Before continuing with exploration of the word “citizen” in the U. S. Constitution, it would be helpful to divert for a moment to consider the fact that we have a Republic rather than a Democracy. In fact the constitution guarantees each state a Republican form of government.

“The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion....” --- U. S. Constitution, Art. 4. Sect. 4.clause 1.

A democracy and a republic are different. Black’s [6th edition] defines “republican government” as follows:

“One in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in the people and are exercised by the people, either directly, or through representatives chosen by the people, to whom those powers are specially delegated.” --- In re Duncan, 139 U.S. 449, 11 S.Ct. 573, 35 L.Ed. 219; Minor v. Happersett, 88 U.S. (21 Wall.) 162, 22 L.Ed. 627.

Some people believe that the use of the two terms is just a mater of semantics. But perhaps the following table will help clarify the difference between these two forms of government. It shows the chain of command from the top down in each form of government.

A democracy is ruled by the majority and an unknown elite, Mr. X, at the top. The rights of the individual are at the bottom of the chain. The majority elects a government to hire public servants who write laws primarily for the benefit of corporations. The corporations are either owned or controlled by Mr. X through a clique of the ultrawealthy. The ultra-wealthy seek to restore a “feudal” society where they control everything and all the individuals are “serfs”. The rights of individuals often vanish over time, because democracies usually self-destruct through debt. The enforcement of laws within this scheme is done by administrative tribunals, who specialize in holding individuals to the letter of all rules and regulations of the state. In fact, it is common for there to be so many rules that everyone can be charged with something and fined. We are very close to this situation in the U.S. today and in fact may already be there.

The Constitutional Republic is significantly different. The rights of individuals are supreme. Individuals delegate some of their sovereignty to a written contract, called a Constitution, which empowers government to hire public servants who write laws primarily to protect individual. Corporations occupy the lowest priority in this chain of command, since their primary objectives are to maximize the enjoyment of individual rights, and to facilitate the fulfillment of individual responsibilities. The enforcement of laws within this scheme is the responsibility of sovereign individuals, who exercise their power in three ways: the voting booth, the trial jury, and the grand jury. For a more thorough the importance of being a member of jury, see Citizens Rule Book – Jury Handbook [available at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7006/rulebook.html]. No law can be enforced and no penalty exacted without a jury verdict of “guilty.” In fact, someone cannot even be tried for a crime without the action of a grand jury. The power of public servants is restrained by the terms of the contract, as found in the written Constitution. Statutes and case law are created to limit and define the scope and extent of public servant power.