ABSTRACT
The United States has undergone vast changes since November 19, r 86 3, when Lincoln ended his commemorative speech at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with the promise that government by the people would remain a sacred political goal. I shall argue in this essay that this goal remains alive, but that the means required to implement it have changed in tune with economic, social, and political developments. What does government "by the people" mean in a modern context? Can Americans still successfully rule themselves?
