The Fine Line Between
Triumph and Tragedy
“Great care should be taken… to prevent unfair, partial and corrupt elections.”
-- John Adams in his 1776 Thoughts On Government, stressing the importance
of electing a representative body that is “an exact portrait of the people at large.”
Sometimes, the worst tragedies can be born out of the greatest triumphs.
The Founding Fathers’ establishment of a true representative government
was an outstanding achievement by any measure. However, the model
they created inadvertently laid the groundwork for an erosion of
democratic ideals which continues to this day.
The Founding Fathers’ establishment of a true representative government
was an outstanding achievement by any measure. However, the model
they created inadvertently laid the groundwork for an erosion of
democratic ideals which continues to this day.