The Framers of the Constitution and the Republicanism The constitution is the supreme law of the land. Even though it is the supreme law of the land, it is not well defined; it isn’t specific on multiple areas. Because of that, the constitution has been misjudged and miss interpreted in the past. However, there are certain parts were the Constitution is specific. It is partially specific on elements of the Constitution that embodies the republican principle of limited government, the three institutions in the government that embodies the commitment of representation: the House of Representatives, the senate, and the presidency, amendments of the constitution that expand the democratic representation, and passages that expresses the …show more content…
This amendment expanded democratic representation widely because it gave recently free slaves the right to vote for the people that were going to represent them. There is a catch on it though, only males were allowed to vote according to this amendment, it didn’t give woman the right to vote.[15] This wouldn’t change until later on in August 18, 1920 with the woman suffrage amendment being passed, the nineteenth amendment gave woman the right to vote[16] . This amendment finally gave woman the right to vote in elections. It was very important because it gave a sense of equality between males and females; however, there is still a great imbalanced scale between males and females. It didn’t really balance things out, but it expanded democratic representation greatly. Through the whole Constitution there are multiple passages that express the republican principal of popular sovereignty, but not any other like the preamble. The preamble starts by saying “We the people”[17] which clearly states that we the people create the government. We the people give power to the government by letting the government govern us. That is the meaning of popular sovereignty.[18] In the end, the Constitution is and always will be the supreme law of the land. It is not perfect, in fact it is far from perfect, but it at least gives order to our lives and give us a government we can live in. a government in which the republican principle of limited government is
Created on November 15, 1777 and ratified by the first 13 colonies on March 1, 1781, the articles of confederation is known for being the first constitution of the united states. “The constitution provides a division of powers, meaning it assigns certain powers to the national government and reserves others for the states.” (crouse, slide 4) The constitution is needed because if we didn't have it the government would be weak and would most likely have no power. Framers of the constitution chose a system of government on a territorial basis, between a central government and several states. “ the framers were worried about the government being too powerful because; government power inevitably poses a threat to individual liberty. Therefore the
The framers of the constitution did many things that limited the power of the president by creating impeachment, checks and balances, executive privilege, and allowing the legislature to declare war. However they gave the president too much power because they allow the president to court packing, they allow him to announce important events to the public, and allowing presidents to issue many executive orders. A president must be at least thirty five years old, a natural born citizen, and live in the United states (U.S.) for at least 14 years. The president is allowed to serve four year terms when he or she is elected.
The framers of the Constitution did many things to limit the power of the president such as creating a system of checks and balances, establishing a process of impeachment, and requiring congressional approval for many presidential decisions; however some believe the president was given too much power by the framers by allowing executive orders and court packing. Through trying to limit the power of the president, the framers also set requirements to become president. These include being least 35 years old, living in the U.S. for consecutive 14 years, and natural born citizen of the United States of America. The framers of the Constitution did enough to limit the power of the President. This was done by creating a process for impeachment,
In the year 1787 a fierce debate over the ratification of the Constitution took place in the United States. The young nation suffered from a government too weak to handle its problems but with citizens wary and skeptical of strong, central governments. This is where the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists took place, the debate that would set American ideals into stone with the ratification of the Constitution and the later-added Bill of Rights. The Federalists believed in a stronger central government to help overcome the struggles the fledgling nation faced while the Anti-federalists believed that the Constitution did not do enough to secure the rights of the people from a tyranny not unlike that of King George’s. Throughout this
There is no doubt that the U.S. Constitution is one of the most politically intricate pieces of work in the world. It is astounding that a country has been able to continue to follow the guidelines that were provided in this document centuries later. The American Constitution and Bill of Rights was written with 18th century values and beliefs that are very different than the ones we hold today. However, it is the vague language that leaves room for interpretation and our government that has been essential for the original Constitution to continue to be successful.
