The United States: Democracy or Aristocracy? Following the American Revolution, Americans fell under the economic tension resulting from the discontinued trade with their main trade partner, England, and many Americans doubted their republic’s ability to recover from this economic struggle. Furthermore, rebellions in Massachusetts in 1786 led the states to recognize the turmoil they would soon endure if nothing reparative occurred. In response to this crisis, each state sent delegates to meet in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation and create new governmental powers. Inventing more layers of Government with more power in each layer caused Americans to fear the generation of a new monarchy so soon after they escaped the monarchy
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However, the writers also revealed, although unintentionally, their plans to create an aristocracy through their disbursements of power in a government that they structured very similarly to the monarchy of Britain. For example, the Constitution named Congress as the group with the most legislative power. “The Congress shall how Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.” Much like Parliament, the Congress stated within the document possessed the powers to implement and collect taxes from the people to pay off debts and provide defense and welfare for the people. Additionally, the document goes on in Section 8 of the powers of Congress to list all the powers given to Congress, such as creating currency for the nation and punish those who counterfeit said currency, declaring war, and regulate Commerce with foreign nations and Indian tribes. Giving so much power to Congress was not enough for the writers of the Constitution of 1787; they also laid out specific criteria for those involved in the two bodies making up Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. To be in the House of Representatives, people had to “have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.” Similarly, they required people in the Senate to be “attained to the age of thirty Years and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.” By creating these criteria, the writers could ensure that only true citizens had any power both in Congress and in
However, the writers also revealed, although unintentionally, their plans to create an aristocracy through their disbursements of power in a government that they structured very similarly to the monarchy of Britain. For example, the Constitution named Congress as the group with the most legislative power. “The Congress shall how Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.” Much like Parliament, the Congress stated within the document possessed the powers to implement and collect taxes from the people to pay off debts and provide defense and welfare for the people. Additionally, the document goes on in Section 8 of the powers of Congress to list all the powers given to Congress, such as creating currency for the nation and punish those who counterfeit said currency, declaring war, and regulate Commerce with foreign nations and Indian tribes. Giving so much power to Congress was not enough for the writers of the Constitution of 1787; they also laid out specific criteria for those involved in the two bodies making up Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. To be in the House of Representatives, people had to “have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.” Similarly, they required people in the Senate to be “attained to the age of thirty Years and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.” By creating these criteria, the writers could ensure that only true citizens had any power both in Congress and in