The Constitution As A Democratic Document - 1286 Words

The Constitution as a Democratic Document Since the ratification of the Constitution, more than 11,000 amendments have been proposed. The Constitution of the United States of America was Officially ratified in 1789. This makes the document over two-hundred years old. Since the time of its writing and eventual ratification, the document has been amended and interpreted in many ways. Whether it be prohibition to the abolition of slavery. The Constitution has been constantly updated over time. It has not laid stagnant with the time. The Constitution has remained the document off of which we have based our country for many years. A major question that has been posed is, why do we as a country still feel bound to this document written so many years ago? The reasons are fairly simple. The Constitution of the United States can and has been over many years amended, the laws and thoughts of a people can be expressed through the Constitution, and the constitution has functioned, with a few bumps in the road, fairly well over the last two-hundred years. The people of the United States should still stand behind this Constitution because it infact still serves us well today in many ways. A few being that it can be amended and â€Å"Fixed†, and another being that it does still protect our rights as citizens. The ability of The Constitution to be amended is what still allows it to be relevant today. The updates that are made reflect the attitude of the nation. An example of this being theShow MoreRelatedThe Constitution: a Democratic Document?954 Words   |  4 PagesUpon the opening words of the Constitution, We the PeopleÂ…do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America, one must ask, who are these people? While the American Constitution provided its citizens with individual rights, many members were excluded. Elite framers manipulated the idea of a constitution in order to protect their economic interests and the interests of their fellow ‘white land and slave owning men by restricting the voices of women, slaves, indentured servantsRead MoreEssay about The Constitution as A Democratic Document938 Words   |  4 PagesUpon the opening words of the Constitution, We the PeopleÂ…do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America, one must ask, who are these people? While the American Constitution provided its citizens with individual rights, many members were excluded. Elite framers manipulated the idea of a constitution in order to protect their economic interests and the interests of their fellow ‘white land and slave owning men by restricting the voices of women, slaves, indentured servantsRead More1998 Dbq1014 Words   |  5 Pageshaving different perspectives on government and the Constitution. The Democratic Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, were always characterized by following the strict construction of the constitution. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, were characterized by fo llowing the broad construction of the constitution. The presidencies of Jefferson and Madison proved this characterization to be somewhat accurate. Although the Democratic Republicans and the Federalists did support theirRead More Jeffersonian Republicans Vs. Federalists Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pagescountry and began to grow and develop into an effective democratic nation, many changes occurred. As the democracy began to grow, two main political parties developed, the Jeffersonian Republicans and the Federalists. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Each party had different views on how the government should be run. The Jeffersonian Republicans believed in strong state governments, a weak central government, and a strict construction of the Constitution. The Federalists opted for a powerful central governmentRead MoreHoltons Interpretation Of The FramersDistrust Of Tyranny?1584 Words   |  7 Pagesin Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution that the Framers’ creation of the Constitution represented a â€Å"slur on the capacity of ordinary citizens† to govern themselves by placing the power of the National Government into the hands of the opulent few (Holton, Unruly Americans, 278). Is Holton’s interpretation of the Framers’ intentions equitable, or has he treated the delegates unfairly in neglecting the democratic elements of the document and the Framers’ distrust of tyranny? SectionRead MoreRethinking the Finality of and Democracy in the American Constitution1716 Words   |  7 PagesIs the United States Constitution a sacred and absolute document? Dahl (2001) argued that the Constitution is not perfect or permanent in his book, How Democratic is the American Constitution. He stresses that his main aim is not to propose that the Constitution must be amended, but to facilitate readers in changing how they think about the Constitution. In order to help people rethink the Constitution, Dahl (2001) explained the limitatio ns of its Framers and the Constitution’s not widely known undemocraticRead MoreThe Nigerian Constitution in 1960 Essay1428 Words   |  6 PagesThe Nigerian Constitution in 1960 There appears to be a consensus among the rulers of Nigeria that the countrys Constitution needs review. The review is, in fact, going on and there is not much I can do about that. However, if given the balance of power in the country, a review is the only constitutional development possible at this stage, I would then pay attention to the general character and form of the Constitution rather than its specific contents, which à ± with regards to the power and welfareRead MoreThe Constitution Of The United States1632 Words   |  7 Pages Emily Alexander Pima Community College March 9, 2015 The Constitution of the United States After gaining independence from Britain, America was faced with the challenge of creating a new government for the people of the American colonies. The Founding Fathers first created the Articles of Confederation but after much criticism the Founding Fathers met again and created the Constitution of the United States. The Founding Fathers wanted to form a government that was unlike theRead MoreEssay The Rise of Political Parties533 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, which were led by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, respectively. The rise of political parties was facilitated by general distrust amongst politicians. In document 1, Thomas Jefferson claims that Hamilton is in support of a monarchy. This statement reflects Jeffersons distrust for Hamilton, believing that he is trying to regress America back into a pre-revolution monarchy. Hamilton, on the other hand, states in document 2 that James MadisonRead MoreAnalysis Of The Constitution And The Constitution932 Words   |  4 PagesDahl and the Constitution James Madison and the rest of the Founders of the Constitution undeniably founded a government that has withstood the test of time. The question that Robert Dahl poses in How Democratic Is the American Constitution? is whether this form of government and specifically the Constitution is as democratic as it should be and focuses on the Constitution’s shortcomings. Dahl argues that the constitution is much less democratic than it ought to be. Madison, on the other hand, had