The majority of people, if not all, by human nature are greedy and work toward their own desires and betterment. This natural instinct to protect one’s self interest actually is a positive force in the world. People will naturally work toward improving their station in life and the innovative ideas that are unleashed and actions that are taken in these pursuits improve other people’s lives as well. The issue begins when this greed grows unchecked and becomes a desire to have power over others. History has long shown that people who have power, especially power protected by a governing body, should be held accountable. A community of people should never assume that those they have elected to govern them possess greed that is more virtuous than individual greed. The Framers of the U.S. Constitution recognized this abuse of power and were intent to put in place a system that included separation of powers and checks and balances to protect American citizens from tyranny. Although the Constitution does not specifically address term limits on public servants in government leadership, there is evidence that some of the Framers understood that the negative effects of power hungry public officials. During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin made a speech and he said “there are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; The love of power and the love of money.” What I will be addressing in this paper
The Framers of the Constitution in 1787 believed the people weren’t intelligent enough to choose their own leader. They were concerned how informed their voters would be and decided that the president should be elected indirectly. Thus, the Electoral College was produced. The Electoral College, fundamentally, prohibits civilians from voting directly for the president. How does this work? First, the country holds the popular vote. Every adequate voter in every state gets one vote for the president. Then, it is passed to the electoral vote. Now, each state obtains at least three votes depending on the population of that state. In order to be declared president, the candidate must receive a majority of the votes. If no one acquires a majority of the votes, then the House of Representatives elects the president from the top three contenders. In which case, each state gets one vote. Therefore, is it time to get rid of the Electoral College? The answer is no; the process may not be equal, but it protects the country’s ideologies. The Electoral College should be kept because it keeps extremists in check, protects the federalist system, and settles the presidency.
Whether or not to add in a Bill of Rights was a huge debate among the framers of our Constitution. While the framers ended up ratifying the Constitution without a Bill of Rights, shortly after a Bill of Rights was added in the first ten amendments to the Constitution. This Bill of Rights is what grants us our basic freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, the press, and the right to bear arms.
Securing the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and Our Posterity The Framers of the Constitution overall succeeded in protecting and giving the rights of liberty, freedom, and those of all people to the citizens of the United States. This was ultimately made possible as they made sure one can change its government if necessary, now and in the future. In article one section 8, congress is given the power to create any law necessary for the country going forward, protecting the rights of the people.
Equal rights have long been sought out by the people of America and they continue to be chased after today. Several of our freedoms were originally seen by the Constitutional to be inalienable, so ingrained in what the founding fathers saw as American values that the Bill of Rights has set them in stone. Unfortunately for some, universal suffrage was not one of those rights. While voting was largely limited at the founding of America, citizens, namely white males, slowly gained the right to vote without discrimination towards age or social status. However, women remained barred from the ballot, regardless of race. Though the suffrage movement started as a woman’s social movement, it evolved into a driving force that would hold the power to put in place a nineteenth constitutional amendment.
The United States Constitution is set up for democracy like the colonist wanted. The constitution prevents anarchy and protects your rights. As a citizen you are protected by the Bill of Rights. We are entitled to freedom of speech, religion, and have dual process. We have guaranteed rights, separated powers of government to prevent tyranny, and we elect our representatives under The United States Constitution. The United States Constitution is set up to keep up with changing times.
Secondly This amendment affected the people who didnt have the money or right to vote.Also the women were greatful so they didnt have to protest anymore.For the people that didnt money had a relief becuase
The 19th Amendment is about women's rights. Women gained the right to vote when this amendment was ratified. This amendment was passed to show that women were slowly gaining the same rights as men.
Certain interests do not change over time in our society. Over 200 years ago, the prominent concern that led to the framing of the Constitution regarded the establishment of a government that was “for the people and by the people.” The framers of the Constitution, with concern of an over powering central government in mind, provided a basis for the structure of the federal government of the United States. The powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government are laid out strategically in a way that no one branch can have more power than the other. The national concern of maintaining a legitimate government has not shifted since the initial days of the framers. Although the capacity of the government has grown over time, the system of checks and balances that was adapted in the framing of the Constitution allows for the structure and powers of the federal government to remain in order today. Other than providing a structural map for how the government will operate, however, the additional aspects of the Constitution fail to administer practical framework for addressing 21st century interests. This document was written over 200 years ago and it has not been altered substantially since then (Lazare). While certain Amendments have been added to assist the Constitution in staying relevant, such as the abolishment of slavery and the addition of women’s right to vote, there has been practically nothing added to help in applying the framers’ intentions
The right of all citizens of the United States to vote would not be denied by the United States Government or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power, by appropriate legislation, to enforce the provisions of this article. (Weatherford 245)