular sovereignty and the civic virtue practiced by citizens. Republicanism always stands in opposition to aristocracy, oligarchy, and dictatorship. More broadly, it refers to a political system that protects liberty, especially by incorporating a rule of law that cannot be arbitrarily ignored by the government. Or as John Adams put it, “They define a republic to be a government of laws, and not of men.” Much of the literature deals with the issue of what sort of values and behavior by the citizens is necessary if the republic is to survive and flourish; the emphasis has been on widespread citizen participation, civic virtue, and opposition to corruption.
The writings of British philosopher John Locke greatly inspired the American colonists. Image courtesy of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, Raleigh, NC. Republicanism is a term for beliefs that have defined the American political experiment. In particular, republicanism stems from a form a government where the people are sovereign. In such a government, virtuous and autonomous citizens must exercise self-control for the common good. Republican citizens should not seek office or use public office for economic gain. Public officials must subordinate their personal ambitions for the good of the community. A republican citizen ... must be prepared to thwart corrupting influences that would lead the nation toward tyranny or despotism. Republicanism is based on the assumption that liberty and power continually battle. Therefore, citizens must protect a fragile liberty from destructive power.
Bush Republicanism has combined various Far Right elements with runaway Corporatism to create a 21st Century radical New Right coalition. It is economically powerful but inherently a minority viewpoint. Unfortunately, this New Right coalition, commonly called Bush Republicans after their most prominent national leader, George W. Bush, has little attachment to the traditions or institutions of American Democracy. They are willing to radically alter or undermine American political traditions in a very anti-conservative way to achieve political power and advance their radical Right Wing agenda.
Republicanism has not always been viewed positively. The Third Republic version has sometimes been regarded as having stifled the development of liberal philosophy, while from a Marxist position, Guesde suggested that its only merit was to render more visible the economic oppression of capitalism. And feminists have pointed out that the universalism of the republican tradition broke down when it came to gender. It could be argued that the republic was constructed not so much without women as against them. Republican rhetoric speaks proudly of ‘universal suffrage’ being introduced as early as 1848, but republican politicians blocked women's suffrage until 1944, and French women did not acquire full civil rights on a par with men until the 1980s. An illustration of change within continuity, as well as uncertainty within the contemporary republican tradition, was provided by the ‘affaire du foulard’ of 1989.
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The contempt Bush Republicanism holds for American political traditions can be seen in their tactics and policies. The Tom Delay- Texas Congressional Re-Districting Scandals are great examples of the anti-conservative and corrupt nature of Bush Republicanism in action. The Bill Frist inspired so-called “nuclear option” tactic concerning the filibuster Democrats in the Senate were considering to block extremist judgeship nominations is typical of the Bush Republican contempt for American political traditions.
Irish Republicanism is in crisis. The British presence is still there, the Unionists are still ruling the place, all this for the foreseeable future. The fact that Irish Republicanism has not been able to realise its aims and has suffered a massive defeat is at the root of this present crisis.
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