The republic has survived 250 years — now we will decide whether it continues
Key takeaways
- We have all learned what Benjamin Franklin said in 1787 as he left the convention where the Founders signed the Constitution.
- Nine generations have passed, but Powell s question remains our most important issue today.
- We might ask what Thomas Jefferson would think, now that the U.S. is led by a government in which grift, brutishness, self-dealing, greed, capitulation, open corruption and grievance have become the norm.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Becker, opinion contributor - 05/25/26 8:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied by William S. Becker, opinion contributor - 05/25/26 8:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied Getty Images As we approach the 250th birthday of the American experiment, we are confronted with the greatest threat to its survival since the Civil War.
We have all learned what Benjamin Franklin said in 1787 as he left the convention where the Founders signed the Constitution. Philadelphia socialite Elizabeth Willing Powell asked him, Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy? Franklin responded, A republic, madam, if you can keep it.
Nine generations have passed, but Powell s question remains our most important issue today. Once again, our fundamental freedoms and rights — the foundation that made America a shining city — are threatened by the same type of monarchal rule that inspired the American Revolution.