Create a new account

It's simple, and free.

Structure of the U.S. Constitution

One of the strengths of the U.S. Constitution and the system of government it created and supports is flexibility, and both the document and the governmental structure it supports have evolved since the time of its ratification. This evolution has been positive in nature, and the American system has tended toward increased equality, increased fairness, and increased opportunity for all. In a way, the American system of government has become more like the ideal behind in that the Constitution, while the Constitution itself did not provide for full equality for all people then living in what would become the United States or for full participation by all citizens. The Constitution as ratified in 1787 benefited some groups in society more than others, and certain groups were excluded from full participation. Many provisions did not apply to women, for instance, and slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of representation while not really being citizens with any rights of their own. Property owners were given greater power and more rights than those who did not own property. At the same time, the Constitution included a sense of the need for balance that made it more equitable than the governments of Europe at the time. While male landowners may have had more power and a stronger assertion of their rights, groups without such advantages were protected from any potential "tyranny of the majority" by the checks and balances placed in the structure and operation of the new government.

The dozen years prior to the Constitutional Convention was a period in which the "rich and wellborn" exerted considerable influence. These people consisted of merchants, bankers, and big landowners, and they had the power to make themselves heard and thus to press for their particular view of what shape the new nation should take. The U.S. was not the egalitarian society it has been painted to be but was instead marked by ...

Page 1 of 9 Next >

More on Structure of the U.S. Constitution...

Loading...
APA     MLA     Chicago
Structure of the U.S. Constitution. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 04:32, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1700609.html