In 1787 when asked by Elizabeth Willing Powel "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" Benjamin Franklin famously replied “A republic, if you can keep it.” That was now nearly 250 years ago, and the United States of America has operated as a republic for longer than any other nation in the world. Many crises have been encountered and overcome during this time period, including most of all a horrifying civil war, exactly the kind of event that has resulted in autocratic gove...