The American Republic: A brief introduction to small “r” republicanism, why it disappeared, and how this centuries-old political framework continues to hold great potential in answering many of the social, political and economic ills for our modern, complex society.

Does Government Work?: A considered response to the growth of our Federal government. There is no deterministic reason for large, centralized government in a modern, complex society. This paper argues that, in fact, decentralized government works better in a modern, complex society. However, political elements and American society have to move beyond mere, simplistic calls for “smaller government” in order to achieve these ends. Citizens taking responsibility for their country is the starting point.

The Dignity of Humanity: An essay that briefly reviews the history of Western thought on humankind, how it influenced our economy, government and society along the way, and why this led to embracing hyperindividualism, paradoxically denying individualism and the dignity of humanity.

A Program of Reformation for Our Federal Government: Few would disagree with the contention that we have a seriously dysfunctional Federal government. Here are the next steps to reform it. All on one page.

The Chasm Between the Economy and Finance: A white paper on the world of finance, how its economic power has grown precipitously over the past three decades, its influence on government, and the need for a return to substantive finance and a working economy.

The Vanishing Middle: Stagnant incomes and rising debt loads eradicated American middle-income wealth over the past 30 years. Here’s why, and a way forward.

A Roadmap to Follow: Japan’s economic woes have reached a 20th anniversary. There are deep lessons to be learned here by Americans, particularly government leaders and policymakers. This paper presents an historical background for The Vanishing Middle, listed above.

The Aristocracy of Monied Corporations: How our justice system recognizes the personhood of corporations, using the 14th Amendment, and its implication for our political process.

Synthetic Inflation: Why food and energy prices, during an economic downturn. are rising, threatening American household budgets and delaying the economic recovery.

Urban Development for Agriculture: A look at urban redevelopment for agriculture usage, and the barriers facing the revitalization of underutilized areas.

Obesity: A Liberty? Or License?: Obesity is becoming an epidemic in America. So should First Lady Michelle Obama pursue a campaign against obesity? Or is this, as Sarah Palin contends, another example of “big brother” hovering over us? The implications for and alternatives to our healthcare system are discussed.

Legalizing Heroin?: The discussion of the legalization of drugs started with marijuana, and is now climbing into heroin’s back seat. Are we crossing a bridge too far?

Clean Hydrogen Dirty Secrets: Hydrogen-burning internal-combustion engines promise a cleaner environment, frees us from foreign energy dependence, and is a potentially cheap and plentiful source of energy as the hydrogen technologies develop. So why has the United States thrown hydrogen overboard?

Reinserting Citizens into U.S. Healthcare: The problem with U.S. healthcare isn’t public policy, it’s the absence of the patient in the decision-making process. Here’s a look at how to change this reality.

The Indirect and Remote Considerations of Policy Analysis: Ideologically bound politics, agenda setting and funding development drives policy analysis. So how does the well-formed argument strengthen such analysis at low cost and short time frames, yet ease comprehension and adoption by policymakers, stakeholders, constituents and donors? This strategy for policy analysis is discussed, and includes an application to a previously published economic analysis.

All users, please be aware that I retain all rights to my works, and make every attempt to lock my .pdf documents from all usage save for reading and downloading. I undertake this for two reasons: 1) These papers have taken a copious amount of reading and research on my part and while I certainly welcome proper citation, I do not appreciate my work being plagiarized; and 2) regarding plagiarism, awhile ago I was requested by some universities to lock up my documents, as they discovered instances of plagiarism from my papers by utilizing sophisticated search software to compare papers submitted for grades against text available on the Internet. I was more than happy to comply: Students, earn your own grades.

NOTE: My work is not connected with the small-r group on Facebook, which is a citizen reformation effort within the Republican party. The endeavors of The Small “r” largely use the works of small-r republicanism from political philosophers who influenced, or from the Founders who were directly involved in, the establishment of the American Republic in the late 18th- and early 19th-century. Some 20th-century authors are relied on where more contemporary issues are involved, issues that the Founders could not have anticipated.

Regardless, the use of republicanism (the political framework, not the contemporary political party) at The Small “r” is decidedly Jeffersonian, which cuts across all contemporary political parties and platforms. My only request is that the reader gives it a fair hearing.

A republic is a form of government that:

a) declares all humanity as created equal, in that all possess the same God-given/natural rights, natural in that no external body bestows these liberties on individuals, thus they cannot be arbitrarily revoked;

b) establishes these natural rights as individual liberties, liberties that need citizens to voluntarily uphold social and civic responsibilities, otherwise liberties without responsibilities degenerate into license, which tears asunder the fabric of society;

c) defines sovereign power as resting in the people, since it is the people who possess natural rights and liberties, with the people providing limited bestowal of powers to local, state, and national government so that government can ensure the good of society;

d) realizes that government does not always provide for the good of society, thus establishes not merely a vote, but citizen engagement within the political process to ensure political and economic powers do not tyrannize individual liberties nor corrupt governance;

e) positions most governance near the people, which enables civic engagement and does not isolate government in an opaque, centralized institution with increasing arbitrary powers;

f) upholds private property which, when held without debt encumbrances, ensures a citizen’s independence;

g) requires the presence of decentralized free markets with numerous independent proprietors, so that large monopolies or oligarchies operating in corporate- and/or government-controlled centralized markets do not threaten liberties;

h) regulates society by the rule of law, wherein fixed rules provide guidance to citizens, thus assuring no assertion of arbitrary powers; and

i) values a society where citizens can secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with contentment, preferable to a hyper-competitive, distraught, over-stretched empire that is globally despised.

For more information on small-r republicanism, see The Small “r” essays on Scribd, and The American Republic essay in particular.