The crown jewels of the Loyalist canon, the Signature Series features a selection of Papers that most clearly capture the purpose, style, and argument of the project as a whole. Foundational, provocative, and philosophical, these essays represent the clearest expression of Our Loyalist critique of the ever-unfolding American Experiment in constitutional democracy.
Series read time: 44 minutes.
Image: Coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton, 1953. Royal Collection Trust. Public domain.
Loyalist № 12. What began with Lincoln as a reluctant claim of necessity has become a near-permanent feature of executive power in the United States. In the name of liberty, Americans have surrendered many of the very safeguards meant to protect it – and in doing so, invited the rise of presidential power without restraint.
Loyalist № 10. In the hands of one who wears not the Crown but lusts after it, the noble prerogatives of mercy and pardon turn to malignancy. Not unlike the failure of Reconstruction following the end of the Civil War, the pardoning of the January 6th insurrectionists who sought to overturn the constitutional order of the United States foreshadows a long and terrible night ahead.
Loyalist № 7. The rise of factional politics in Canada and the U.S. reveals a deeper failure of design. Whether through regional fragmentation or ideological polarization, Our institutions no longer reward broad-based coalitions. Madison warned against these very dangers – and what they would mean for democracy in North America.
Loyalist № 4. Amid global instability and American unpredictability, Canada must move beyond its dependence on the United States. Just as John Jay saw shared values as the Union’s foundation, Canada should strengthen ties with Australia, New Zealand, and the UK through CANZUK – uniting Loyalist nations under the Crown to safeguard Our economies and political independence.
Loyalist № 2. Elijah Harper's 1990 stand against the Meech Lake Accord highlighted not only Québec's alienation but also the ongoing denial of Indigenous Peoples' autonomy and inherent rights under the Constitution. Harper said, "We were to recognize Québec as a distinct society, whereas we as Aboriginal people were completely left out." Can the fractures in Our federation be fixed?