It is not a coincidence that Constitution Day, Citizenship Day, and National Voter Registration Day are marked on September 17 because the Constitution protects citizens from the overreach of government, and voting is one of the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
The U.S. Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention on Sept. 17, 1787. It was then ratified on June 21, 1788, after nine of the 13 states gave their formal approval of the document. The constitution went into effect on March 9, 1789, and George Washington took the oath of office as the nation’s first president on April 30, 1789.
There is a famous story that as the Constitutional Convention was concluding, a group of people waited outside of what today we call Constitution Hall in Philadelphia. As Benjamin Franklin walked out, a woman reportedly shouted out, “Dr. Franklin, what kind of government have we got? A republic or a monarchy,” to which the 81-year-old Franklin famously responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Most people would be hard pressed to explain the difference between a republic and a democracy, and in man-on-the-street interviews, most people would say the American form of government is a democracy.
Curiously, neither the term democracy nor republic are used in the Constitution, although in Article IV Section IV of the Constitution, the term republican is used: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.”
What is the difference? A republic is a representative form of government ruled according to a charter or a constitution. A democracy is a form of government ruled according to the will of the majority.
Although these forms of government are often confused, they are quite different. The main difference between a republic and a democracy is the charter or constitution that limits power in a republic, often to protect the individual’s rights against the desires of the majority.
America is actually a democratic republic. Remember the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands…”
In a democratic republic, representatives are elected democratically – one vote to each citizen – and the elected representatives, from the members of Congress and the Statehouse all the way down to the County Board of Supervisors and the Town Trustees, are charged with the tasks of rulemaking.
The observance of Constitution Day began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day.” Citizenship Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1952, and President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed the first Constitution Week in 1955. Constitution Week is observed each year from Sept. 17 to Sept. 23. National Voter Registration Day has been observed since 2012 and is always set on a Tuesday.
U.S. citizenship is a highly coveted status for many people who are willing to risk life and limb to come to the United States. It can take many years and great expense to immigrate, and once in the U.S., it can take 18 to 24 months to process the citizenship application, complete the biometrics process, attend the interview and exam, and then to take the oath of allegiance.
And what about the citizenship exam? Many people who are citizens by birth would be hard pressed to pass the exam. The annual Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey which measures civics knowledge was released last week by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The 2024 report showed that a third of American adults could not name the three branches of the federal government, or recall most First Amendment rights.
There are four ways for a person to become a citizen of the United States:
- Birthright citizenship: A person can be born on U.S. soil, or they can be born on foreign soil to a parent who is a U.S. citizen.
- Citizenship by naturalization: A person can become a U.S. citizen through the naturalization process, which is available to green card holders who meet certain requirements.
- Citizenship by marriage: A person can become a U.S. citizen if they have been married to a U.S. citizen for at least three years and meet other requirements.
- Citizenship through military service: A person can become a U.S. citizen if they serve in the U.S. military.
Tonight, a dinner of recognition will be held at the American Legion Post 119 to celebrate some of America’s newest citizens who live here in the Estes Valley.
At a time when there is a great deal of political polarization, it is important to remember the ties that unite us as Americans, and to reflect on the words in the preamble of the Constitution, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
If you want to brush up on your American history and take a deep dive into the Constitution, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has a 15-lesson on-line course, Constitution 101.
If you want to test your civics knowledge and see if you could pass a citizenship test, check out these online tests: Civics Practice Test, Preparing for the Oath, Civics Questions.
The Estes Valley Voice has launched a civility initiative — “Civility in the Estes Valley Begins with Me” — to encourage people to be mindful of civility in the public square during the next seven weeks as we approach the 2024 General Election, and you are invited to take the “Civility in the Estes Valley Begins with Me” pledge as a way to foster mindfulness about civility and hold yourself accountable to the practice of civility.