Should the republic movement be top down or bottom?

Abolishing the monarchy and establishing a republic require constitutional shifts, and choosing the best approach depends on political, cultural, and strategic factors.

Here’s a breakdown of each approach:

Bottom-Up Approach: Incremental Undermining

This involves gradually eroding the monarchy’s symbolic and institutional significance. Examples include:

-Campaigns to change the national anthem to remove royal references.

-Ending MP oaths to the Crown.

-Challenging royal prerogatives through legal and parliamentary reform.

-Educating the public about republicanism and the cost/inequality of monarchy.

-Pushing for a codified constitution that removes hereditary roles.

-Pressuring public institutions (schools, media, civil service) to adopt neutral rather than royalist traditions.

Pros:

-Builds broad public support over time.

-Reduces polarisation by avoiding direct confrontation.

-Makes the monarchy gradually irrelevant or symbolic only.

-Easier to achieve in a parliamentary democracy.

-Encourages debate and re-examination of national identity.

Cons:

-Slow and requires sustained commitment.

-Risk of reforms being watered down.

-No immediate “break” with the monarchy.

Top-Down Approach: Direct Protest and Abolition

This focuses on mass protests, petitions, and political campaigns explicitly calling for the monarchy to be abolished.

Pros:

-Clear message and moral stance.

-Mobilises people emotionally.

-Could sway public opinion during moments of royal scandal or crisis.

-Creates visibility and pressure on politicians.

Cons:

-May be dismissed as radical.

-Likely to alienate older or more conservative voters.

-Risks entrenching support for the monarchy as a backlash.

-Unlikely to succeed without prior groundwork and a viable republican alternative.

Conclusion: Bottom-Up as the Strategic Path

Gradual reforms that question its role, shift cultural norms, and erode its legal privileges are more likely to lead to its eventual obsolescence — or at least prepare the ground for abolition when a political window opens.

A smart republican movement should start bottom-up, but be ready to pivot to top-down tactics when a major opportunity — such as a constitutional crisis or scandal — arises.