". . . and to the Republic for Which It Stands . . ."

[We are glad to resume our too-long-suspended meditation upon the Pledge of Allegiance with this final fragment of work already written. This is where the drafting of the essay collection ended; it is the point where that essay cycle will pick up. - Ed.]

Contemplating the problem of the modern American republic, we can see clearly the dual response of our society to the ideals that we claim to hold dear. The fundamental Athenian notion of the republic was a form of governance in which the people ruled themselves. Our society explicitly refers to the ancient Attic model of the republic, but the practical realization of that ideal in contemporary governance is entirely a different creature.

            Aaron Sorkin, creator of the television series “The West Wing,” explicitly put that idea in the mouth of one of his characters in one episode of the popular drama. America is not a republic, the character noted; it is a representative democracy. The distinction may be subtle, but it is worth noting.

            When America was a young nation, with few relatively large cities and a highly dispersed population, the ancient Greek model of the republic was not only feasible, it was a practical necessity. Slow, inefficient communication and travel between local populations required a certain level of self-reliance; decrees and policies of the central government required days or weeks to disseminate to the people. Furthermore, a much-smaller population was more manageable in size, as far as allowing each citizen to have his say and be heard. The cacophonous babble of the citizenry still allowed individual voices to ring out.

[We shall return. - Ed.]