President Woodrow Wilson wrote “the he Constitution of the United States is not a mere lawyers’ document, it is a vehicle of life and its spirit is always the spirit of the age.” One must keep this fact in mind when comparing the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation. There was a vast difference in the “spirit of the age” when these documents were drafted. Coming on the heels of the Declaration of Independence and the war against England, and afraid of a dictatorship or a government that did not listen to its people, the Articles of Confederation (which will be referred to as AoC) were written it a way that gave more power to the states. The problem with this type of government was that it was too difficult to enact or enforce laws and the government could not collect enough taxes to support itself. I believe the Constitution did a better job of protecting liberties, specifically in the areas of the federal court system, representation of the people, and the levy of taxes.
During George Washington’s term, Hamilton and Jefferson disagreed with each other’s views of how the government should run. Jefferson was very strict with staying and adhering to the Constitution, while Hamilton wanted to form new policies that would further progress the economy. Furthermore, foreign affairs such as beginning with the policies towards the French Revolution became a motivating force for influencing American politics. It had then seemed very obvious that these were factors that lead to the success of American politics. In the early 1790’s Washington was elected for president and Alexander Hamilton came along with him.
Outline Although the founding of the Constitution was a revolutionary, positive turning-point in American history, the US Constitution has a few unconstitutional and democratic shortcomings. Introduction In order to understand the shortcomings of democracy of the US Constitution, is it is important to know the background of its’ founding and how each article serves our country. Federalist No. 10, written by James Madison, asserts the importance of having the image of a democracy without its real substance. There seems to have been a very strong opposition towards democracy at the Constitutional Convention, although the framers were in the midst of creating democratic principles to appeal to the majority of the country.
The solution was the United States Constitution. In fear of power, dictatorship, and political chaos the framers of the United States created the U.S Constitution on September 17th 1787. The Constitution is divided into three parts, the preamble, the articles, and the Amendments. The Preamble is the first part of the Constitution, which is considered the introduction of the Constitution that gives you the why of this important document. The preamble gives the patriotic foundation of the union stating the famous quote “We the people of the Unites States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”.
So a chosen few were helped make this conceivable, the Founding Fathers. The principal Founding Father and furthermore known as our first President would be George Washington. Other than him being most fit for the main leader of the United States, there are such a significant number of more explanations behind his commitment to the Constitution. He had understanding from the Revolutionary War, and from that it persuaded Washington that over the top worries for states' rights and states purview would be deadly to a successful national government. He was at that point understanding that states' rights were essential which winds up noticeably crucial when choosing our new government for the United States.
He composed his pamphlet utilizing vernacular and simple ideas, targeting the common man. This was an unusual, yet appropriate, technique for the Enlightenment era. His pamphlet outlined the flaws and disadvantages of a monarchial government such as the government imposed on America by England. He also portrayed the advantages of severing all governmental ties with England. Paine discusses generic topics of an ideal and properly functioning government.
However, under the Articles, the national government was weak and states operated like independent countries. Furthermore, when the weaknesses surpassed the strengths, a Constitutional Convention was called in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. Under the leadership of George Washington, the current US Constitution was drafted during the convention. The Constitution had amended many of the weaknesses of the Articles, and many of the problems it had failed to address. Even though the changes proposed in the Constitution were essential to the survival of the nation, the Articles of Confederation also had some positive and effective measures.
Jefferson believed in a strict view of the constitution while he was an advisor. When he became president, his view changed. He supported a more loose view of the document in accordance with his policies. In order for the Constitution to be understood, the chaos around the time it was written must be first understood. Yet that chaos in not the same as now, therefore the constitution must be interpreted loosely in a way that it fits society nowadays.
Madison strongly encouraged a strong central government. He knew that absence of unity between the states and the lack of federal power under The Articles of Confederation negatively affected the entire country. Madison made sure that the new constitution would force the states to work together for a common goal instead of doing things for only their own individual benefit. After the Constitution was ratified in 1788, Madison started working on the first amendments to the Constitution. This
The Eighth Amendment: protective or useless? In the United States government, the Constitution was formed to provide the basic structure of government. To appease the states and citizens who felt as though they were losing power and were scared of a strong national government in the wake of the stranglehold the British crown had held over the original colonies, the Bill of Rights was drawn up. The Eighth Amendment states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishments inflicted” (Colbert 12). In theory, the Eighth Amendment provides protection to those who have been accused of a crime and those who have already been convicted.