The civic virtues that are being discussed in the provided excerpts can be divided into three broad categories, namely, obtaining and maintenance of civic knowledge and putting one’s civic knowledge to use through public participation; being self-assertive when necessary, and self-restraint. Taken together, the passages suggest that to the Framers, the model citizen would be one that understands the issues of importance in the community and nation, is actively engaged in public life, and who know when to zealously advocate his point of view or concede depending upon the specific circumstances. Three examples are illustrative of this point. First, in Federalist Paper No. 62, James Madison’s discussion of how an individual or nation that does not have a plan of success will inevitably be exploited by others suggest the civic virtue of gaining an understanding of politics and government and using that knowledge to protect themselves (Madison). Second, the passage from the Declaration of Independence, showed Thomas Jefferson belief that when a people have a right to revolt when they are so oppressed as to have no other choice then revolt or die (Jefferson). Lastly, Washington’s Inaugural Address, tacitly states the virtue of having self-restraint in taking power and wielding authority (Washington).
When consideration is given to the time period in which the statements were made, it is not difficult to see that they reflect the particular circumstances that the Framers were facing at the time. To be sure, the Colonies were for all intents and purpose were being exploited by the British government on the one hand, and oppressed by the British colonial authorities and military on the other hand. Accordingly, in order to first eliminate the threat brought on by British rule, the Framers were in need of man and women who were self-assertive. That is to say, a public that had the courage to stand up and fight for their rights, even in the face of overwhelming odds against them. Similarly, the Framers also understood that the only way a republic and a democracy could sustain itself without turning or degrading into a more repressive regime such as the British monarchy, it needed the people to be engaged in the political process. In other words, people needed to have enough knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting the community and nation to make informed decisions and to keep their representatives from becoming corrupt or power hunger at their expense. Lastly, since the idea widely advocated among the Framers was for a government of limited power and a public with most of the power, they needed citizens to be able to restrain themselves from unreasonably imposing on the rights of others. In essence, the civic virtues advocated by the Framers were a direct result of the world that the they lived in and experienced.
The civic virtues expressed in the passages are more applicable today than they probably ever were since the time of the Framers. Now just as then, the nation has been confronted by a number of issues, such as terrorism, immigration, globalization, criminal justice, and the environment that require the public to develop a basic understanding of so that they can make informed decisions as to what the state and public officials are doing or want to do. In other words, it is not the time to be a “summer soldier” or a “sunshine patriot” (Paine). Additionally, in the time of the “professional politician” the public also needs to use its civic knowledge to force debate, vote, and it necessary remove from office those who are corrupt, ineffective, and ignorant. Lastly, as the ability to hear and come into contact with more voices, points of view, and different perspectives increases, people need to have more self-restraint and flexibility to allow the expression without condemnation. If these civic virtues disappear, it will not be very long, as some of the Framers noted, before we see a return to an authoritarian and abusive regime.
These virtues absolutely apply to my life. As a member of the public community, my voice, ideas, and thoughts should also have resonance. To be sure, these rights are provided for in the Constitution. If I did not practice these civic virtues, how much easier would it be for the state to exploit me without my knowing.
In his essay entitled “What is an American?”, Hector de Crevecoeur describes his observations of American and American life shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War. In his description, Crevecoeur provides a fairly positive image of “the American” (Crevecoeur 15-24). To be sure, Crevecoeur admires the American for their ingenuity, resourcefulness, and resilience. But perhaps most importantly, Crevecoeur admires Americans for their ability to forget, or rather to integrate, past customs and traditions into a new American persona that is at once entirely new but made up of old parts.
A basic comparison of Crevecoeur’s description against the reality of the time suggests that he was more or less correct. It is true that colonial America was made up of a wide mix of nationalities, races, ethnicities, religions and customs that came together to fight British imperialism. It is also true that after the war, most people while retaining many of their “old world” traditions, easily gave up their “old world” nationalism to create a new American nationalism (Ginsburg et al. 12). However, the creation of a unified community was not as comprehensive, in reality, as Crevecoeur had observed. There were still many strands of difference in ideas and cultures, such as between the northern colonies and the southern colonies, that were clear and would later become an issues.
Applying Crevecoeur’s description to modern American society is both more and less accurate. Today, the U.S. is truly a melting pot of the world with the only requirement being that one adheres to American values. On the other hand, despite the broad idea of “Americanness”, Americans most likely feel less unified as at any time since the colonial period.
Considering the events and circumstances of contemporary American society, as an individual and as a nation, we can and should find guidance and inspiration from the Framers and their ideas of civic virtue. This is based on a number of factors. First, we are a democratic republic that relies on representatives to represent our interests. The problem is that all too often our representatives represent their ow interests rather than ours. We do not understand this because we have abdicated the civic virtue of learning about the issues ourselves and public participation and assertiveness by demanding that our representatives act accordingly or be voted out of office. To be sure, as Adams said we should not allow people without virtue or trust hold positions of power (Wells). Second, we are a nation founded on the idea of immigration not only of people but of ideas. This has made us strong continuously. However, lack of self-restraint and growth of the idea that “my right” is stronger than your right” has destroyed the unity described by Crevecoeur that he thought made it so admirable to be an American. Accordingly, a reemphasis of the civic virtues of the Framers would go a long way to resolving some of the more pressing issues of our time. It is for these reasons that we should reconsider what they meant and how it can be applied to our modern selves on an individual and national basis.
Works Cited
Crevecoeur, Hector. “What is an American.” Essays on Immigration. Ed. Bob Blaisdell. Mineola: Dover Publishing, Inc., 2013. 15-24. Print.
Ginsberg, B., T.J. Lowi, M. Weir, C.J. Tolbert, and R.J. Spitzer. We the People: An Introduction to American Politics, 9th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. Print.
Madison, James. The Federalist No. 62, 27 Feb. 1788. Web. http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa62.htm
Jefferson, Thomas. “Declaration of Independence.” National Archives and Records Administration, 04 Jul. 1776. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
Paine, Thomas. “The American Crisis.” 23 Dec. 1776. Web. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1776-1785/thomas-paine-american-crisis/chapter-i---the-american-crisis---december-23-1776.php
Washington George. “Inaugural Address of 1789.” National Archives and Records Administration, 30 Apr. 1789. Web. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/inaugtxt.html
Wells, William V. The Life and Public Service of Samuel Adams. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1865. Web. https://archive.org/details/lifepublicservice01welluoft
