Constitutional Concepts the United States

¶ … Constitutional Concepts

The United States Constitution was not the product of a simple and easy task for the Founding Fathers. The times were extremely complex and the interests of various states often conflicting. Therefore, in order to create a framework that would last for a longer time, representatives of the Confederate States began a process of negotiation and practical decisions that would consolidate not only the state as a political entity, but also instill a political culture geared towards pragmatism and tough decisions.

With the fragility of the Articles of Confederation more and more visible, a group of representatives from five states was commissioned at the Annapolis Convention to analyze and offer solutions to the ongoing problems of the Articles of Confederation. The current situation had reached serious problems between states -- from state to state customs taxation to open conflicts, and in the inability of the Congress to raise necessary funds. One could say that one of the main drivers of the construction of the new Constitution had been the need for money in a structured and secure manner. The dream of a pure democracy in which no rulers would exist and leadership would be gained by voting seemed to be fading away.

After months of negotiations, the representatives of twelve states, excluding Rhode Island, reached an agreement that would not only amend the Articles of Confederation but also a totally new fundamental act.

The writers, or better said the negotiators of the New Constitution, were much more practical than their predecessors in drafting a pragmatic paper that would take into consideration all points-of-view and offer a median solution to all parties involved, in this case states. Even in Madison became the informal leader of the proceedings to the Convention, he realized that a person with charisma and respect among the citizens and representatives, a man of integrity and vision would be necessary. This man later became the first President of the United States of America, general George Washington. As father and main contributor to the new Constitution, James Madison pushed for a framework that would be based on several significant principles like citizenship and democracy, limited powers of the government, and an individualism which created the necessary economic conditions for society to prosper.

The pre-United States political culture that Madison and the other helped create was not only pragmatic but also proved to have a powerful vision as it lasted and last for more than 200 years. By taking the problems one by one and identifying solutions that would be accepted by all parties at that given time, the Founders identified a balanced approach to the entire issue of regulation. As lack of trust for a central government was high in virtually all states, a system of power-sharing was created in which the three branches of the state would control each other, thus creating an equilibrium in which none is stronger than the other two. In a system of checks and balances, the legislative, executive and judicial powers offered all representatives the assurance of a fair distribution of power. Besides this, federalism, as a concept of political culture was put in place, as to further reduce the fears of a centralized government.

Obviously the Constitution was not perfect from a modern point-of-view, and one could argue that some of the Founders should have pushed more for ending slavery immediately. This would not have been possible, as those states would have opted out of the system and the entire construction would have crashed. It was not the ideal Constitution, but it was the best common denominator that could have been voted.