The Enduring Poison of Faction: Federalist 10 in the Age of Social Media
Decimus argues that modern technology has paradoxically condensed and weaponized factions, requiring a new assessment of Madison’s solutions…
Read More →A Foundation for Critical Discourse
Welcome to The Tribunician, a platform dedicated to political commentary filtered through the enduring wisdom of The Federalist Papers and the cautionary institutional history of the mid-to-late Roman Republic. We seek to apply classical arguments for liberty, limited government, and institutional checks to the pressing issues of modern American democracy.
Foundational Principles
“History does not always repeat itself, but it definitely rhymes.”
— Mark Twain
“Power corresponds to the human ability not just to act but to act in concert.”
— Hannah Arendt
Recent Commentary by Decimus
The Perilous Rise of the Princeps: Examining the Modern Executive
Examining the disregard for legislative checks, which mirrors the Roman Republic’s failure to contain ambitious generals who exploited temporary powers…
Read More →Neither Force Nor Will: The Judiciary’s Role in a Polarized Republic
Decimus discusses how the Supreme Court requires a ‘Tribunician’ restraint to avoid appearing as an activist, political body rather than a purely judgmental one…
Read More →About The Project: The Voice of Decimus
This platform serves as the culminating project for an independent study in political science, dedicated to providing commentary on current events through the dual historical lenses of the **mid-to-late Roman Republic** and **The Federalist Papers**.
The name *The Tribunician* references the Roman office of the **Tribune of the Plebs**—a position created to protect the common citizens (the *plebs*) from the overreach of the patrician-controlled state. This office held the power of *intercessio* (veto), acting as a fundamental check on power, a role analogous to the checks and balances championed by the American Founders.
All published analysis is attributed to the pseudonym **Decimus**. This choice is a conscious homage to the authors of *The Federalist Papers*, who used the collective pseudonym **Publius** to advance their arguments with a sense of shared purpose and anonymity, emphasizing the ideas over the identity of the author. “Decimus” (meaning “Tenth” in Latin) symbolizes a commitment to foundational principles and provides a singular voice focused purely on institutional accountability.