The Pros And Cons Of The American Constitution

1530 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Differences between the us constitution and the uk constitution

Although the United States has been celebrated as a pioneering democracy, the nation’s constitution formulates a system of government that deviates from purely democratic principles. That is, when assessing the intentions of the framers, the Constitution’s calculated deviations from an absolute popular rule establishes a system of governance in which the security of American liberties is prioritized. Moreover, by examining the nuances of the Constitution from the framers’ lenses, the divergence from purely democratic ideals becomes all the more apparent. However, despite paving the road for democracies to come, emerging democracies around the world have broken away from the American system of governance outlined by the constitution through …show more content…

While ensuring sovereignty to individual states, the overwhelmingly weak initiative proved to endanger the nation as a rising democracy. Without a strong centralized government, the states’ loosely tied union resulted in a multitude of problems that contested the legitimacy of the nation as a new and free state. Shay’s Rebellion alone revealed the country’s inability to placate a legion of riled up debtors consisting of farmers. ** and also “ source that mentions that foreign threats were legitimate “ . **
Thus began the need for a new constitution . Adopting a new constitution would prove to be difficult, despite the general agreement over the Articles of Confederations being a failure. With the Constitution was unduly contested by those that desired a weak central government , fearing that the individual rights of the citizens would be dismissed . Fear of despotic rule, whether by multiple hands or one, pushed for the recognition and assurance of personal liberties and rights. Anti-federalists feared a republic would be However, Madison’s Federalist Paper 10 elucidates the dangers of an overly democratic government conducive of factions where the tyranny of the majority would present itself.

Before continuing a distinction between a democracy and republic needs to be

Show More
Related

  • Pros And Cons Of The Texas Constitution

    1486 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Texas Constitution is a document that describes the structure and purpose of the government in Texas. It took effect in February 15, 1876 and is amongst the longest state constitutions in the United States. It is the sixth constitution since claiming their independence from Mexico in 1836. Texas joined the United States under the Constitution of 1845 with provisions. Those provisions included allowing Texas to enter the union and begin the first U.S. statehood constitution. In 1861 Texas amended to transfer their statehood to the Confederacy. After the Confederacy was defeated Texas was required to adopt a constitution if they wanted to rejoin the union. The 1866 Constitution Convention emerged with a document but it did not last very long.

    Read More

  • Federalist 10 Pros And Cons

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    This passage places emphasis on one of the three arguments James Madison makes in Federalist 10. Madison explicates the deficit of factions specifically factions that could cause nothing but “mischief” for the United States. In this particular passage, he explains how factions are inevitable in our country, however, controlling the effect of factions would diminish their “mischievous impact.” Thus, prohibiting factions assists in reducing the probability of “[a] weaker party or an obnoxious individual” from gaining power over the minority. These smaller factions that Madison hopes to avoid are a direct result of “pure democracy” that he accounts as have “general[ly]…short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.” Therefore, this particular fragment from federalist 10 serves as the precedent to the introduction of a mixed Constitution of a democracy and republic, in this case, a large republic.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Constitution

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    After the Revolution, the country was left in an economic crisis and struggling for a cohesive path moving forward. The remaining financial obligations left some Founding Fathers searching for ways to create a stronger more centralized government to address concerns on a national level. The thought was that with a more centralized, concentrated governing body, the more efficient tensions and fiscal responsibilities could be addressed. With a central government manning these responsibilities, instead of the individual colonies, they would obtain consistent governing policies. However, as with many things in life, it was a difficult path with a lot of conflicting ideas and opponents. Much of the population was divided choosing either the

    Read More

  • Bill of Rights To Protect From Tyranny

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    When the new Constitution was drafted, the ratification, the official approval by the people of the United States, sparked a national debate. People were shocked by the radical changes it proposed; they expected the convention to merely amend the Articles of Confederation. They were afraid of regressing back into a state under tyranny, a form of rule where a single or small group reigns with vast or absolute power. Americans had just fought for their freedom from the tyrannical rule of the king of England. All their efforts and revolutionary ideas would have gone to waste.

    Read More

  • Aristotle's Legacy In The Federalist Papers

    2064 Words  | 5 Pages

    In 1789, the Confederation of the United States, faced with the very real threat of dissolution, found a renewed future with the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. This document created a structure upon which the citizens could build a future free of the unwanted pitfalls and hazards of tyrannies, dictatorship, or monarchies, while securing the best possible prospects for a good life. However, before the establishment of the new United States government, there was a period of dissent over the need for a strong centralized government. Furthermore, there was some belief that the new constitution failed to provide adequate protection for small businessmen and farmers and even less clear protection for fundamental human rights.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Declaration Of Independence

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why was the Declaration of Independence written? The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. We all know that day as Independence Day. It was accepted on July 4, 1776. On that day, the United States had freedom. There was a long, hard process to get the Declaration of Independence where it needed to be. It took several people, and several reviews to get it just right.

