We the People of the United States, in
order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and
secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
This document, written more than 200
years ago is still the backbone that allows America to be an example of freedom
and righteousness to the rest of the world.
Unlike any other government doctrine, the Constitution has remained an
active governing force through the changes of American society. It allows its citizens the basic freedom of
human beings and does not infringe on one's individuality. In its uniqueness, the Constitution not only
gives freedom but also protects its people economically, religiously,
politically, and socially.
Power is a delicate element and the
Constitution is careful in defining where certain powers lie. One of the novelties about this doctrine is
that it does a clever job of dividing certain powers between the state and
federal governments. Monetary units, for
example, are issued exclusively by the federal government. This is not only more convenient for
traveling purposes, but also allows for a more 'united' spirit. People in California can easily view a
commercial for a product affiliated with New York without having to translate
the cost or watch the television screen scroll down 50 different prices. The Stock Market functions fairly smooth now,
but with an East Texas businessman trying to sell to a novice buyer from
Minnesota, things would be complicated and time consuming. Other examples of powers held only by the
federal government are the formation and control of a militia and foreign
relations. If each state had its own
army and own foreign policy combined, the idea of being 'united' would be only
an idea. These states would be more like
small countries, more like Europe. With
too much power on a state level, a main government could not function, and with
too much power in the national government, states would be just boundary lines
for the names of places. The states hold
just enough power to keep the federal government from having complete
control. This adds a balance that had no
duplicate in any country, which perhaps is what leaves many people dreaming of
America.
One of the elements people incorporate
into the American dream is religious freedom.
The governing forces of this country have no religious or denominational
theme. Instead, the founding fathers
made it clear that a government should function according to basic human
decency and morale, not religion. A
strict separation of church and government is declared in the
Constitution. This is not to prevent
holiness from entering politics, but to keep politics from entering
holiness. Often times in governing
bodies, though the motives are pure, the outcome is somewhat crooked. This is why such a separation is necessary;
to keep government from corrupting church.
Another reason is simply to prevent governing bodies from dictating
individual beliefs, because America was never meant to be a dictatorship.
From the start, Americans, like all
groups of people needed an example. They
needed someone not to be a dictator, but a leader. Due to the division of powers in the federal
government today, the threat of dictatorship is almost non-existent. The President can be overridden by Congress
as well as by the Supreme Court.
Congress can likewise be overridden by the President. There is no branch of government that is
allowed more power than another. This
prevents any one body from becoming too powerful or having too much input in
national affairs. This division of power
and the fact that Congress is made up of so many individuals gives the general
public a more active role in government.
The Constitution states, 'We the People', which is what makes this
document and America so unique.
Since the people rule themselves,
American government cannot infringe on many of the choices one makes. Due to the Bill of Rights, citizens have the
right to say, hear, write, and be anywhere they wish to be. However, there are limitations in order to
protect the peace and general welfare of a community. For the most part, though, Americans are
free. Starting from disorganized
colonies and idle wanderers, this land has underwent major revolutions to
become the nesting house for freedom and dreams that it is today.
Times in 1787 were extremely different
than in 1997. With the memory of Great
Britain's heavy hand so fresh in the minds of early Americans, one can imagine
the apprehension and excitement of starting fresh. The men who wrote the Constitution however,
were not starting fresh. They remembered
Britain's fo9llies and learned what to do different. Each article and each amendment to the
Constitution has reasoning behind it, somewhat of a try-fail method of
government. Fortunately for the American
citizens and for all who live in the United States, it has worked. The Constitution is the reason for the
American Empire.
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