Reviving Our Republic
95 Theses for the Future of America
Inspired by Martin Luther’s 95 Theses and grounded in Washington’s Farewell Address, this book presents 95 propositions for restoring constitutional governance.
About the Book
In 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle Church, launching a reformation that changed the Western world. In 2024, Mike Bedenbaugh presents 95 theses of a different kind — propositions for the reformation of American civic and political life.
The book is organized around the four warnings George Washington issued in his 1796 Farewell Address: the dangers of party spirit, foreign entanglements, pretended patriotism, and fiscal irresponsibility. Washington believed that if any of these threats were left unchecked, they would eventually consume the republic he and his generation had built.
Two hundred years later, Bedenbaugh argues that all four have come to pass — and that reversing the damage requires not a revolution but a restoration: a return to the founding principles of limited government, civic virtue, and constitutional order.
Washington’s Four Warnings
How the Book Is Organized
Moderating the Fury of Party Spirit
Washington warned that excessive partisanship would corrode the republic from within. These theses examine how factionalism has warped governance and what it will take to restore unity of purpose.
Warning Against Foreign Intrigue
Permanent alliances and foreign entanglements ranked among Washington's gravest concerns. These theses call for an independent foreign policy rooted in American interests.
Guarding Against Pretended Patriotism
Washington cautioned against leaders who drape ambition in the language of patriotism. These theses confront the manipulation of civic symbols and the corruption of public trust.
Maintaining Fiscal Responsibility
Debt was a moral as much as a financial danger in Washington's view. These theses lay out principles to restore constitutional limits on government spending.
About the Author
Mike Bedenbaugh
Mike Bedenbaugh is a civic educator, historian, and the host of Perspective with Mike Bedenbaugh, a podcast and YouTube channel dedicated to historic preservation and constitutional education. He lives in Chapin, South Carolina.
His guiding principle — Place, Purpose, and Preservation — extends to a national call for the revival of intentional citizenship.
Ready to Engage?
Read all 95 theses, analyze laws against the Constitution, and join the civic conversation.