    Read More

  • Hamilton Argues Against A Bill Of Rights

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the late 18th century the Antifederalists argued against the constitution on the grounds that it did not contain a bill of rights. They believed that without a list of personal freedoms, the new national government might abuse its powers and that the states would be immersed in an all too dominant and influential national government. The Antifederalists worried that the limits on direct voting and the long terms of the president and senators, supplied by the constitution, would create a population of elites and aristocrats, which in turn would eventually take away power from the people. They also feared that the president might become another monarch. In other words, the Antifederalists ultimately felt that the new Constitution was undemocratic.

    Read More

  • Federalist Essay No 10 Analysis

    1747 Words  | 4 Pages

    He addressed as one objective of the Union that was to become the United States “break[ing] and control[ing] the violence of faction”. Madison acknowledges prior failed attempts at establishing popular government, but he asserts that the American Constitution is one of stronger rhetoric that improves upon inherent flaws, such as “the instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils”. The new Constitution, Madison claims, is well equipped to reduce the malignant effects of faction. The method of representation that the Constitution details prevents “the public good [being] disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties”, with fortune favoring the “the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority”. It is necessary to note that Madison refrains from mentioning specific individuals and events throughout the essay; doing so reinforces the concept of republican democracy in that each individual, and not specific men, possesses the ability to influence public policy. Madison furthermore defines a faction to demonstrate his understanding, and that of the public’s, in the presence of a disease others deem detrimental to the preservation of the general public’s rights and interests. Madison does not present a distinct, succinct thesis in Federalist No. 10, though a statement resembling a thesis follows the definition of a faction. Madison states, “There are two methods of curing the

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of The United States Constitution

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    Citizenship is the fiber that unites all Americans. We are a nation connected not by race or religion, but by shared values of freedom, liberty, and equality. What does that exactly signify to the average American citizen? It indicates that several of us, including myself, have not only expressed several of our rights such as freedom to express ourselves, freedom to worship as we wish, voting in elections, serving on a jury or purchasing or owning a firearm but we aspire to protect those rights.

    Read More

  • Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Constitution

    1902 Words  | 4 Pages

    The legislative, executive, and judicial branches represent the constitutional infrastructure foreseen by the Founding Fathers for our nation 's governing body. Together, they work to maintain a system of lawmaking and administration based on checks and balances, and separation of powers intended to make certain that no individual or embodiment of government ever becomes too controlling. America is governed by a democratic government or a democracy which is a government by the people, in which the power is established in the people themselves. The people then elect representatives who carry out their power in a free electoral system. The United States government’s basic claim is to serve the people and only through a combined effort can we

    Read More

  • America's Democracy

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    The political culture that defines American politics shows that despite this compromise, America is still very much a democratic society. The very history of the country, a major contributor to the evolution of its political culture, shows a legacy of democracy that reaches from the Declaration of Independence through over two hundred years to today’s society. The formation of the country as a reaction to the tyrannical rule of a monarchy marks the first unique feature of America’s democratic political culture. It was this reactionary mindset that greatly affected many of the decisions over how to set up the new governmental system. A fear of simply creating a new, but just as tyrannic... ...

    Read More

  • Pluralism

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Federalist No. 10, James Madison stresses that “measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.” Madison philosophized that a large republic, composed of numerous factions capable of competing with each other and the majority must exist in order to avoid tyranny of majority rule.# When Federalist No. 10 was published, the concept of pluralism was not widely used. However, the political theory that is the foundation for United States government was the influential force behind pluralism and its doctrines.

    Read More

  • Democratic and Undemocratic Aspects of the Constitutional Convention

    1373 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the United States. The Articles had created a very weak national government. At the time the Articles were approved, they had served the will of the people. Americans had just fought a war to get freedom from a great national authority--King George III (Patterson 34). But after this government was put to use, it was evident that it was not going to keep peace between the states. The conflicts got so frequent and malicious that George Washington wondered if the “United” States should be called a Union (Patterson 35). Shays’ Rebellion finally made it evident to the public that the government needed a change.

    Read More

  • Competitive Federalism

    2725 Words  | 6 Pages

    Those who feared that the federal government would become too strong were assured by Madison in Federalist No. 14 that “in the first place it is to be remembered that the general government is not to be charged with the whole power of making and administrating laws…The subordinate governments, which can extend their care to all those other objects which can be separately provided for, will retain their due authority and activity”

    Read More

  • Does Democracy Work?

    849 Words  | 2 Pages

    In comparing the average citizen in a democratic nation, say the United States, to that of a non-democratic nation, for instance Egypt, it will be found that the citizen in the democratic nation is generally better off – free of persecution, free from fear of the authorities, and free to express his opinions on governmental matters. And while national conflicts occur everywhere, incidents like violent revolts have shown to be more prevalent in nations where citizens are not allowed to choose who governs them. It is slightly paradoxical that democracy, so inherently flawed in theory, can lead to such successful outcomes in practice. The question, then, becomes: “If democracy has so many weaknesses, why does it work?”

    Read More

More about The Pros And Cons Of The American Constitution

Open Document