Perspective: Thoughts on American democracy as a new citizen

In December of 2022, I became naturalized as a U.S. citizen and pledged my allegiance to the United States flag — a promise of loyalty. This event occurred in a small room at the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines, Iowa. It was a sacred moment.

The year prior, I read seven books on American democracy and the U.S. Constitution, all from distinguished historians and constitutional scholars. Perhaps the most paramount was “ The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 ″ by Ahkil Reed Amar. Since then, I have also read Eric Foner’s books ” The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution ” and “ Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 .″

We hear a lot of talk these days about “saving democracy” and how best to do that. I am not a constitutional scholar. But I have a perspective to offer as a new American citizen who has taken time to educate myself about this country beyond what was required of me. I also bring to the table my education as a licensed mental health counselor and a scholar in the field of mental health. And what I have learned is that our Constitution — indeed, our democracy — rests on a foundation of compromise.

It is clear that many (but not all) of the Founding Fathers were able to find a middle ground, adapt, change and meet others in the equidistant. When I read Amar’s books and Ron Chernow’s biography of George Washington , it is apparent that what made Washington so great was cognitive agility — the ability to be open-minded and change views. I’ve noted the same quality in our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

As esteemed presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin underscored in her 2006 book “ Team of Rivals, ” the political genius of Lincoln was his ability to create the most unusual cabinet in history, as he had the cognitive flexibility to consider cabinet members of different perspectives and opinions and thus brought his disgruntled opponents and rivals together. But cognitive elasticity is not just found in Washington and Lincoln, widely considered the two greatest American presidents. It is the very soul of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution, like democracy itself, allows differences of opinion, and it is in this middle ground where cognitive flexibility flourishes, giving birth to creativity. Many psychologists who study creativity note that originality and unique solutions are born amid seemingly oppositional ideas. The U.S. Constitution was purposely created by a process of compromise and concessions.

Compromise is at the heart of all good relationships and good mental health, as it requires listening, change and discipline. The only way American democracy can work is through compromise. The House of Representatives comprises 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population, and their values and beliefs differ. The Senate is composed of 100 senators, two for each state. Final decisions in Congress cannot be anything other than compromises.

What I found profound when I studied the history of this great country is how much the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments transformed the Constitution. Perhaps this is why David Strauss , a distinguished professor of law at the University of Chicago, argues that the Constitution is a living document that changes; it is not a rigid, unimodal document from 1787.

The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments radically changed the Constitution, and actually safeguarded the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments. Lincoln and Congress knew that if states’ rights still held greater power than federal rights, some of the Confederate states would return to slavery and refuse to grant equal rights to all people. The creation of these three amendments not only ensured those rights but also allowed the Bill of Rights to flourish, thus making democracy genuinely blossom.

When I learned more about the social context that gave birth to these three amendments, it made me realize that now more than ever, compromise is the psychological soul of the Constitution and is vital for healthy interactions (including healthy disagreements) between the federal government and state governments. Too many Americans still believe that states’ rights eclipse federal rights in all things, and as such, the federal government is often viewed as the “bad guy” and state government as the “good guy.” This simplicity might make for a good Western movie, but real life is much more complicated.

What makes the U.S. Constitution and American democracy so amazing is that they both permit a smorgasbord of viewpoints, which require negotiation and cognitive elasticity, which give wings to creativity. This includes interplay between the states and the federal government. Good public policy can emerge when a middle ground finds its roots. It does not have to be some binary war between states-rights versus federal-right tribal groups. Nor should it be. We can aim higher.

Rodney B. Dieser, Ph.D., LMHC, is the author of seven books and more than 100 academic articles. He is a professor in health, recreation and community services at the University of Northern Iowa and also works as a licensed mental health counselor at Wartburg College, a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa.