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About Civitarianism

Meaning

A "civitarian" is centrist and independent. He is the opposite of a "libertarian." Where a "libertarian" is fiscally conservative and socially liberal, a civitarian is fiscally liberal and socially conservative.

"Fiscal liberalism" simply acknowledges that government must be engaged in the life of the national economy, especially during downturns in the business cycle. "Social conservatism" respects our civic and cultural heritage—and wants to see it preserved.

There are several ways to be "in the middle." Civitarianism is one of them.

Tenets

  • Democracy is the principle
  • "Big government conservatism"
  • Melting pot, not salad bowl
  • "A job for each and a church for all"
  • Enlightenment republic
  • For America, Christian democracy

Fix the Constitution

Great Country, Bad Constitution

  • A constitution strengthens or weakens the moral character of a people.
  • It is the foundation of the rule of law.
  • Our Constitution may be the foundation of the rule of law in our country, but democracy is the foundation of the Constitution itself.
  • Democracy is "all men are created equal" and "one citizen, one vote."
  • Our Constitution does not respect democracy, which makes "rule of law" finagling and even scamming rather than an earnest enterprise.

The British Constitution

Three pillars of "unwritten" British constitution

  • Parliamentary sovereignty
  • Rule of law
  • Democracy

Our Constitution

  • The Declaration of Independence is our country's "source of truth."
  • The Constitution, though important to the rule of law, is more civic document than legal document.
  • It is properly interpreted through the Declaration, the Long Decade of American Genesis (1776-1788), and the first decades of our constitutional democracy.
  • The Constitution was built from the assumption that there would be no political parties.
  • The key to our Constitution is democratic statecraft (consent of the governed, Congressional sovereignty, relative local autonomy).
  • A constitution can define the flow of government, but it cannot permanently "separate powers," as power resides in the branch of government wielding the sword.
  • This is why democracy requires that the executive have its power sourced in the legislative branch.
  • The judiciary can legitimately void laws which are anti-democratic, but there is no judicial role to "review" the constitutional validity of any policy.
  • The Constitution itself is not the final word on how the Constitution can be changed.

The Virginia Plan

Restore the Virginia Plan

  • Large House of Representatives (one for every 100,000 citizens)
  • Small Senate (20-30), chosen by the House from nominees of the several states
  • President selected by Congress (and unselected by Congress)
  • Constitutional change via national referendums

Why Light Purple

The light purple backdrops blend our national colors: red, white, and blue. It also happens to reflect vernacular of our current political divide (“Red” vs. “Blue”)

Conservatism
+
Enlightenment
+
Liberalism
=
Light Purple

Light purple reflects what might be called "conservative liberalism," held against the background of our Enlightenment roots. It is the color of American civitarianism.