Constitution Long Essay Question (LEQ)
How was the Constitution an economic and political turning point in American history?
The Constitution had many lasting effects on America, with the addition of many key elements that affected the wellbeing and longevity of our country to this day. Taxes were regulated, fair branches of government created, and new rights for citizens were created to avoid another revolution. Different clauses within the Constitution specified regulations on certain parts of the government, creating a seamless system of government for the newly-formed country, and the states slowly but surely united to form the United States. The foundation upon which America was created on the Constitution also served as the building
…show more content…
Article 1, § 10, clause 2 of the document was commonly referred to as the “Import-Export Clause,” which main goal was to prevent the states, without consent from Congress, from imposing tariffs on imports and exports above what is necessary for their inspection laws. Restrictions were imposed on the clause to ensure fairness among state tariffs such as the Tonnage Clause and Commerce Clause, which both prevented states from imposing taxes on certain amounts of imported goods. Found in Article 1, § 9, clause 5 of the Constitution was the “Export Clause,” which prohibits the federal government from imposing any “tax or duty… on articles exported from any state.” This was a clause mostly supported by the southern states, which feared northern states would control a larger portion of Congress and subsequently raise a disproportionate amount of revenue for the federal government. The abolition of unnecessary taxes would’ve temporarily reduced federal government income, but satisfied the general public with the financial security they wanted that essentially caused the Revolution. With their money being taken fairly, they were able to live a life that wasn’t dictated by …show more content…
The system of checks and balances and three branches of government has been widely adopted across the world today, most prominently in the Southeastern Asian countries of Thailand and Malaysia. In the Federal Constitution of Malaya (now Malaysia), a constitutional monarchy is formed, including the use of three branches of government, which was first adopted by America in the Constitution of the United States. The three branches of Malayan government are the bicameral legislative branch (a.k.a. The Parliament) consisting of the House of Representatives and Senate, the executive branch containing the Prime Minister and his Cabinet Ministers, and a Federal Court in the judiciary branch. This system of government is almost a clone of the American government formed about two centuries prior. The Constitution of Thailand, a neighboring country to Malaysia, is very similar to that of Americas as well, creating a constitutional democracy, the exact same form of government as the United States. Thailand’s Constitution begins with, “To ensure suitability with the situation in the country and change of time and by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand of B.E. 2549 on the establishment of the Constitutional Drafting Assembly and Constitution Drafting Committee in charge of