Distrust Of Democracy Essay

Distrust of Democracy “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have” (Democracy Quotes). Years ago, Thomas Jefferson was among many who, during drafting and ratification of the constitution, voiced their wariness over the creation of a strong national government. Professor I.M. Skeptic argues that the constitution was born out of a distrust of democracy. I do believe that the constitution was created out of distrust; however I believe this distrust is for a strong central government that was displayed through Britain 's monarchy, not of democracy.

Professor Skeptic, in his keynote speech, points to the Electoral College as an example of distrust in our electoral system. It would

Is the Professor expecting no constraints on the House of Representatives at all? There are constraints on every branch of government, and without these constraints, one branch would try to seize power. The Senate does constrain the House of Representatives; however, the House of Representatives also has power that the Senate does not have and the Senate and House need each other in order to get anything done as far as legislation. Also, in the case of a tie between presidential candidates, the House of Representatives is the decided body that votes to determine who will be elected president. That is a major responsibility, and the fact that the Framers let the House determine this disproves Professor Skeptic’s claims that the Founders were scared of the House of Representatives decision making based on it being popularly

Professor Skeptic claims that this was another reason that the constitution was created. He argues that distrust of the public was a major factor in the creation of the constitution. Again, I submit that the Professor is mistaken, for if the Framers distrusted the public, then why would the Framers pick a form a government that “the supreme power is held by the people” (Definition of Republic from Dictionary.com). In a republic, the power is in the hands of the people, otherwise known as the public. The legislature is elected by the people, the president and head of the executive branch is elected by the people, and the people’s choice for president nominates the most important judiciary members (Supreme Court). The Framers however, were afraid of a majority oppression. They were weary of a system of government that allowed 51 percent of the people to oppress 49 percent of the people. That is why there are ways that the minority can stall and protect their interests; one example of this is through a filibuster. With that said, what scared the Framers the most was big government, not the public. In all his claims, Professor Skeptic’s most illogical and inaccurate claim is that the Constitution does not create a “real democracy.” The United States of America is a Republic. A true democracy is when every single person votes on every single issue. Instead, we elect representatives that represent our interests. They represent our votes, and