In the 18th century our Founding Fathers were forced into crafting a new republic, after rejecting over a century as colonies of England. This republic was an experiment in governance design to support a vibrant free market economy, a growing country with an active frontier, and the need for a common defense. Ben Franklin wrote that "in free governments the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns." The original intent envisioned a lawmaking branch of citizen legislators, who served for a short time prior to returning to their original vocation. Service to the country was viewed as a privilege and not a vocation. Since the creation of our republic, we have certainly moved away from that original design ideal.
