“Citizenship is what makes a republic; monarchies can get along without it. What keeps a republic on its legs is good citizenship”
-Mark Twain, Layman’s Sermon (speech)
The foundation of a Republican Democracy is the active participation of its citizenry.
Without the informed, concerned, and active interest of the populace for the public execution of government and power, that power naturally consolidates, like a funnel, toward the narrow bottom.
The question then becomes, what is the state of our Republic today, and what are you going to do about it?