Malcolm Rivera
The United States is defined as a constitutional federal republic, with a government based on a constitution that acts as the supreme law of the land. The US Constitution was designed to create a new government of, for, and by the people, establishing an elected representative democracy. The constitution's framers ultimately created a democratic republic, or a representative democracy, where people vote for representatives to govern on their behalf. The constitution's democratic elements were limited, but its most radical feature was its ability to be amended. Over time, Americans have expanded democracy's role in government, incorporating more democratic elements into their government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of government | Constitutional federal republic |
| Basis of government | Constitution |
| Government structure | Federal government with national government and governments of 50 states |
| Power | Held by the people but exercised by elected representatives |
| Branches of government | Legislative (bicameral legislature: Senate and House of Representatives), Executive (President), and Judicial (Supreme Court) |
| Amendments | Bill of Rights, abolition of slavery, birthright citizenship, due process, equal protection under the law, elimination of restrictions on voting, changes to election processes and requirements, and election/removal of officials |
| Voting rights | Expanded over time to include African American men, women, and individuals over the age of 18 |
| Democratic elements | Limited in the original Constitution but expanded over time through amendments |
| Advocacy groups | Robust network |
| Judiciary | Powerful and independent |
| Press | Diverse and free |
| Speech protections | Strong legal tradition protecting free speech |
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What You'll Learn
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration was drafted by a committee of five, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. It was Adams who persuaded the Committee to charge Jefferson with writing the document's original draft, which the Second Continental Congress then edited. Jefferson largely wrote the Declaration in isolation between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The Declaration was a formal explanation of why the Continental Congress voted to declare American independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The Declaration was unanimously ratified on July 4, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress, whose delegates represented each of the Thirteen Colonies. In ratifying and signing the document, the delegates committed an act of high treason against the Crown, which was punishable by torture and death. Congress then issued the Declaration in several forms. Two days following its ratification, on July 8, it was published by The Pennsylvania Evening Post. The first public readings of the Declaration occurred simultaneously at noon on July 8, 1776, at three designated locations: Trenton, New Jersey; Easton, Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia.
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The Bill of Rights
The United States is defined as a constitutional federal republic, with the government based on a constitution that acts as the supreme law of the country. The US Constitution was designed to create a new government of, for, and by the people, with elected representatives to govern on their behalf. The Constitution's framers created a democratic republic, or representative democracy, with three branches of government: the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
Other protections include the right to a speedy and public trial, a trial by jury, and the right to confront witnesses. The Bill of Rights also protects against cruel and unusual punishment, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, the establishment of religion, unreasonable searches and seizures, soldiers quartering in homes, deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process, and the taking of private property for public use without just compensation.
The Constitution has been amended numerous times since its inception to incorporate more democratic elements, including the 15th Amendment, which guaranteed African American men the right to vote, the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
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The Constitution
The US Constitution was designed to create a new government of, for, and by the people in the United States, an elected representative democracy that would check and balance its power and serve and protect the people. The Constitution's Framers ultimately created what Americans today would call a democratic republic, or a representative democracy, where people vote for representatives to govern on their behalf.
Articles IV-VII concern the relationship between the states, the admission of new states, the US guarantee of a "Republican Form of Government", and protection of states from "Invasion" and "domestic Violence". They also outline the process to amend the Constitution, the supremacy of federal law, and the ratification of the Constitution.
The US Constitution has played a crucial role in shaping the country's democratic journey, providing a framework for governance and protecting the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
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Amendments
The US Constitution, beginning with “We the People”, was designed as a democratic republic, or a representative democracy, where people vote for representatives to govern on their behalf. The Constitution's Framers created a government where the president, senate, and judiciary would be chosen by representatives, with only the House of Representatives directly elected by the people.
The Constitution's Framers included relatively few democratic elements, reflecting their distrust of democracy. They feared a pure democracy and preferred to vest political power in the hands of merchants, bankers, and wealthy plantation owners. However, the Constitution's ability to be amended has allowed Americans to incorporate more democratic elements into their government over time.
The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were drafted by James Madison and influenced by the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights. These amendments include protections against government infringement on free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and the right to petition for redress of grievances.
Other amendments have expanded who can participate in representative government. The 15th Amendment guaranteed African American men the right to vote, the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, and the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. The 17th Amendment, ratified in 1913, gave voters, rather than state legislatures, the power to choose their state senators.
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State constitutions
The United States Constitution, which came into effect in 1789, is the supreme law of the United States and provides the framework for how the federal and state governments are structured. However, the US Constitution was not the first attempt at a governing document in the country. Before the 1820s, many state constitutions had imposed property qualifications for voting as a means to keep democratic tendencies Federalists considered "mob rule" in check.
Following the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Americans embraced the idea that "all men are created equal". They experimented with democratic systems in their state constitutions. For example, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was written in 1776, influenced the United States Bill of Rights.
By the late 1780s, the lustre of democracy had dulled. US political leaders blamed the nation's growing instability on the democratic elements of state governments. For example, they claimed that the legislatures' populist economic policies, such as issuing paper money, had caused an economic depression. Protests and rebellions prevailed, and the nation's future seemed to be in peril, with democracy as the culprit. During the Constitutional Convention, Massachusetts delegate Elbridge Gerry declared that "the evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy".
The Constitution's framers ultimately created what Americans today would call a democratic republic, or a representative democracy, where people vote for representatives to govern on their behalf. However, their distrust of democracy is evident in the final document, which contains relatively few democratic elements. The president, senate, and judiciary would be chosen by representatives, rather than the people. Only the House of Representatives would be directly elected.
Since the Constitution's inception, "We the People" have defined and redefined what it means to live in a democratic republic. The Constitution's democratic elements were initially limited, but its most radical feature was its ability to be amended. In the two centuries following its ratification, Americans have incorporated more democratic elements into their government. In 1913, the 17th Amendment gave voters, rather than state legislatures, the power to choose their state senators.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitutional democracy is a form of government in which the people hold power, but elect representatives to exercise that power. The US Constitution contains a preamble and seven articles that describe the way the government is structured and how it operates.
The key events that led to the formation of the US Constitution include the growing instability in the nation blamed on the democratic elements of state governments, the Constitutional Convention, and the influence of the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, and Virginia Declaration of Rights.
The US Constitution establishes three branches of government: the Legislative (Congress), the Executive (Office of the President), and the Judicial (Federal Court System). It also outlines the relationship between the states and the Federal Government and defines the amendment and ratification processes.
The US Constitution has been amended over time to include more democratic elements, such as the Bill of Rights, the abolition of slavery, birthright citizenship, due process, and equal protection under the law. Amendments have also expanded voting rights to African American men, women, and young people.
