The Importance Of Constitutional Foundations For The United States Democratic Republic

Constitutional Foundations for the United States Democratic Republic

During the late 1780's the 55 delegates of the United States decided that the United States needed to form a new Constitution. The constitution was a plan of government designed to solve the governmental problems experienced under the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was an immense help to the difficulties faced by the government and it continues to guide the American nation today. The Articles of Confederation was the first governing document of the United States. It united the thirteen colonies and was adopted in 1771 by Congress. Under the Articles of Confederation the central government became weak, the states didn't work together, and the Nationalist feared the nation would fail. According to Document 1, it was difficult for the government under the Articles of Confederation to be effective because "The United States in Congress assembled shall never engage in a war, … nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, …", which meant that the United States government had many restrictions within its government which made it hard for it to
operate. The Constitution was then formed to fix the disorder occurring under the weak government. The Constitution was made during the summer of 1787. At the Constitutional Convention the delegates blended popular sovereignty with restrictions that limited the power of the citizens. The Constitutional Convention was a meeting held in Philadelphia to revise the national government. While coming up with the new plan of government, the delegates also settled the Three-Fifth Compromise. According to Document 3, the debate over counting the slaves for representation was resolved by the creation of the Three-Fifth Compromise. The Three-Fifth Compromise allowed three -fifths of a state's slave population to be counted toward representation. The Constitution also developed separation of powers and checks and balances. Among the separation of powers were the three main branches, legislative, judicial and the executive branch. Each branch had the ability to stop or check the other braches. With the many achievements that the Constitution provided, there also had to be some changes along the years. This showed the flexibility the Constitution had when it was made. If the Constitution had to be changed for some reason it could easily be amended. As the country changed the Constitution was also obligated to change, with that came amendments. In Document 2, the Amendments and the year it was ratified are shown. It illustrates the many changes that the Constitution had to undergo because of the national change. According to Document 2, in 1870 "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged…on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." In 1971, that right changed and stated "The right of citizens of the Untied States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged…" These two quotes illustrate two of the few changes that the Constitution went through over the years. Mentioned earlier, the Constitution developed the separation of powers.
Within those powers were the legislative, judicial, and the executive branch. Under the executive branch, a man named James Madison believed himself to be of the Federalist Party. The Federalist people believed that the Constitution would give the national government enough power to solve the country's problems and believed that the system of checks and balanced would limit the President's power. According to Document 4, the system of checks and balances feared James Madison because he was afraid that one group would have too much power. However, by definition the system of checks and balances gives one branch the authority to stop or check the other braches. This will prevent just one branch from receiving all of the
power. The Constitution still continues to guide our nation today. The Constitution has remained flexible because of its ability to make changes if needed. The Constitution is considered to be a product of its time, because when it was made, the government was at its worse state and was in desperate need of a new governmental plan. The Constitution has met challenges of its time, is now meeting challenges of the present, and it will meet the challenges of the future.