Omar Bennett
While the United States is often categorized as a democracy, it is more accurately defined as a constitutional federal republic. In the years between the American Revolution and the ratification of the United States Constitution, several proposals for creating an independent monarchy were considered, including one for George Washington to become King of the United States, which he strongly opposed. Today, support for monarchy in the United States is generally low, with polls showing that only 5-13% of Americans would consider it a good thing for the country to have a monarchy.
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What You'll Learn
- The United States is a constitutional federal republic, not a monarchy
- In the 1780s, several proposals for creating an independent US monarchy were considered
- Alexander Hamilton argued that the US President should be an elective monarch
- Support for monarchy in the US has been generally low, but has increased over time
- Constitutional monarchies differ from republics in substance, not detail
The United States is a constitutional federal republic, not a monarchy
The United States is categorised as a constitutional federal republic. This means that the government in the United States is based on a Constitution, which is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution provides a framework for how the federal and state governments are structured and also places limits on their powers.
In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch acts as a non-party political ceremonial head of state under the constitution. While the monarch may hold formal authority, they do not personally set public policy or choose political leaders. Instead, they serve the traditional role of embodying and representing the nation, while the government is carried out by a cabinet composed predominantly of elected Members of Parliament.
In the United States, there is both a national government and governments of the 50 states. As a republic, the people hold power but elect representatives to exercise that power. This is in contrast to a monarchy, where power is typically held by a single person or family, often with hereditary succession.
While there have been some historical propositions for creating an independent monarchy in the United States, these have been largely unpopular and were rejected in favour of a republican form of government. Today, support for monarchy in the United States remains relatively low, with polls showing that the majority of Americans do not favour the idea of a royal family or constitutional monarchy.
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In the 1780s, several proposals for creating an independent US monarchy were considered
The United States is defined as a constitutional federal republic, where the government is based on a constitution that acts as the supreme law of the land. The Constitution provides a framework for how the federal and state governments are structured and limits their powers. However, in the 1780s, following the American Revolution and before the ratification of the United States Constitution, several proposals for establishing an independent US monarchy were considered.
One notable proposal, known as the Newburgh letter, was sent to George Washington on May 22, 1782, while he was camped at Newburgh, New York. Written by Colonel Lewis Nicola on behalf of army officers, the letter suggested that Washington, who had led the Continental Army to victory during the Revolution, become the King of the United States. Washington, however, strongly opposed the idea and preferred a republican form of government.
In 1786, Nathaniel Gorham, the President of the Continental Congress, allegedly offered the crown to Henry of Prussia, a prince of the House of Hohenzollern. This proposal may have been an attempt to resolve the ongoing political crises during the final days of the Articles of Confederation. According to Rufus King, Gorham secretly corresponded with Prince Henry for this purpose. However, the plan may have failed due to a lack of interest from Henry, opposition to a rumoured proposal involving a different potential monarch, or the convening of the Philadelphia Convention.
Alexander Hamilton, in a speech before the Constitutional Convention of 1787, argued for an elective monarchy, suggesting that the President of the United States should rule for "good behaviour" (i.e., for life unless impeached) and hold extensive powers. Hamilton believed that such a monarch would have sufficient power to resist foreign corruption while being subject to domestic control to prevent tyranny. However, his proposal was rejected in favour of a four-year term with the possibility of reelection.
While support for monarchy in the United States has generally been low, it has increased slightly over time. Recent polls indicate that a small but notable percentage of Americans would be open to the idea of a royal family or a constitutional monarchy in the country.
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Alexander Hamilton argued that the US President should be an elective monarch
The United States is defined as a constitutional federal republic, where the people hold power and elect representatives to exercise that power. However, in the late 1780s, following the American Revolution, several propositions for creating an independent monarchy were considered. During this time, Alexander Hamilton argued that the US President should be an elective monarch, ruling for "good behaviour", i.e., for life unless impeached. Hamilton's plan would have given the president extensive powers, including the power to veto any law, execute laws, grant pardons, direct war, appoint chief officers, and make treaties with the approval of the Senate.
Hamilton believed that this system would prevent tyranny and ensure effective leadership. He argued that a single leader could be more easily scrutinised and held accountable than a group of individuals. Additionally, he emphasised that the election process, involving a body of electors from each state, would ensure that the process was not dominated by the whims of the populace but rather by a select, well-informed group acting in the best interest of the country.
