“We the People” just three little words in the beginning of the U.S. Constitution that are as powerful today as they were the day they were written. At the time it provided a strong statement to Great Britain that the people of the British colonies would not stand for tyranny, they would rule themselves. Self-rule would become the corner stone for a new nation build five golden principles; right to revolt, government based on the consent of the governed, preservation of a government that is legitimate, all men are created equal, all men are endowed with inalienable right. This was the foundation of a freedom the world had seen once but was lost.
The founding father believed that a democracy was a danger and that the majority rule would turn to tyranny as well so what they set out to form really was a republic. Today we use the board term of democracy but we really have a form of representative democracy. This representative body would decide policy in a structured way. This process would be slow and operate within the rights of individual people. They also created separation in powers and various limits on powers that limited the ability to form another tyrant lead nation.
Today we know these separate powers as the Executive, Legislative, and judicial branch of government. Through each selective power given to each branch, the constitution created a system of checks and balances. The Executive branch is made of the office of the president and advisors who are responsible to the people and congress to provide protection and enforcement of laws. The Legislative branch was given the power to create laws, money, and declare war. The judicial branch was given the power to decide on all cases dealing with the constitution. Although it was not clearly outlined in the constitution and later established in the case of Marbury v. Madison (1803), this case set the precedent that the judicial branch would have the power of judicial review.
These three branches of government are the ruling bodies of the U.S. democratic government. Not one is powerful enough to become the majority, but together they create one of the most power countries in the world. Today we can see new democratic governments copying our foundation to begin their own history. The system is not without flaws, but a government of the people and for the people is better than a government that rules with an iron fist.
This chapter is one of the most interest and dynamic topics in the book. We live today in a nation that provides us the freedoms to do just about anything we want. Not many countries or people can say that. I choose this chapter because I believe that the more we know about our government and how it was form, we can strive to preserve it. A woman asked Benjamin Franklin shortly after the constitution had been written, “Sir, what have you given us?” Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic. Ma’am, if you can keep it.” It is our responsibility as citizens of this nation to learn and understand our history so we can keep the gift our founding fathers gave us. The video above, "The American Form of Government" (2008) is a breakdown of our form government
Image source: http://faculty.isi.org/catalog/resource/view/id/538
The White House
Where better to detail information on our government than from the source. Very good detail on each branch of our government
Government for the kids
The White House
Where better to detail information on our government than from the source. Very good detail on each branch of our government
Government for the kids
Love this site! This site was established to provide learning material for children. Each topic is present in a way so children or young adult and begin to understand each structure of our government.