While it's true that the vigilance required to keep a republic is indeed an individual commitment, Franklin and the Founders -- as expressed in the timeless phrase "We the People" that begins the Constitution's preamble -- vested the power and thereby the responsibility in keeping the republic to American citizens as a whole. The Founders delivered the power and responsibility to us, but they did not leave us empty-handed. In Article V, they gave us -- through our state legislatures -- the power to advance a conversation about how to best rein in the federal government. Article V is the definition of republican government -- federalism in action. conventionofstates.com/news/the-power…