Democracy is the system of government we are accustomed to and are familiar with it by defining it as a power in which the people have a say in it as an institution, ruling indirectly through our elected representatives. It is historically presented as why the United States is thought of to be a country full of freedom and opportunity, the American Dream. The Declaration of Independence is a widely celebrated document where a new nation was formed. It includes ways in which laws are meant to serve and protect its citizens and our founding document, The Constitution, is the supreme law and was meant to help frame our government. The substance of the Constitution itself is an important factor in our government and how politics are carried. The
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Charles Beard interpreted the Constitution as more a conspiracy and in a way, it comes off as extremist though I don’t think he’s completely out of line. The framers of the Constitution were property owners and because of their wealth being above many of the farmers, planters, and other common folk with the inability to own bonds that ultimately would have given them property. Since it’s inception, it’s deliberately worked in favor of some and very against the majority of the other, though it can’t be necessarily called a conspiracy, it is evident that “broad economic and social-class motives were at work”. (Greenberg, 36) As Greenberg would argue, they were also concerned about “the national interest, economic stability, or the preservation of liberty” but it’s undoubtedly that the concerns at this convention were in the self-interest of the framers themselves and regarded the impact of economic interests as far as it affected them. And even if in some sense it was meant to portray or protect an idealized society that preserved the rights and liberties of the people, it was because of the Constitutions notions that made it out of reach for most of the …show more content…
Despite our belief in representative democracy, the 18th century republicans held the idea that there was elite group of people who should have possessed the power, and they were the wealthier, property owning, white men of society. This country was established on the protection and benefit of this small group of people and by electing representatives that didn’t have to be held accountable to public opinion, rather has the power to exercise judgment that was independent of the people. By the time the Constitution Convention during 1776-1787, these men who were “big landowners, merchants, and bankers exercised a strong influence over politico-economic life” (Parenti, 5) created a dichotomy of the wealthy haves and the have-nots with no say in the matter, as the framers intended it to be. The egalitarian government was meant to be publicly supported but in private would not interfere with the existing class structure. (Parenti, 7) The delegates that congregated had the purpose of resolving problems that the existing thirteen states had in regards to trade and duties, which
Charles Beard interpreted the Constitution as more a conspiracy and in a way, it comes off as extremist though I don’t think he’s completely out of line. The framers of the Constitution were property owners and because of their wealth being above many of the farmers, planters, and other common folk with the inability to own bonds that ultimately would have given them property. Since it’s inception, it’s deliberately worked in favor of some and very against the majority of the other, though it can’t be necessarily called a conspiracy, it is evident that “broad economic and social-class motives were at work”. (Greenberg, 36) As Greenberg would argue, they were also concerned about “the national interest, economic stability, or the preservation of liberty” but it’s undoubtedly that the concerns at this convention were in the self-interest of the framers themselves and regarded the impact of economic interests as far as it affected them. And even if in some sense it was meant to portray or protect an idealized society that preserved the rights and liberties of the people, it was because of the Constitutions notions that made it out of reach for most of the …show more content…
Despite our belief in representative democracy, the 18th century republicans held the idea that there was elite group of people who should have possessed the power, and they were the wealthier, property owning, white men of society. This country was established on the protection and benefit of this small group of people and by electing representatives that didn’t have to be held accountable to public opinion, rather has the power to exercise judgment that was independent of the people. By the time the Constitution Convention during 1776-1787, these men who were “big landowners, merchants, and bankers exercised a strong influence over politico-economic life” (Parenti, 5) created a dichotomy of the wealthy haves and the have-nots with no say in the matter, as the framers intended it to be. The egalitarian government was meant to be publicly supported but in private would not interfere with the existing class structure. (Parenti, 7) The delegates that congregated had the purpose of resolving problems that the existing thirteen states had in regards to trade and duties, which