Today marks the 246th anniversary of the most influential document in American history. No, I’m not talking about the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution. I am referring to Common Sense by Thomas Paine. 

Paine has served as an inspiration for my own writing. His seminal pamphlet is a direct inspiration for this podcast. Like Common Sense, it is my desire to make politics more accessible to every American. Like Paine, I want to make American politics easier to understand for those who don't live for it like I do. I hope those who hear the theories and solutions I propose will see them as early Americans did Paine's: "...nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense..."

I felt it was only appropriate to dedicate today’s chat to him and his work, which inspired a movement.

Thomas Paine was an American Patriot in every sense of the word. He embodied the egalitarian lifestyle . He was a true champion of the People. He stood against the tyranny of government no matter what it cost him, or who it angered. He was hated in life, and ignored in death, but immortalized by history .

American independence owes everything to Thomas Paine. 

To say Thomas Paine truly lived would be an accurate representation of his life. He was born in Thetford, England, and started his life as a corset maker with an unsuccessful run as a shop owner. He moved to Philadelphia with the advice and help of Benjamin Franklin. He arrived less than five months before the first shots for independence were fired.

Less than a month after arrival, he wrote an article for the first issue of Pennsylvania Magazine. Within another month, he was the editor of that magazine. In his first issue, he published an excoriating article on the institution of slavery. This article advocated abolition at a time when the idea was very unpopular. Though printed anonymously, it has been credited to Paine’s pen. Clearly, Paine had no qualms about rocking the boat….

Paine’s goal as editor of the magazine was to help the working man understand politics and the issues of the day.

On January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine earned the title: The Father of the American Revolution. 

The first year of the Revolution was challenging for the colonial army. They lost more battles than they won. General Washington and his troops were on the run more than in combat. The People could not agree on what our goals should be. Early on, most colonists advocated for reconciliation with England over independence. To say the People were divided would be an understatement. 

On January 10th that began to change.

That change began with the publication of Paine’s pamphlet, which he signed “An Englishman.” The case for independence was made in plain terms. In the same manner as his magazine, Paine wrote in common language. He talked of the evolution of society and the necessary evil of government. He argued the case for independence as an inevitability. He attacked the monarchy as barbarism. In the end, he observed the benefits that the People of America would enjoy with independence. He even explained why the Crown would never allow the colonies to enjoy these benefits. He argued that the success of the colonies rested on independence.

In later reprintings, he even included mathematical examples. 

Common Sense was read to the troops, in taverns, and in town squares. It was both widely popular and widely effective. The People at large began to embrace the idea of independence and see its benefit. It was no longer the fringe idea of the more educated. 

The movement for independence quickly became the prevailing attitude in America. Reconciliation with a tyrant, who was attempting reunion by force, fell out of favor. Without Paine’s pamphlet, the pursuit of independence may have withered on the vine.
Six months later, the Declaration of Independence was sent to England. No historical evidence shows proof Paine contributed to the writing of the Declaration. There are references to the initials T.P. in an early working draft, known as the Sherman draft. Historians have claimed that these initials refer to Thomas Paine. John Adams even asked for T.P.’s permission to copy his draft. Unfortunately, there are no surviving copies of this referenced draft. 

Whether he did or didn’t, many of the ideas Paine presented in Common Sense also appear in the Declaration. Many of his thoughts on government eventually appear in our constitution. 

Later in 1776, Paine published another series of pamphlets entitled The American Crisis. His goal was to encourage American troops as they faced the British. At a time when supplies were scarce, the winter was harsh, and soldiers deserted, morale was low. In Crisis, Paine reminds the soldiers of their duty. He tells them that those who brave the horrors of war will earn the love and thanks of their countrymen. He affirms that the harder obtained a goal is, the dearer it is held. He points out that those who stand in stiff defiance of tyranny will earn glory. 

General Washington had The American Crisis read aloud to his soldiers. To say the words of Thomas Paine motivated the American cause does not do them justice.

Paine was ever the egalitarian, despised those who used government for self-interests. He became the secretary on the committee for Foreign Affairs in Congress. In this position, he was able to detect and call out war profiteering by wealthy Americans.
Many wealthy merchants served in the Continental Congress and profited from this connection. Robert Morris was the head of finance for Congress, as well as a leading financier of the Revolution. Silas Deane, an employee of Morris, served as a diplomat to France. With Deane’s help, Morris funneled French funding into the war effort through his own company. This earned Deane and Morris a tidy profit. Paine called out this connection and demanded an investigation. 

John Jay, another wealthy merchant and president of Congress, condemned Paine. Later, they labeled him unpatriotic for criticizing Deane. In 1779, Paine left the committee in disgrace. The claim of Morris and Deane’s corruption later proved to be true. It seems that the Corporate Political Agenda has been alive and kicking for quite some time.

In 1780, Paine further angered monied interests by publishing the Public Good. In this pamphlet, he challenged ownership of lands west of the colonies. He suggested the government should own these lands, not individuals. Many wealthy land speculators had laid claim to large swaths of wild land to the west of the colonies. This pamphlet angered many of them, including Washington, Jefferson, and Madison.

His view became the law of the land when Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. 

After leaving the committee, he spent time travelling with John Laurens. They voyaged to France and the Netherlands securing funding for the revolution. By 1787, he was living in London when the French Revolution broke out. Here he wrote a book entitled Rights of Man. In it, he denounced monarchies and traditional social institutions. It was wildly popular but gained him vocal scorn from the British government. 

In response, he wrote a part two. It supported strong government social programs to remedy poverty through progressive taxation. Rights of Man brought him an indictment for seditious libel, and he was forced to leave England. He was later convicted in absentia. Paine thumbed his nose at the conviction and embraced the title of libeler.

Paine fled to France where his Rights of Man was more readily received. He was granted honorary citizenship and even elected to their National Convention. There, Paine stood between two opposing revolutionary factions. Popular with one but not the other, he was arrested in 1793 as his allies lost power. In 1794, James Monroe secured his release after narrowly escaping execution. Paine remained in France where he met Napoleon who held him in high regard. At first, the feeling was mutual. Later, Paine regarded him as a charlatan due to his embracement of dictatorship.

Paine believed that George Washington had abandoned him in French prison. As a result, he penned a scathing letter to him. When there was no response, he had it published. This further lowered his esteem among his fellow Americans. 

In 1802, Paine returned to the United States at the invitation of Thomas Jefferson. Seven years later, Paine died in Greenwich Village, NY at the age of 72. Only six people attended his funeral. A man whose life should have been mourned nationally, was forgotten.  

Though Common Sense is 246 years old, it still holds wisdom for us today. For me, I fear his opening line may apply to my own writings.

“Perhaps the sentiment contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure general Favor; a long Habit of not thinking a Thing wrong, gives it superficial appearance of being right and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence [sic] of Custom.”

What can Common Sense teach us today?

One of the most important lessons Paine teaches us is that the cause of America is the cause of all mankind. In every sense of the word, American democracy is an experiment. We have been attempting to prove our thesis for 246 years. At the time, the world looked at us and laughed. A nation governed by the People could never succeed. Everyone needed a ruler. So far we have proven them wrong, but that could change at any time.

I know it doesn’t seem fair, but this experiment never ends. The American experiment is eternal. The world watches the oldest modern democracy: some cheer us on; some hope for our demise. Our actions, successes, and failures can strengthen or weaken the cause of democracy. If we continue to succeed, we weaken autocrats. If we fail, they will point at us and say “It was doomed from the start.”

This is why events like the Civil War, Watergate, and January 6th are such pivotal moments in history. The effects reverberate around the world. Autocratic leaders’ smirk while democratic leaders’ grimace. An attack… a setback to American democracy is a setback to the very institution of democracy. 

We must do what is in our own power to protect that institution. The ideals of democracy, in Paine’s own words, “…is the concern of every man to whom nature hath given the power of feeling…”

In a line I drew attention to in episode nine, Paine points out that government is a necessary evil. This is like Madison’s later comment in Federalist #51. “If men were angels no government would be necessary.” Humans are fallible creatures. We are hardwired to seek our desires and follow our impulses. Since some humans are prone to evil, we must accept regulation in exchange for the protection of a government. 
Paine reminds us today that the People’s voice is the best way to defend against those evils. In Common Sense, he’s speaking of the tyranny of monarchy. But this is still appropriate to political parties controlled by special interests today. People have not suddenly become angels, and evil has not been driven out.

Lastly, I want to discuss two points Paine makes on the establishment of government. The government he outlines is an obvious precursor to the government we now enjoy. He discusses two concepts that we as a nation have gotten away from. They were a means to ensure a government by the People. Unfortunately, they have been limited over time, for convenience.

The first I want to talk about is encapsulated in this line: 

“If the colony continues encreasing, [sic] it will become necessary to augment the number of representatives…”

The Constitution requires, at most, one representative for every 30,000 citizens. Until 1929, we added representatives as needed after each census. We have used several methods for apportionment throughout our history. (Apportionment is the process for assigning the number of representatives per state.) 

In every new apportionment, the number of citizens represented per representative has increased. In 1929, Congress passed the Permanent Apportionment Act. This act locked the number of representatives at 435 (with a limited exception in 1959). It has remained the same ever since.

The problem is that as the population grows, the number of representatives doesn’t. This means representatives have an increasing number of constituents. The more people they represent, the less familiar they become. The larger their constituent base, the more detached from community they become. As of 2020, one representative, on average, represents over 750K Americans. It is impossible for one person to be representative of 750K constituents. This defies the purpose of a House of Representatives. 

I am not advocating for a return to adding one representative for every 30,000 citizens. I’m not even advocating Madison’s proposed amendment that would have increased to one for every 50,000 by now. A House of Representatives would be unwieldly at 6,000 members. 

What I am saying is that we have lost true representation of the community. I believe Thomas Paine would agree. We have lost true representation for the benefit of partisan interests. It is impossible for one person to relate to the concerns of 750K constituents. That’s not a community; that’s a not so small country. There is a number that makes sense, but 750K isn’t that number. 

We must improve community representation in the United States. With modern technology, there is no excuse. We should be able to find an answer. If that requires building a new House of Representatives to house a larger body, then so be it. I would rather build a new building than have the foundation of democracy crumble.

The last lesson of Paine I want to point out comes from the same paragraph. 
“…that the elected might never form to themselves an interest separate from the electors, prudence will point out the propriety of having elections often: because as the elected might by that means return and mix again with the body of the electors in a few months, their fidelity to the public will be secured by the prudent reflection of not making a rod for themselves.”

This furthers the need for a smaller number of constituents per representative. He advocates returning to their districts often to mingle with their constituents. He says this ensures common interests and leads to natural support. But there is more to this statement than just representation. 

Over the years, we have seen that politicians become detached from community. They exist in a bubble. They become more a product of Washington D.C., and less and less of the states and districts they represent. The partisan infighting corrupts them, and they carry this toxicity to their constituents. Over time, they stop working for the People and focus on the party.

This detachment may stem from representing such a vast and diverse electorate. It may be as simple as too long spent in Washington. Either reason is irrelevant. The only difference is how quickly one becomes detached.

When they become detached, they begin representing interests separate from their electors. To hide these separate interests, they spread partisan toxicity and spin. They do this so that they can continue getting elected. This politics of self-interest is contrary to the ideals of American democracy. 

Paine’s statement here makes a compelling argument for term limits. When representatives are no longer representing the People, they have no business serving. Unfortunately, as politics has become more partisan, self-serving politicians become harder to spot. When we accept spin and lies as truth, we fail to recognize those who aren’t working for the People.

The answer to this is term limits. If one of my undergraduate professors is listening, I know they just gasped in horror and clutched their proverbial pearls. Their argument was always in opposition to term limits. Many of the founders made the same argument. You run the risk of losing experience at legislating. You create a situation where inexperienced legislators don’t know how to govern. To that I say this: all members of the House could choose not to run for reelection and the same would happen. We can’t govern on the what ifs.

I am not advocating a short term-limit. I don’t think there is anything to be gained from that. The experience of senior politicians is important to the smooth function of government. But many spend longer in government than is healthy for our Republic.  Outdated ideas and legislative inaction stems from politicians’ entrenchment in their own legacies. Government stagnates without fresh ideas from younger generations. 
Thomas Jefferson made an argument for laws that expire every generation. I don’t necessarily agree with this on laws, but I do believe a version of this would be appropriate for term limits. No politician should affect politics for more than a generation. This should include Senators, Representatives, and yes, Supreme Court Justices. Political stagnation is a serious problem in our political system. Term limits would help to reduce this. 

Term limits and an increase in representatives are subjects for future episodes. For now, it is interesting to see how the ideals espoused by Thomas Paine can relate to us today. After 246 years, he is still providing council to the People. 

Common Sense was written at a time of crisis in America. Much like the crisis we face today, the People were divided. Some understood the situation they faced while others only saw the ugliness of war. Some sought reconciliation while others demanded independence. The words of Thomas Paine were able to unite them as warriors for the rights of the People.

Thomas Paine ignited a movement. He showed the People that there was a better way. He showed the People that the power was in their hands. He stirred the masses to action and showed the world that Democracy was the only answer.

America owes him everything. The cause of Democracy owes him everything. 
Today, we fight a similar fight. We fight the aristocracy of the political and corporate elite. We fight to hold onto the power our Founding Fathers promised. We are divided by partisan propaganda. We must recognize the tyranny we face today is not a king but monied interests. We must realize that the political parties do not exist to help us. They exist to divide us. They exist to keep us from wielding our power.

We must put down the slow-moving coup that threatens our way of life. Only then can we reclaim the power of the People. We must cast off the toxic labels of political parties. We must take away the power of corporate interests. 

Thomas Paine reminds us that it is in our power to do so. We must be united if we hope to succeed.

We must be united under the banner of Democracy.

It is not an easy fight, but it is an important one. We must move past the propaganda and our prejudices. We must recognize that We the People are more alike than different. We must realize that we will benefit more by being united than separated. We, as Americans, are in this together. We all face the loss of our Republic. We can go back to hating each other once democracy is secure. For now, we must fight together. 
The fight will be long. It will require dedication. It will require courage. 

For that, Thomas Paine has one last piece of council from his 1776 pamphlet The American Crisis:

“These are the times that try men's souls : The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot  will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”

Freedom is dear. Our Founders shed blood to achieve it. For 246 years, our military has shed blood to maintain it. It is our debt to now lose sleep and do the same.

It is within our control. Always remember…

We the People are the Power.