In my book, The New World, a monarchy replaces the fallen American government, at least in the nineteen states that have banded together calling themselves the New World. But how likely is it that a monarchy would take root in the land of the free and home of the brave? Perhaps more likely than you think.
Consider these titles, all within the last several years, and note the publications from which they come.
- America Needs a King – Politico Magazine
- The Case for a Monarchy In America – HuffPost
- Stop Fighting it. America is a monarchy, and that’s probably for the best. – Washington Post
- Consider a Monarchy, America – The New York Times
- Why America Needs a Monarchy – The Federalist
- The Americans who think a monarchy would solve their political problems – The Guardian
When I first dreamt up the idea of a monarchy on American soil, I never imagined that people were actually talking about it, but they are, and I find that fascinating.
So what are they saying? Instead of summarizing and providing commentary, I will simply paste some quotes from these various articles. Now, to be fair, some of these articles and opinion pieces are satirical, but most are not. Either way, they provide a fascinating peak into a subculture that most of us haven’t seriously considered.
“Our political system has been irrevocably poisoned by political partisanship.” – Sean, a monarchist on Reddit as quoted in The Guardian
The notion that something is deeply wrong with how our government works is inescapable, so it’s no surprise that people are searching for alternative ideologies. – The Guardian
In 2018, the New York Times cited a study conducted by a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, which discovered “‘robust and quantitatively meaningful evidence’ that monarchies outperform other forms of government”, and provide nations with “stability that often translates into economic gains”. – The Guardian
We threw the baby out with the bathwater when we kicked the monarchy out of America, and we ought to bring it back. – The Federalist
In America we’ve combined power and reverence in the office of the presidency, but legal authority and veneration compliment each other about as well as Scotch and back pain medication. It’s safer to ingest them separately. – The Federalist
The government is basically a giant Human Resources Department with tanks, and the president is in charge of it. A monarchy saps that ridiculous self-importance. – The Federalist
Indeed, the modern history of Europe has shown that those countries fortunate enough to enjoy a king or queen as head of state tend to be more stable and better governed than most of the Continent’s republican states. By the same token, demagogic dictators have proved unremittingly hostile to monarchy because the institution represents a dangerously venerated alternative to their ambitions. – The New York Times
Doubtless, entrenched republicans will respond that hereditary rulers may prove mad or bad. But democracies have dynasties, too. America may have thrown off the yoke of King George III, but Americans chose to be governed by George Bush II. – The New York Times
The advantage of monarchy is that the institution “extinguishes the hopes of faction” by rising above the toxic partisanship of competing parties and vying elected officials. . . It may be remembered that no British monarch has been assassinated for about five centuries, while no fewer than four American presidents have been murdered in the last 150 or so years. A factor to ponder, I suggest. – The New York Times
[Justice] Scalia says our Presidents are more “George III than George Washington.” He’s right. – The Washington Post
The truth is that the Constitution, as Thomas Jefferson put it, “wears a mixed aspect of monarchy and republicanism.” – The Washington Post
Patrick Henry, the Virginian, said the Constitution “squints toward monarchy.” – The Washington Post
John Adams would later note that the Constitution had established a “monarchical republic, or if you will, a limited monarchy” and that the presidency would naturally excite the “fears, apprehensions, and opposition” of the sort that the English Crown stirred. – The Washington Post
Last month, two media events converged – the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency and the first run in the US of The Crown, the Netflix series about Queen Elizabeth. Both proved remarkably popular (at least on TV), and watching them both back to back, so to speak, I began to wonder if the US would not be better off under a Monarchy as well. – HuffPost
The Monarchy provides Britain with a sense of stability; a final firewall against anything going too far astray. It is not a bad idea. – HuffPost
Legend has it that at the end of the Revolutionary War, George Washington was offered the Crown and the chance to become King of America. He turned it down. Maybe that was a mistake in retrospect. – HuffPost
Indeed, nothing can stir patriotic anger more than the suggestion that the U.S. president is acting like unelected royalty. Yet even before independence, John Adams argued in favor of a “republican monarchy” of laws, lamenting, “We have so many Men of Wealth, of ambitious Spirits, of Intrigue … that incessant Factions will disturb our Peace.” – Politico
While Adams favored a republican monarch with absolute veto powers, today we need a person who can sit above politics and help strengthen our commitment to republican values. We need a king, or something like one. – Politico
So there you have it, the beginning of a ground-swell that will lead, one day, to an American monarchy. Well, maybe not. But it does provide a nice backdrop to the rise of my heroine, Queen Raisa!
If you haven’t yet purchased The New World, you can get a copy here.
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