Thomas Jefferson the President

Thomas Jefferson's Influence On The Constitution

Throughout more than two centuries of the grand experiment in democracy known as the American union, a time marked by the rise and fall of empires, the technological transition from plough horse to combustion engine, and even mankind's first steps into the frontier of outer space, a single document has stood as the defining feature of our nation's ideals and purpose. The Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights which grants every citizen certain unassailable liberties, and the subsequent amendments made to reflect society's slow progression, is undoubtedly one of history's most significant and substantive texts. Of all the revolutionaries and philosophers who signed the original draft of the U.S. Constitution, it was perhaps one whose name was not etched on the sacred document who played the most important role in the amendment process used to improve it as time progresses. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the nation and the chief author of the Declaration of Independence, believed wholeheartedly that the U.S. Constitution should be a living document subject to regular revision, observing wryly in 1816 that "some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched & #8230; but institutions must advance also."

Just as it did during the uncertain years following our forefather's successful revolution, today the Constitution establishes societal boundaries and provides structure to the uniquely uninhibited way that American lives are led. Epitomizing the values of a true charter of supreme law, the U.S. Constitution has since become the model for other emerging democracies, as countries such as Mexico and the Philippines have adopted similar measures within their own national charters. Indeed, during the 1987 bicentennial celebration of the Constitution's first signing, TIME Magazine reported that "of the 170 countries that exist today, more than 160 have written charters modeled directly or indirectly on the U.S. version" (Liptak, 2012), illustrating the extensive influence this essential document has exerted on global affairs.

Known as the supreme law of the land, the U.S. Constitution is not, however, absolute, and in the years since its inception many instances have arisen which required legally binding language to be altered, reversed or removed entirely. The Constitution's original framers, including John Adams, James Madison and Jefferson himself, displayed the foresight and almost prescient sense of prudence they are now hailed for when drafting the document, anticipating circumstances in which future generations may find it necessary to alter or adjust particular provisions. Jefferson predicted the need for continual reappraisal of document's central tenets, stating in a 1789 letter to Madison that "every constitution, then, and every law, naturally expires at the end of 19 years. If it be enforced longer, it is an act of force and not of right" (Havens & Dering). Thus the entirety of Article V of the U.S. Constitution explicitly provides measures for the proposal and ratification of amendments to its original text, stating unequivocally that "the Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution & #8230; which & #8230; shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states" (U.S. Const. art. V). In laymen's terms the legal language found in Article V simply puts forth a workable scheme for the proposal, consideration and eventual ratification of potential Constitutional amendments by enabling both houses of the Congress to devise improvements to the document and empowering each state's legislative body to vote in affirmation or denial.