If you’ve been spilling ink over the past months or years arguing that the United States of America is a republic, not a democracy, congratulations, this is your moment. …
Indeed, the whole idea of an unchecked executive is really antithetical to republican government. “A republic not a democracy” folks like to bring up examples from Rome. So, okay, Rome stopped being a republic and started being an empire when its Senate handed over power to unelected Caesars who served for life and hand-picked their heirs.
Well, we are now at such a critical moment. …
Following a procedure delineated in the Constitution is not a coup, and it certainly isn’t a constitutional crisis. Impeachment and removal from office has a very high bar, but if it wasn’t intended for this particular moment, it’s hard to see what it was intended for. CONT.
Seth Masket (U. of Denver), Mischiefs of Faction