Have We Failed Their Vision?
The ideals of the Republic—a government of laws designed to protect human rights, where every person is equal under the law and society’s welfare is valued above profit—have been repeatedly compromised.
The Republic We Were Meant to Be
Let’s cut through the rhetoric and acknowledge a hard truth: the United States has never fully met the standards set forth by its founding documents. The ideals of the Republic—a government of laws designed to protect human rights, where every person is equal under the law and society’s welfare is valued above profit—have been repeatedly compromised.
The Declaration of Independence states:
"All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
And, critically:
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men..."
This means that the sole purpose of government is to protect human rights. The most comprehensive articulation of these rights today is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which outlines freedoms essential to dignity and justice. However, the United States has drifted far from these principles, prioritizing corporate profits and political expediency over the common good.
John Adams and the Purpose of Government
John Adams articulated the moral foundation of government explicitly:
"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men."
This founding principle has been systematically eroded. The modern political landscape—dominated by neoliberalism and corporate interests—has perverted governance into a mechanism for the enrichment of the few rather than the well-being of all.
Taxation, rather than being viewed as a collective contribution to societal good, has been vilified. Yet, as Thomas Paine wrote:
"Is it popular to pay our debts, to do justice, to defend an injured and insulted country, to protect the aged and the infant, and to give to liberty a land to live in? Then must taxation, as the means by which those things are to be done, be popular likewise."
The very concept of profit, when it comes to governance, has been deliberately distorted. Adam Smith, often cited as the father of capitalism, noted:
"The rate of profit does not, like rent and wages, rise with the prosperity and fall with the declension of the society. On the contrary, it is naturally low in rich, and high in poor countries, and it is always highest in the countries which are going fastest to ruin."
This warning remains relevant today, as wealth inequality reaches historic extremes and the democratic process is increasingly undermined by corporate influence.
Twisting Morality into Christian Nationalism
One of the most dangerous distortions of American principles today is the co-opting of morality under the banner of Christian Nationalism. This movement, rather than adhering to the moral values Adams espoused, weaponizes religious identity to justify policies that violate fundamental human rights and democratic principles.
A widely misinterpreted quote from Adams is often used to justify theocratic governance:
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Taken out of context, this has been manipulated to claim that Adams supported a closer relationship between government and organized Christianity. However, Adams’ actual intent was far different. He equated morality with ethical governance—opposing greed, corruption, and oppression—not with any particular religious dogma. His correspondence with Thomas Jefferson reinforces this:
"For the last year or two I have devoted myself to this kind of study... I have read fifteen volumes of Grimm, seven volumes of Tucker’s Neddy Search, twelve volumes of Dupuis, and Tracy’s Analysis, and four volumes of Jesuitical History! Romances all! I have learned nothing of importance to me, for they have made no change in my moral or religious creed, which has, for fifty or sixty years, been contained in four short words, 'Be just and good.'"
This statement makes clear that Adams viewed morality as separate from organized religion. He advocated universal toleration, rejecting religious dogma as a basis for government policy.
The Modern Erosion of Founding Ideals
Today, instead of advancing toward the ideals outlined by Adams and other founders, we are regressing. Political discourse is dominated by corporate interests, culture wars, and divisive rhetoric. Social policies that should be rooted in human rights are instead being dictated by arcane religious interpretations and reactionary nationalism.
Meanwhile, neoliberal economic policies have entrenched a system where profit dictates policy, in direct contradiction to Adams’ assertion that government must not serve “the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men.”
James Madison foresaw the dangers of unchecked economic and political power:
"The government we mean to erect is intended to last for ages... unless wisely provided against, what will become of your government? In England, at this day, if elections were open to all classes of people, the property of the landed proprietors would be insecure. An agrarian law would soon take place. If these observations be just, our government ought to secure the permanent interests of the country against innovation."
Madison was wary of economic elites manipulating governance. Unfortunately, today’s political system has allowed just that—wealthy interests dominate policymaking while the broader public struggles with declining social mobility and economic instability.
Conclusion: Reclaiming the Moral Algorithm of Government
The United States is at a crossroads. The moral principles upon which the nation was founded have been twisted, distorted, and abandoned in favor of political expediency and economic self-interest. John Adams' vision of government—as a force for the common good, not a tool for private gain—has been replaced by an ethos of corporate greed and social division.
To restore the Republic to its intended purpose, we must:
- Reject Christian Nationalism as a political weapon – Morality should guide governance, but it should be rooted in human rights, not sectarian religious dictates.
- Dismantle neoliberal economic policies that prioritize profit over people – Government should serve the collective good, not corporate interests.
- Reaffirm the rule of law and democratic accountability – Corruption and unchecked economic power must be challenged.
- Embrace Adams’ true moral vision – Governance must be built on principles of justice, equality, and the common good, rather than on profit motives and political manipulation.
As Adams and Jefferson both understood, being just and good is the ultimate moral obligation of both individuals and governments. Until we realign with that principle, we will continue sliding backward, further from the ideals that were meant to define the American experiment.
The truth is out there. It is our duty to seek it and act upon it.