The state of affairs for America in 1776 was a divided public regarding how to move forward with respect to Great Britain. Many colonists wanted to stay loyal to King George and work things out, even though they had experienced many insults to their dignity. A growing number of colonists believed that independence was a necessity. In Common Sense, Thomas Paine argued that independence was the only way to gain true freedom and escape the subservient position to the British monarchy.

In 2022, we face a similarly divided public as we did at our founding. My intent in this book is to share insights on why we must rise above the temptation to anoint a king or similar autocrat, on either the political right or the political left, and why we must reinvest in our representative government. Democratic governance is difficult, and there is no guarantee that it will survive the current assault from within and without. America is at an inflection point in our history where our republic is threatened by would-be autocrats and our freedoms are under assault from extremists who are undermining our democracy. Principled leaders must stand and be counted at this moment in history.