How Democratic Is The American Consitution?

The reasoning behind the Constitution of the United States is presented as 'based upon the philosophy of Hobbes and the religion of Calvin. It assumes the natural state of mankind in a state of war, and that the carnal mind is at enmity with God.' Throughout, the struggle between democracy and tyranny is discussed as the Founding Fathers who envisioned the Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787 believed not in total democracy, but instead saw common man as selfish and contemptuous, and therefore in need of a 'a good political constitution to control him.' Being a largely propertied body, with the exception of William Few, who was the

“While the authors of the United States Constitution are frequently portrayed as noble and idealistic statesmen who drafted a document based upon their conception of good government, reality is that the constitution reflects the politics of the drafting and ratification process. Unfortunately, the result is a document that is designed to produce an ineffective government, rather than a government that can respond to issues in a timely fashion.” In support of this conclusion, the issues of slavery, The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and the civil rights struggle keenly demonstrate the ways in which our constitution hinders the expediency and effectiveness of America’s government. The constitution’s provisions towards voting eligibility and

It is generally understood that the United States is built upon the principles of democracy, in which the majority consensus of the citizens helps to define the shape of issues or elections. However, in assuming that the Constitution - the document upon which such practices are founded – is inherently democratic is only partially accurate. Indeed, it has been frequently argued that the U. S. Constitution is representative of the rule of law from a federation as opposed to a pure democracy; in a federation, elections occur among the majority of the citizenry but this process results in elected officials who then determine the direction of the country. In short, a federation

Robert Dahl's book How Democratic is the American Constitution, reminds us that the American Constitution wasn't the only possible base for a democratic system in America. In this book Dahl explains some of the democratic and undemocratic aspects of the American constitution. He also explains what should be changed to improve it.

This book emphasizes the alternative interpretations offered by Americans on the origins of the Constitution. Holton’s purpose with this book was to show that the framers interests involved making America more attractive to investors. In order to do so, they purposefully made the government less democratic with the writing of the Constitution. However, with the addition of the Bill of Rights, one could argue the Framers had at least a slight concern for the American people and their civil liberties.

Viewing the Constitution of the United States of America – one of America’s oldest documents - as another great beloved American classic may be demanding for almost anyone to do. Because of its old age and “unrelatable” content, the American Constitution remains a difficult thing for people of all professions, races, religions, and political views to read and enjoy just as much as any other novel. Thanks to the renowned Akhil Reed Amar, the average person’s perspective of the United States’ Constitution is altered and their knowledge of the work is expanded through the explanations provided in America’s Constitution: A Biography. By explaining not only the mentality of those who dreamed, drafted, and voted for the Constitution but also the desires of the founding fathers when creating a democracy as their choice of an ideal government for their country in a world full of monarchies, Amar is able to give readers insight on a piece that was not only relevant when it was created but is able to expand as society does. Amar creates a biography perfect for those who desire to know more about the foundations America was built on and its ability to adapt and evolve throughout the

Democracy, a form of government where significant power is vested in the people and the people exercise their power by electing representatives or exercise their power directly by themselves via assembly. The U.S. Constitution was once considered to be Democratic – however – after an examination of the 3 branches of government the U.S. Constitution has some seemingly undemocratic attributes. There are features in all 3 branches that makes the U.S. Constitution seem undemocratic. The Executive Branch is undemocratic in the presidential election, specifically the Electoral College. The Legislative Branch is undemocratic in the Senatorial and House of Representative representation of the states. Lastly, the Judicial Branch is undemocratic due to its power of Judicial Review and the appointment process of new judges. Nevertheless, despite these features, I do not believe the U.S. Constitution should be truly classified as an undemocratic government.

In the article, “Framed Up What the Constitution gets wrong” written by Hendrik Hertzberg, Robert Dahl’s perspective on the United States Constitution, he is in favor of the “American system does a better job than the democratic alternatives, and quite a

In the book How Democratic Is the American Constitution written by Robert A. Dahl, it shows us a deeper understanding of how the complexities of when and how the ideals of the American democracy were framed. This book also shows us that this amazing document was created in a way that many of us wouldn’t have thought of. Throughout the book Dahl takes us on an incredible adventure through America’s beginning years, as far back as the Constitutional Convention in 1787. One of the first things that is mentioned in the book is that the democracy that we have is not a static system but rather it has been changed and still continues to change to this day over the years since it has been completed. Many of the authors that helped to contribute to completing the Constitution also had a change of views as the years went by after the document’s completion. For example, Dahl mentions that James Madison, who was thirty six years old at the time, had not fully finalized his ideas for the constitution, mainly towards suffrage and majority rules. Due to this, couple of years later Madison published a series of multiple essays that contain ideas and steps to take that could help overcome the possible threats of political parties. In 1821 Madison wrote “The right of suffrage is a fundamental Article in Republican Constitutions” (Dahl, 2001, p. 35). This book is a great read for a better and deeper understanding of early political science that is written in a great style that is

The founders of the United States envisioned a government which was controlled by the consent of the governed. The United States of America was the first modern nation to be established under the notion that the citizens have preeminent jurisdiction. Through elections, the people of the United States have the ability to chose a desired politician to be in power in all governmental positions. This political principle strongly represents a democracy as it “ is the idea that government exists to secure the rights of the people and must be based on the consent of the governed” (Doc F).

I have recently read your novel Democracy in America, and as one of the founding fathers of America, I would like to give you my input. I have my own ideas on how our democracy should be run and can see that we both share similar and contrasting beliefs specifically in relation to the chapter in your novel, “Unlimited Power of the Majority in the United States, and Its Consequences”.

Jacob Warner Professor Vecera Political Science 101 12 September 2015 A critical response to “How Democratic is the American Constitution?” In “How Democratic is the American Constitution?” author, Robert A. Dahls’ aim is to “suggests changes on how we think about the Constitution”. Dahls’ main point is that the Constitution fails to practice the equality of representation, mainly in the constitutional systems of the Electoral College and the Senate.

A republican government is a type of government where the people give the political authority. Basically, all power comes from the people. We hear the word republic every time we say the pledge of allegiance. The word republic comes from the Latin word res publica which means a form of government where the people have power instead of a ruler, lord, king etc. America is a republic, as written in the U.S. constitution, where the citizens give power to the government. Many argue that America is democratic but that is not what our Founders wrote.

The american constitution is frequently all the conjured Concerning illustration the framework from claiming american democracy, yet parts about it need aid often underestimated. Robert Dahl's book may be a helpful update that the american constitution is far starting with the best could be allowed foundation to equitable framework - What's more that it may, indeed, a chance to be significantly starting with an perfect gas one.

Democracy has consistently been a critical issue in America; as the country developed and progressed, so did the kind of popular government and its meaning. Democracy is a strategy for settling on political choices; it is the thing that makes the nation recognized, effective and is the reason for American achievement. The Consitution is the essential composed arrangement of standards and points of reference of central government in the US, which came into operation in 1789 and has since been changed by twenty-seven amendments. Federalism in the United States is the connection between the state governments and the government. branches of the government is separation of power of the government that consist of three branches are the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and the executive branch. There are key principles to maintaining America and it’s democracy which is US Constitution, Federalism, Branches of Government and Political Parties.