Thread: Senseless Banter... Too Senseless?

for those of you who think only idiocy comes from senseless banter, and that the forum in it's entirety is worthless, i can only counter with:

How Americas Government has Changed Since Its Beginnings

the Constitutional convention of 1787 shaped early america, though the Constitution has changed greatly since. Though it is fair to say each had a different vision of how America would be governed, their sum of their visions was the blueprint for the Constitution we use in modern times. After the delegates had taken months to finally put something they could all agree on, they had formed the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law by which our nation is governed. However, there is no doubt that they would be surprised by the changes that have occurred since the documents original draft. These changes have occurred in the pillars of the Constitution that make up our government, the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches.

Because the Executive Branch is seen today as a more powerful and important branch of government then the Legislative, people often overlook the power held in the halls of congress. This, however, was not overlooked by the delegation of the Constitutional convention. There was much debate over how the Legislative Branch would be formed, lest the congress assume absolute control over the nation. A very real fear at the time, much deliberation ensued over the proper length of terms that should be granted to potential legislators.

The Legislative Branch was clearly the most dominant branch in early America, as they often had the final say in the presidential election, as the ineffectiveness of communication on a nationwide scale made it difficult for a select few frontrunners to receive a majority of the votes in a presidential election, thus giving the final decision to the house of representatives. Today, because of television and increased traveling abilities, Campaigns are staged in such a way that an election given to the House of Representatives would be a very rare occasion indeed.

For the most part, the system of checks and balances put into place by the Constitutional delegation worked masterfully on the house of representatives, allowing them to keep power but preventing them from gaining to much. The Oligarchy envisioned by the Constitution’s engineers never occurred, and the Legislative Branch that was seen as the most powerful in early America has now taken a backseat to the Executive Branch.

The Executive Branch has undergone many changes since the original construction of the Constitution. Mainly due to the increased ability of one person to stretch the boundaries as opposed to five hundred men, the Executive Branch has increased its power greatly over the past two hundred years. You might use examples such as Andrew Jackson’s unsanctioned incursions into lands set aside as Indian reservations, or his “spoils” system, as examples of how the Executive Branch has certainly increased it’s boundaries over the years.

Another change that has occurred in the Executive branch can be seen in the vice president, an office that is now thought of as a much less prestigious seat of power, with vice presidents being chosen many times for the sole reason of gaining a candidate regional votes. The convention foresaw the vice president as a man of power… as a man of ability, weight, and experience, as it were. The Vice President was often the runner up in the election for president; such as Thomas Jefferson was to John Adams after George Washington had stepped down as president.

I would say that the branch that has undergone the least change in the years since the Constitution was first composed would be the Judicial; the powers of the Judicial Branch being largely unchanged over the past two hundred years. As the main power given to this branch is to declare laws unconstitutional, the Judicial Branch was very loosely defined by the convention. This branch of government has been the center of controversy over the past century, from Brown Vs. Board to Roe Vs. Wade. With few other constitutional powers, save to try the president for crimes committed in office, the Judicial Branch has not had much room for change.

Though there have been many changes since the Constitution was first written, the Constitution has for the most part remained on track. Certainly America has prospered through the longevity and flexibility of the Constitution, transforming from a dying country plagued by ailments too numerous to count, from inability to pay it’s debts to state import and export tariffs that made interstate commerce a nightmare. Thankfully the Constitutional Convention solved these problems, and the Constitution carried forward into modern America.

completely senseless? Not quite yet!