What Holds Us Together

James Madison understood something essential about power and human nature: trust in government cannot be assumed. It must be earned and preserved through structure, transparency, and accountability. In Federalist No. 51, Madison reasoned that because government is run by people who are fallible, it must be carefully designed to prevent abuse. That principle remains just as true today. When our government institutions stop holding themselves accountable, public trust breaks down and puts the entire system at risk. To avoid that catastrophe, we developed a system of laws to act as a sacred trust that holds everything together.

Laws are, therefore, more than just simple rules. They’re the shared agreements among people that allow millions to live side by side without descending into chaos. In practice, laws create the boundaries within which we pursue our dreams, raise our families, and shape our communities. They don’t dictate how we live, but they make living together possible.

But laws are only as strong as the trust we place in the institutions that enforce them. When people believe that the government follows the same rules it asks of them, society functions. We don’t need to patrol our neighborhoods or protect ourselves at every turn because we assume—rightly or wrongly—that the system will ensure our safety and security. That’s the invisible contract between citizen and state.

Madison spoke of this concept: “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men,” he wrote, “the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.” The strength of a free society, therefore, depends not only on the rule of law but on the willingness of those in power to follow it.

Over the past few decades, however, that obligation has too often been neglected and abused. Key moments in recent history, from the Iran-Contra affair to misleading justifications for war in Iraq to the lack of accountability after the 2008 financial crisis, have sent a clear message to many Americans: the powerful play by a different set of rules. When enforcement becomes selective, or justice appears reserved for the well-connected, cynicism sets in. Madison's words are no longer just an inspiration; they are a warning about the collapse of civic responsibility when power goes unchecked.

Today, we’re seeing a deeper erosion. The Constitution, long viewed as the foundation of our representative democracy, is openly questioned by those in power who see it as a barrier to their ambitions. That’s not just a legal crisis; it’s a civic one. When faith in the rule of law disappears, chaos and injustice fill the void.

And yet, not everyone has given up. Across the political spectrum, people still take to the streets, not out of hatred for the country but out of love for what it could be. They believe that a nation built on democratic ideals is worth preserving. They believe that laws matter and that no one is above them.

That belief is the thread holding us together. It deserves our attention, our defense, and our hope.

If you haven’t yet raised your voice alongside others who march in the streets and believe in the rule of law and the promise of democracy, now is the time. The eyes of history are upon us, and future generations will ask whether you stood firm or stayed silent. Today, we still have the chance to answer with courage.