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Henford Levinson Our Undemocratic Constitution Summary

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In Sanford Levinson’s book, Our Undemocratic Constitution, he formulates an argument on why certain elements of the US Constitution are undemocratic. Ultimately, Levinson wants to inform his readers on the 200-year-old constitution and that its structural issues need to be addressed in terms of being democratic. Three important constitutional provisions—bicameralism, the Electoral College, and the Good Behavior Clause—are argued throughout his book in detail to show certain democratic flaws. Levinson failed to bring forth solutions to these so-called undemocratic elements; however, his overall argument does not become infringed. In a later book, Levinson goes on to talk about these solutions, making it irrelevant in this particular book. Though …show more content…

As this system being a crucial part of our federal government, Levinson invests a portion of his book to address multiple issues with bicameralism and its connection to the United States as a democracy. In addition, it raises several questions that need to be focused on in concern with Americans views. Levinson brings forth bicameralism as being a flaw in the US Constitution. He elaborates that our system needs to fit in a democracy that does not allow the majority to overpower the minority. With this particular view being preeminent to the framer’s writing, they chose two chambers two work together as equals. It is important to mention that the two chambers do have different roles and different representation. Early on in his section on bicameralism, he emphasizes that passing legislation tends to be more difficult in Congress—the House of Representatives and the Senate (35). This is a major issue for our nation to move forward if it continues to be a Legislation at deadlock. Levinson’s argument may be obvious because the framers’ wanted to emphasis checks and balances, which in hindsight leads to this development of conflict between the two parties in each chamber. Passing certain laws can be good, but it can also be dangerous. This conflict that comes about is not so much harmful, but is it democratic in

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The main purpose of this chapter is to determine the Founding Fathers’ motives for creating the Constitution by analyzing a secondary source by Woody Holton, and several primary sources. Frist, I will begin with the secondary source, “Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution” by Woody Holton. Mr. Holton’s main purpose was to locate the motivation behind the Constitution in developments in the states (page 90). Mr. Holton addressed several grievances for possible motives of the Founding Fathers’. First, the excessive democracy that acerbated many Americans, the runaway inflation caused by the farmers who were allowed to satisfy their debt to creditors with property and good instead of hard currency, and the Revolutionary War that

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Modern congress and its members seem largely concerned and focused on partisan advancements. Though there are many reasons as to why the enormous division in congress is as it is, there is one factor that draws the most attention. Filibuster an action that is used by most congressmen and women to delay the passage of laws, has increasingly over the course of time become a negative action rather than positive. The use of mostly long speeches as ways to prohibit and hinder bills or laws is now being used by many senators to advance personal and party goals thus, it is crucial that the ban of filibuster must be considered and replaced with the simple majority rule. First and foremost, some reasons as to why filibuster should be exempted from

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From 1787-1790 the ratification of the American Constitution became fight between two different political methods of judgment. America 's best political personalities accumulated in Philadelphia to discuss shared opinion in a legislative structure. The Constitution itself did not say political groups, and it was expected that none was going to emerge. Be that as it may, this was soon demonstrated wrong when the level headed discussions between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in 1787 and 1788 blend into a two gathering framework. This soon prompted a changeless component in American approaches.

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Madison first defines the “violence of faction” as he explains that governments often make decisions by the “superior force of an interested and overbearing majority” instead of according to the “rules of justice.” In framing this situation, he explains the issue that majority factions or parties in governments have, in the past, had the ability to rule without consideration of minority parties. Outlining possible solutions for this problem, Madison continues to explain that the causes of parties cannot be removed without destroying people’s freedom to make their own choices. This destruction would counter Madison’s purpose of removing factions in the first place, as it would inhibit people’s liberty. Using this logic, Madison asserts an inevitability to the formation of parties and thus concludes that the government must instead control their effects by either preventing “the same passion or interest in a majority” or controlling the “number and local situation” of the majority.

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"How Democratic is the American Constitution ?", by political scientist Robert A. Dahl is a short book that questions the ethical and political issues in America 's Constitution and the structure of the United States government. The book consists of a series of abstract lectures composed by Dahl that reflects on how the American Constitution affects modern society. While this short book brings out plentiful knowledge on the American system , it does not go any deeper into those general ideas for it is only about 200 pages. However, it is still a knowledgeable book to introduce the fundamentals of American government and political science and why American citizens should uphold the Constitution. Dahl introduces the book of how the Founding

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Then he goes on to discuss on how our government is separate into two chambers. What he means is the house of representative and senate. A little background on, senate is equal representation regardless of its state population. Representative is a little different its seats is based on population. For example New York would have more seats than Hawaii cause New York has more people living here than Hawaii.

