Senator Mitt Romney of Utah recently spoke with McKay Coppins of The Atlantic and expressed his concern about a significant portion of his party not believing in the Constitution (source). While Romney did not provide further details in the article, it is apparent that he was referring to the Republican Party’s abandonment of democratic values in favor of self-interest.
This is evident in the party’s support for Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which was backed by prominent Republicans and affirmed by numerous House and Senate Republican lawmakers. The Republican Party has also shown contempt for democratic principles through extreme partisan gerrymandering, voter suppression efforts, and attempts to justify power grabs through legal claims like the “independent state legislature theory.”
Recent examples of the Republican Party’s disregard for democratic principles include Tennessee Republicans expelling rival lawmakers for supporting an anti-gun protest, Florida Republicans suspending an elected official due to a policy disagreement, and Ohio Republicans trying to limit Ohio voters’ ability to amend the State Constitution by majority vote. Additionally, Wisconsin Republicans have considered nullifying the election of a State Supreme Court justice they disagree with, and Alabama Republicans have fought against the voting rights of Black voters.
Romney is correct in stating that a significant portion of his party does not believe in American democracy. However, if he was referring to the literal Constitution itself, his assessment of fellow Republicans is more complex. While Republicans often emphasize the Constitution to defend their positions, they manipulate it to serve their own interests while disregarding democratic values.
For example, Donald Trump’s attempt to subvert American democracy was grounded in a literal interpretation of the Constitution, particularly the Electoral College. The Constitution’s rules have allowed Republicans to attack representation, personal freedom, and women’s rights. Despite operating within the Constitutional framework, these actions undermine American democratic values.
Republicans seem to believe in the Constitution only when it can be used to weaken American democracy and protect their own power. The malleability of the Constitution, with its split sovereignty and selective protection of rights, allows for the manipulation of our political system.
The struggle to align the Constitution with democratic values has been ongoing. While Americans hope for greater harmony between the Constitution and democracy, the authoritarian turn in the Republican Party reveals that our constitutional system can function without true democracy.
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