Hamilton also praised the British form of government, pointing to the success of the hereditary monarch in Britain. He argued that a hereditary monarch has too much personal stake in the wellbeing of the government to be dangerous, while a president with a short term is more likely to serve their own interests. He admired the power the British monarch held over Parliament, allowing them to prevent the passage of unwanted laws without blatantly exerting power and losing public favour.
Hamilton's proposal was resoundingly voted down in favour of a four-year term with the possibility of re-election. Despite this, he continued to hint in his later writings that a lifetime executive might be preferable. Political scientist Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn wrote that Hamilton "regretted that the United States could not become a monarchy." Since the ratification of the constitution, support for monarchy has generally remained low, although it has increased slightly over time. Recent polls show that a small minority of Americans would be open to the idea of a monarchy or royal family in the United States.
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Support for monarchy in the US has been generally low, but has increased over time
The United States is defined as a constitutional federal republic, where the people hold power and elect representatives to exercise that power. The US Constitution provides a framework for how the federal and state governments are structured and limits their powers.
Since the ratification of the US Constitution, support for monarchy has been generally low, but it has increased slightly over time. In 1950, only 3% of Americans said it would be a good idea for the US to have a royal family, while 93% thought it would be bad. This question was asked again in 1999, and 11% of Americans answered that a royal family would be good for the country, with 87% against. A 2013 CNN poll found that 13% of Americans would be open to the US possessing a royal family. A 2021 poll by YouGov found that 5% of Americans would consider it a good thing for the country to have a monarchy, with 69% answering that it would be bad. The Constantian Society, founded in 1970, was a political group devoted to promoting constitutional monarchy as a superior form of government, but its activities ceased in 1999 with the death of its founder.
There have been several historical instances where a monarchy was proposed in the US. During the period between the American Revolution and the ratification of the US Constitution in the 1780s, several propositions for creating an independent monarchy were considered. On May 22, 1782, George Washington received a letter proposing that he should become the King of the United States. Washington strongly opposed this suggestion, favouring a republican government. In 1786, the President of the Continental Congress, Nathaniel Gorham, reportedly offered the crown to Henry of Prussia, possibly to resolve ongoing political crises. Alexander Hamilton argued before the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that the US President should be an elective monarch, ruling for "good behaviour" (i.e., for life unless impeached) with extensive powers. Hamilton believed that elective monarchs could resist foreign corruption while being domestically controlled to prevent tyranny. However, his proposal was voted down in favour of a four-year term with the possibility of re-election.
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Constitutional monarchies differ from republics in substance, not detail
The United States is defined as a constitutional federal republic. This means that the government is based on a constitution, which is the supreme law of the land. The constitution outlines the framework for the federal and state governments and limits their powers.
A republic is a form of government in which the people hold power and elect representatives to exercise that power. The people have the right to choose their government by voting. In a monarchy, the ruling system is based on heredity and bloodline, and the monarch is the sole head of the country, running it on their terms.
While there are differences between republics and constitutional monarchies, the distinction is often considered to be one of detail rather than substance. In both cases, the titular head of state—monarch or president—embodies and represents the nation, while the government is carried out by a cabinet composed of predominantly elected members.
Some have argued that constitutional monarchies with limited powers, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, can be considered "crowned republics" or "constitutional monarchies in substance, but republics in form." This view holds that the monarch's role in these systems is largely ceremonial, with the real power resting with the elected representatives.
Historically, there have been proposals to establish a monarchy in the United States, particularly in the period between the American Revolution and the ratification of the United States Constitution. However, these proposals were rejected in favor of a republican form of government. Today, support for a monarchy in the United States remains relatively low, with polls showing that a majority of Americans oppose the idea.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the US is a constitutional federal republic. However, some of the framers of the US Constitution may have envisioned the president as an elected constitutional monarch.
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government where the monarch is constrained by the constitution. The monarch may have significant power, such as in executive monarchy, or little to no power, as in a ceremonial monarchy.
In 1786, the then President of the Continental Congress, Nathaniel Gorham, offered the crown to Henry of Prussia, possibly to resolve the ongoing political crises during the last days of the Articles of Confederation. There was also a political group founded in 1970, called the Constantian Society, which promoted the system of constitutional monarchy as a superior form of government.
Public opinion polls from 1950, 1999, 2013, 2018, and 2021 show that support for a monarchy in the US has ranged from 3% to 13%.
Yes, some constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, Thailand, Norway, Denmark, and Belgium.
