Established by the Brooklyn Young Republican Club Board of Directors on June 10, 2020

This is a caucus within the Brooklyn Young Republican Club for all interested members and others who desire to learn more about civic republicanism, and wish to influence policy and Republican politics on the premise of achieving liberty as non-domination for everyone.

The chief and most important tenet of the civic republican approach to government is this: liberty can only truly exist, and be enjoyed equally, where no dominating forces are able to harm or restrict a person’s life, body, choices or options as a result of arbitrary and capricious power. What is arbitrary and capricious power here? It is any force capable of getting away with causing harm, through abuse of its own liberties or leveraging an imbalance of power or privilege at its sole discretion, without ever actually having to answer for it or make things right going forward. 

The Republican Party historically has embraced such ideals with the passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution, anti-monopoly and anti-trust laws, and the Civil Rights Acts, just for instance.

We believe it’s time to re-discover these key philosophical underpinnings of the Republican Party, and shape the public discourse, as well as the discourse in our own party, on how we can serve to ensure liberty as non-domination is truly and equally enjoyed by everyone.

Therefore the Civic Republican Caucus’ purposes are:

a) to educate people about civic republicanism as a political philosophy;

b) to foster discussion about how it can be practiced within the Republican Party, in politics generally, and most importantly within policymaking; and

c) to advance the adoption of civic republicanism, wherever necessary and appropriate, within the Club, the Republican Party at the local, state and national levels, and within politics and policymaking generally.

Caucus Chair: Jonathan J. Judge

Some resources to learn more about civic republicanism:

Member Spotlight

Register to Join the Civic Republican Caucus

If you want to be informed about upcoming events, discussions, and other matters, please register here. Registration is open to all, club members and non-members.

Photo by Louis Velazquez on Unsplash