American Republicanism

American Republicanism is a prescription for representative self-government. The Republicanism, of late colonial to early post-colonial America, was an attempt to apply enlightenment Liberal ideals to government. Given the obvious impact of the "Draft Virginia Declaration of Rights" on the developing Republicanism of the Colonies, I would maintain that it widely accepted as an expression Republicanism.

Natural Rights

 * Life
 * Liberty
 * Acquiring and Possessing Property
 * Pursuing and Obtaining Happiness
 * Pursuing and Obtaining Safety

Self-Government

 * Government derives it's power from individuals
 * Government is servant to the people

Limited Government
- Only while serving the public
 * Government exists for common benefit of people, Nation, or community
 * Best Government promotes happiness and safety without corruption
 * Government is limited in granting privilege or emolument to groups or individuals

- Not perpetual or hereditary
 * The Majority retain the right to abolish or reform the Government

Representative Government and Separation of Powers

 * Legislative and executive powers separate from Judicial
 * Term Limits on Legislators and Executive to return them to the people

Republicanism as an expression of Liberalism
In modern times, there is an ongoing attempt to claim that Liberalism was a fixed philosophy who's ideals have been abandoned at some point, and that there is a "real", "actual", or "classical" liberalism that was economically conservative.

While the meaning of Liberalism has been repeatedly attacked, distorted, and has become corrupted and misunderstood, the meaning of Republicanism has not suffered this assault. We may therefore look to the relatively unchanged meaning of Republicanism, as an expression of Liberal self-government to find clues to what Liberalism meant to Americans of this period.

It should be remembered as we examine American Republicanism as an example of Liberal government, that American Government was always a compromise. It was a compromise between the interests of manufacture, shipping, finance, agriculture, and Laborers. It was a compromise between slaveholders and those who believed in universal human rights. It was a compromise between regional interests. It was a compromise between those who advocated a strong "National" government and those who wanted a more limited Federal government and power to remain locally with the people. All of these compromises are Liberal too, in that they indicate willingness to recognize the needs of others and form a pragmatic compromise even if that compromise deviated from Liberal ideals.