John Adams and the Structures of Liberty (Aaron Walayat, 6/01/26, Public Discourse)
Despite his advocacy for American independence, Adams remained an admirer of British constitutionalism, and the structures he recommended appear to mirror features of the British model. John Adams’s relationship with the British constitution has led to several different assessments from various commentators, including from his own contemporaries.
The recommendations that Adams made in Thoughts should be familiar to us. Adams recommended a bicameral legislature, with an executive who could exercise a veto power over the legislature as a check. He also recommended annual elections as a way to maintain popular participation. Adams contrasted this with his recommendations for an independent judiciary, consisting of learned jurists rather than laymen, who should receive lifetime appointments and have their salaries set by law. These basic structures remain influential and resemble the current model of government of the U.S. and many state constitutions.
Additionally, though Thoughts was not written specifically to debunk or critique Common Sense, it is apparent that Adams was wary of Paine’s influence. In fact, Adams devotes an entire section to criticizing unicameralism, arguing that unicameral legislatures are prone to individual vices, avarice, ambition, and a lack of expertise to exercise executive or judicial powers. He was concerned that such a system would create self-serving laws.