The United States has become a multicultural empire, with government forms failing to adapt to the realities of extreme diversity. This transformation has led to the concentration of power among ruling elites, who now govern in ways reminiscent of empires rather than republics. The nation’s structure is no longer compatible with traditional self-governance, as the pursuit of raw power drives leaders to enforce centralization amid cultural divides.
A republic requires a virtuous people bound by shared identity and moral expectations. However, when a nation expands beyond its original boundaries, it must incorporate populations that do not share its customs or worldview. This challenge is exacerbated by large-scale immigration, which introduces deep cultural differences and destabilizes the political order. The only way to manage this instability is through more centralized authority, forcing liberal democracies to adopt imperial-like governance.
Historically, republics have been rare due to their strict limitations on scale. Most successful ones have been compact city-states with contained populations capable of maintaining identity and virtue. Once a republic expands, it must incorporate people who do not share its customs or worldview, making self-rule increasingly difficult. The gaps between different cultures are too wide to be bridged by normal political debate, necessitating a stronger form of authority to bind disparate groups together.
This dynamic explains much about the behavior of modern liberal democracies, which often prioritize the pursuit of power over civic unity. Large-scale immigration introduces deep cultural differences that destabilize the political order, and leaders must govern in the manner of an empire to manage this instability. A multicultural society trends toward authoritarianism, as the differences are too great to manage through ordinary civic persuasion.
If conservatives wish to restore the United States as a republic, they must acknowledge what America has become. The country has been transformed into a multicultural empire, governed by ruling elites who seek to manage the instability produced by extreme diversity. Without steps to end immigration, scale back foreign ambitions, and cultivate a shared, virtuous culture, talk of republican revival remains performative. The structure of a republic cannot survive under these conditions.
Auron MacIntyre is the host of “The Auron MacIntyre Show” and a columnist for Blaze News.
