When Benjamin Franklin emerged onto the steps of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall at the close of the 1787 Continental Convention, he was asked whether the Founding Fathers had decided on a monarchy or a republic. “A republic, if you can keep it,” he reportedly said.

Only once has the ability to keep that republic been in serious doubt – in the years up to and during the Civil War. Could it be in doubt again today? If so, security can be a model for preserving the republic.