Every year around this time, Matthew Yglesias posts something to the effect that the American Revolution was on the whole not that great for America or for the world. Since the underlying disagreements between the U.S. and Britain were rather shallow, the argument goes, it would have been nice if we could just iron out a semi-independent alliance with the motherland, like Canada and Australia did.

Color me unconvinced. American Exceptionalism is unfashionable and frequently uninteresting, but it seems to me that separation of powers, judicial review, and the other component parts of written constitutionalism have been pretty clear gains for this country. (And that these will become bigger gains if we can convince the relevant constitutional actors to take written constitutionalism more seriously than it currently is.)

Now, the glib response is to look to England, point out that people seem pretty free and pretty well-off there too, and therefore conclude that the innovations of American government have not on the whole led to much improvement of real welfare. I think this is too-quick by half. The benefits of our particular system of the rule of law may not have fully played themselves out, and our system has had some obvious failures too, but I think there is good cause to remain optimistic.

Happy Independence Day.

UPDATE: Some further thoughts from Dan Drezner (pro) and Tyler Cowen (con).

To lie flat on the back with the knees flexed
And sunshine on the soft receptive belly,
Or face down, the insolent spine relaxed,
No more compelled to cower or to bully,
Is good; and good to see them passing by
Below on the white side-walk in the heat,
The dog, the lady with parcels, and the boy:
There is the casual life outside the heart.
Yes, we are out of sight and earshot here.
Are you aware what weapon you are loading,
To what that teasing talk is quietly leading?
Our pulses count but do not judge the hour.
Who are you with, from whom you turn away,
At whom you dare not look? Do you know why?

WH Auden

UPDATE (Realization): It's a slant-rhyme sonnet (!)
(you're welcome, Will--)