Give Me Police Legitimacy or Give Me Death
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
Sunday, March 23, 2025 marks 250 years since Patrick Henry’s famous declaration. As America approaches its 250th birthday in 2026, R Street is celebrating our founding-era principles and how they intersect with today’s policy challenges. Explore more from our policy teams.
Throughout the course of human history, real or perceived illegitimacy of or dissatisfaction with government has resulted in political power changing hands, and the United States’ movement for independence from Britain at the end of the 18th century is no exception. Exactly 250 years ago on March 23rd, Patrick Henry stood before legislators in Richmond, Virginia, and opined, “Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!”
These words preceded the more famous ones Henry spoke that day: “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” The patriots who went on to secure American independence were inspired in part by Henry’s articulation of one major grievance colonists had with the rule of the British government: a perceived lack of legitimate authority.
His bold and prescient speech eloquently conveys the threat facing governments that do not attempt to improve their legitimacy in the eyes of their constituents or to address their concerns adequately. While most are in no danger of facing a full-fledged revolution, it is important for all countries to create systems that place citizen interests over government interests in order to adapt to the demands of the people for legitimacy and accountability. This is particularly true in regards to police, as those who enforce the law often represent the entire system of governance that stands behind them.
Fast-forward to the 21st century. Examining recent changes to our country’s criminal justice system through the lens of legitimacy and accountability shows that citizens made some clear-cut demands of the government following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. In the wake of that event, confidence in police fell below 50 percent for the first time in recorded history (to 48 percent) before reaching its record low of 43 percent in 2023.
Such a low level of trust in law enforcement as an institution, along with public demonstrations of these feelings, set a clear goal for policymakers. To use Henry’s words, states needed to address public “petitions,” “remonstrances,” and “supplications”—and many did. Polling shows that confidence in police is back up above 50 percent as of 2024, but there is still a long way to go to fully restore trust. In addition to continued calls for law enforcement accountability, we now see citizens demanding a shift back toward policies that promote justice and safety.
Police, sheriffs, and other law enforcement officers cannot control the laws they are tasked with enforcing, nor can they affect what people think of those laws. However, they can and should put forth their best efforts to create a transparent and accountable system that respects the rights of those they serve in order to protect the very country for which our ancestors shed blood more than two centuries ago. We owe our founding fathers that much.