We the people of the United States... the beginning of a document which gave birth to our great nation. Our forefathers took many things into consideration when forming this "more perfect union", but perhaps more than anything, they considered an ancient civilization known as Rome. What better model to build a country by than the longest-lasting civilization in the history of the world? Perhaps great men like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams once sat and pondered how they could eliminate the few flaws of the empire that was Rome. Despite sincere effort on the part of our ancestors, the American people and society seem to be spiraling downward to the fate of that golden society.

Rome, finding its first firm foundation as a Republic, was born in the same manner as the United States. Romans, no longer willing to bow to the harsh tyranny of the Etruscan monarchy, overthrew the king and established a state in which all people would have representation in the government. The republic was made up of two houses and the executive branch, two consuls. The houses were the Senate, which was the greater of the two houses, and the Popular Assembly which represented the people. The consuls were commander-in-chiefs of the military and enforced laws set by the Senate.

The United States was also the fruit of a bitter monarchy. The founding fathers sought to form a nation in which all people, among other things, would have representation in the government. The republic formed by these men also included two houses and the executive branch. The Senate was the greater house and the House of Representatives served to be the voice of the people. The president, head of our government, is also commander-in-chief and enforces laws set by Congress.

The social lines were clearly marked in early Rome. Patricians, or wealthy landowners, dominated the early Roman society. Plebians, or other citizens, worked the fields, provided trade flow, and did the skilled labor. Slavery was common in Rome, and the wealthier patricians frequently had extensive farms worked by slaves.

Early America was very similar. There was definite distinction between the wealthy and poor. Many people were immigrating into the States to find freedom, and few of them were rich. So, most of the wealth was controlled by a minority of the population. Slavery was also legal in early United States and they were used in great numbers in the South to work the plantations.

Rome was plagued throughout its history by civil wars and invasions. With the evolution of the government came, at times, social unrest. Other nations, trying to monopolize trade or win back land lost to them through Rome’s expansion, would invade provinces or farmland surrounding the city. Another contributor to the unrest was the citizens wanting more rights or more say in the government. Whenever the consuls were up for election, battle would almost always come between two rival candidates and their followers.

The US constantly fought rival civilizations such as Britain, France, and various Native American tribes for expansion, trade, or other differences. Slavery also became an issue after the United States had already proven itself to be a lasting civilization. The issue of the abolishment of slavery in the states contributed to the only civil war in the history of our country.

Many factors led to the fall of Rome; among them were certain political causes. Rome grew to such an incredible size that efficient government became impossible. Also, corruption ran unchecked through most of the empire. Also, under the emperor Diocletian, Rome split into two different empires, the Eastern and Western Roman empires. Perhaps the most important political cause was the fact that the people felt no responsibility for the government. Roman citizens expected the empire to cater to their needs.

These are all problems that can be seen in America today. Naturally, in today’s technological age, the problem of maintaining the efficiency of a government due to its size has all but been eliminated. After all, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico are only as far away as your computer keyboard and modem. However, corruption has still managed to snake its way into the system through dishonest politicians, crooked lawyers, or even a public who doesn’t care one way or another. America has become a nation with no traditional "American values" or conscience. As an example, President Clinton said is his campaigning that he never raised taxes while he was governor of Arkansas and balanced the budget seven times. The truth is, he raised taxes numerous times and never once balanced the budget. In 1958, the average family of four in America sent one dollar in twenty to the government; now it is one dollar in four. And, of that money, the government spends $1.08 for ever dollar it has. Congress constantly votes on issues such as increasing their own salaries. The US hasn’t split, but our interests are split between home and abroad. The US has a tendency to devote more time, effort, and resources to solve other nations’ problems while unemployment and hunger still rages through America. There are American troops stationed in every corner of the world trying to spread influence and maintain peace. Many citizens depend on our welfare system to provide for them all the time. They would rather stay unemployed and not work than get a job.

There were also economic causes for Rome’s fall. With the growing empire, the government didn’t have enough gold to make enough currency, so they devalued it by adding lead and other non-precious metals to the gold coins. This caused the money to be worth less and prices went up. When the empire was divided, most of the wealth went to the eastern empire and away from Rome. This caused Rome to become even poorer than it had been. Also contributing to the economic causes was the fact that the military was no longer bringing in tribute. The tribute, though it caused many problems, helped to sustain an economy that was very unbalanced, with more imports than exports. The bad trade balance ruined many small farmers who couldn’t compete with the cheap grain that was coming in.

Today, in America, our currency is being devalued on a daily basis. It’s not a lack of gold, but a lack of faith in the government that is causing the inflation. Again, it’s not the land holdings of America that have been divided, but our efforts and resources. With money, arms, raw materials and troops gallivanting across the globe, significant amounts of these things are needed at home to solve problems more pressing than the political problems in Timbuktu. The unfavorable trade balance in America goes beyond anything the Romans could have imagined. We import an incredible amount more than we export, despite the infinite technological, agricultural, and natural resources that we have at our disposal. Also immigration, both legal and illegal, along with the teenage workforce, is responsible for taking many jobs off the market and causing high unemployment.

Perhaps the most disturbing causes for the fall of Rome coincide too closely with our current American problems. I am referring to the many social causes that contributed to the ultimate downfall of Rome. People felt that they had no stake in the government; their vote didn’t matter and their voice wasn’t heard. The loss of civic pride was obvious throughout the empire. Being Roman was no longer a real distinction. It was a right bestowed on foreigners or bought by the wealthy. The evasion of the required military service became common. Rich people would pay people to serve in the army in their place.

These problems are most obvious throughout American society. Voting is an action not performed by the majority of the citizens of this nation. Therefore, whoever is elected president will win by the votes of the vast minority of the registered voters. At one time, being American was a distinction. Now, it is taken for granted and we throw away our rights. Evasion of responsibility has become a popular pastime of the American people. Less than half of a percent of the population in 1995 was in the military. In cases such as the conflict in Vietnam, people dodged the draft by running to Canada or Mexico. Even our president evaded his responsibility, trying to escape the possibility of going to war. Still, he was elected into the highest office in the government.

The resemblance between the civilizations of ancient Rome and the United States of America is astounding. We are privileged to live in a time and country such as this, as were the Romans fortunate in their own time. Both have had their strong and weak points. Rome had the Pax Romana; we are the worlds last superpower. Rome had the murder of Caesar; we had the Kennedy assassination. Rome was not built in a day; we have not yet fallen.