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For centuries the world was governed by unethical and overpowered rulers or tyrants. This was the way of life and nobody tried to defy it until a young nation decided to break from tyranny and build a country based on fair morals. For centuries, after we discovered the New World, Britain had a tyrannic dominion over it. As time went on, the people who lived in America kept on receiving unfair treatment by Britain with unethical taxes and rules. Eventually, the colonists were fed up with the cruel treatment and decided to break apart.

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The popularity of the members of Congress and Congress overall has been declining as the years pass and time changes. The dissatisfaction and disapproval of the public is so high because according to David Mayhew who wrote Congress the Electoral Connection members of Congress are single-minded people who are only focused on reelection, involve in “smart” behavior such as position taking, credit-claiming and advertisement. Also, according to Mayhew parties are weak, however, that is all not true people tend to vote more so for their party than the person in general. Arnold the writer of Logic of Congressional Outcome, states that Congress has many things to take into account such as citizen preference, robe-challenger, has to take into account

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Furthering Tulis's over exceed of the divisions of power between branches Dodd & professor of political science Scot Schraufnagel (2013) contend that "party polarization in a two-party system occurs as (1) ideological distance between the majority and minority party increases" and "(2) the loyalty of members to their party increases" (p. 444). Dodd & Schraufnagel (2013) argue that moderation between parties avoid divisions between Congress. By this it suggests that either party utilizes their Constitutional privileges to sway enough members to favor or oppose a bill without having to deliberate. It avoids the very notion of the equal power of branches as the Federalist Paper 51 written by either Alexander Hamilton or James Madison on February 8,

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American Constitution Introduction History shows that pluralism is linked to democracy which is a system characterized by checks and balances of autonomy or power. Such autonomy is the one in play in forging an agreement of the general interest that dictates administrative strategy or policy framework. On the other hand elitism notion regarding the administration states that a chosen few of the most affluent and influential people or groups direct and influence public policy that works in their favor and satisfies their own interests. Various scholarly standpoints reveal that a more contemporary notion of American administration and partisan matters incorporate the two worldviews of partisan behavior.

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After the U.S Constitution was ratified on the 27 of June 1788, American governors swore oath to democracy, equality and liberty. The idea of democracy has constantly been ignored throughout American history. At the very beginning of the new nation, the presidents were not elected by the people but rather by legislatures, distancing itself from the ideal method of democracy where the power belonged to the people. It was only gradually throughout the presidential elections that each state’s people started voting directly. Andrew Jackson is one of the American presidents whose actions are still debated on today.

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The Constitution—the foundation of the American government—has been quintessential for the lives of the American people for over 200 years. Without this document America today would not have basic human rights, such as those stated in the Bill of Rights, which includes freedom of speech and religion. To some, the Constitution was an embodiment of the American Revolution, yet others believe that it was a betrayal of the Revolution. I personally believe that the Constitution did betray the Revolution because it did not live up to the ideals of the Revolution, and the views of the Anti-Federalists most closely embodied the “Spirit of ‘76.” During the midst of the American Revolution, authors and politicians of important documents, pamphlets, and slogans spread the basis for Revolutionary ideals and defined what is known as the “Spirit of ‘76”.

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1. What does Madison mean by faction and why might he have called them a "necessary evil" in a free society? Madison mean by faction are group of people that are not given the same equal freedom or same chances in living or doing their own things. Madison called them necessary evil because of without a balance and just government the society will fall. As the result, with a just and balance with equal divisions can make everything seem more functional and people will agree upon.

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In recent years, the U.S. Senate has been embroiled in a countless number of filibusters which have a long history in the U.S. Congress. To supporters of the filibuster, such political procedures play an important role in a democratic society. They believe that the filibuster embodies the spirits of democracy to protect the minority from oppression in the United States. Reformers or skeptics of the filibuster, on the other hand, believe that filibusters sometimes severely hinder the operations of the government. Although people have witnessed many filibusters in history, the number of filibusters in the past few years surprised and infuriated many in America.

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The Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics video titled “Key Constitutional Concepts” explores the history of the creation of the United States Constitution in addition to key concepts crucial to the document. Two central themes explored in the video include the protection of personal rights and importance of checks and balances. The video strives to explain these concepts through Supreme Court cases Gideon v. Wainwright and Youngstown v. Sawyer. To begin, the video retraces the steps leading up to the Constitutional Convention in Virginia in 1787. It opens by explaining the conflict that led to the Revolutionary War and the fragility of the new nation.

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