Flexibility In The Constitution

Decent Essays
I think the Constitution should be flexible and that the United States Supreme Court should have the power to change laws that no longer reflect societal norms and that are deemed unconstitutional. The flexibility in the constitution allows the government to adapt to changing needs of the society in the future. Many people like James Madison believe that the Constitution should not be altered or fixed but rather followed the same way it was written. On the other hand, many Americans like Thomas Jefferson think that each generation should decide what the constitution should be governed. How would people feel when the structure was rigid as a rock, or our fundamental rights were violated due to the law. Times have changed, the society has changed

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Tyranny Dbq Analysis

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Overall, the Constitution has been guarding against tyranny for 230 years to this day and hopefully it will continue to guard our nation for another 230…

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    14th Amendment Dbq

    • 972 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I believe the fact that there can even be amendments to the Constitution alone means that it is not a fixed document. If it can be changed over time due to flaws found within, then the interpretation of the document should also be able to change over…

    • 972 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I believe that though a strong government is needed by every nation for stability, but however, a strong government had its bad sides. With a strong government, the nation can become a monarchy again and can overrule and take control of every aspect and the people’s options or views wouldn’t matter or they wouldn’t have a say in anything or any decision. I also believe that if it wasn’t for the Anti-Federalist, we would be overruled by the government and that we, the people of the United States of American, would never have any individual right protected and there would be no creation of the Bill of Rights. Nonetheless, the Constitution was seen as a bundle of compromises and regardless of what side anyone was on.…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Confederation Weaknesses

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There are many different beliefs on how the government of the United States should be run. The first set of rules, called the Articles of Confederation, was written in 1777, but 10 years later in 1787 the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution replaced faulty laws that didn’t give the federal government supreme power; it set a base for our government that has still proven to be an effective framework for the United States to follow even 229 years later. The Articles of Confederation had many weaknesses like not holding the power to impose taxes and the need for a unanimous vote to pass an amendment, that were resolved by the enactment of the constitution and without it, America would not be the great nation it is today.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is a giant mystery why the Constitution has many loose ends and instructions without clear detail. Liberal Justice White and conservative Justice William Rehnquist both agreed that there is no fixed meaning to this piece of paper. There is a difference between writing and reading. Our forefathers were writing their wishes and dreams of what they wanted our government to look like not only then, but in the future as well. Are we as readers fulfilling their dreams by reading the Constitution as they wished or wrote it?…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    On the federal level, the Constitution set a division among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; locally the government must be granted permission by the state and the governing bodies are directly elected by the people. In total it left the maximum amount of freedom in the hands of individuals. This being said, a common concern among many in today’s society is whether or not a document that was written 229 years ago can still remain relevant in a world that is frequently changing. The Constitutions relevancy is based on the fact that it is a living document written with the possibility of amendments that allows for interpretation by the judicial system, that its purpose is to protect against dictatorship and usurping of power brought up by Anti-Federalist fears, and that it ultimately serves as a protective barrier for citizens’ civil…

    • 1481 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    This new constitution will help set what American people's rights are. A popular sovereignty will be formed to make the people have more say. Document 3 shows that the laws are made to keep you safe, fight for your right, and have your freedom of speech. The constitution will also make laws that are fair to everyone.…

    • 235 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Since the constitution of the United Stats of America was written in 1787 it has long since been a topic of conversation as well as confrontation among politicians and political theorists alike. The ideals of James Madison and John Dewey regarding constitutional reform and democracy are just another example of this. These two men, both extremely influential in their own way, have conflicting views of liberty, democracy and largely the revision of the constitution and its consequences or lack there of. James Madison, Father of the U.S. Constitution, believed that constitutional revision should be infrequent. While John Dewey argues for change, while not specifically on constitutional revision but rather for “effective liberty” for the state of democracy as a whole, which ultimately relates to that of constitutional revision.…

    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The founders that created the Constitution themselves knew it was time for a change when they created the Constitution. Not only that, but the Constitution is outdated when it comes to the complications in today’s society, and the founders knew that it would need changes in the future. I believe the core of the constitution has some crucial rhetoric that should not be changed; however, it should be updated to reflect the makeup of our current society. Each generation is responsible for thoughtfully deciding their own future while learning from previous generations. The whole idea of an amendment implies change.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Constitution is designed to provide United States citizens an opportunity to run for office regardless of social standing, the balance of powers contained within prevent any one person or group from controlling the country as a monarch, and compromises within the Bill of Rights guaranteed the rights of the individual. Although Young’s essay explained some of the thoughts behind the writers of the Constitution, Rakove explained the writing and motives in a more insightful manner as to how it directly related to the final draft. His focus was on how the founders’ decisions directly affected the American people and their ability to participate in government, no matter their station in society. The Constitution was written in a time where monarchy was prevalent and the idea of people ruling themselves was considered a foolish experiment that would produce a weak government. Today, the experiment in democracy has proved a success in ours and other nations.…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Strict Interpretation of the Constitution Strict interpretation means that the Constitution must explicitly grant a power or privilege in order for that action to be legal. A loose interpretation doesn’t give any safeguards against government intrusion on the people’s liberty. Strict interpretation is better because it is an approach more likely to get to what the original intent of the Founders of America was. Whereas loose interpretationists can make new laws and invalidate old ones based on an understanding of the Constitution.…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The reason I agree or think so is because the process of amending it trough congress seems to be really complicated and a new amendment might end up sitting in congress for years without anything happening with it (e.g. immigration reforms/law) whereas if the supreme court does a little tweak here and there and using a situation or a landmark case they might be able to get the job done rather quickly, and we could in theory get important things done or moving in this country depending on how you want to see…

    • 2210 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Should public opinion dictate how the Constitution is interpreted? Personally, I am more convinced that public opinion should be considered, but should not have the right to interpret the Constitution. Because the citizens are somewhat arbitrary and vulnerable to others’ thoughts, sometimes they petition to redress,…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The United States Constitution was established on September 17th, 1787. It currently stands as one of the most influential documents in American history. One of its most powerful aspects are the laws of the land that have been created to form structure and equality. These rules and commandments are what shape national government and give a basis for political hearings. If any of these amendments were to be taken out and/or replaced, then it would change the whole makeup of government and freedom.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Nicolas Winters Group #5 Paper 2 What powers do the Constitution give the Judicial Branch? A world without the Judicial Branch of government is a world without set rules. In 1787, the Constitution had created the Judicial Branch, under Article 2 Section 2, to deal with all of the new laws that could be set in place. The Judicial Branch also leads the Supreme Court, the highest court of law in the United States. The Judicial Branch of government receives powers backed up by the U.S. Constitution, has a very strict and complex system to become a supreme court judge, and the U.S. Supreme Court Justices should interpret the Constitution by how it was originally wrote.…

    • 1313 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays