After the failure of the articles of confederation, due to various problems of having a limited national government, the national government sought to write up a new basis for government. The writers of the constitution expanded the strength of the national government, giving them various enumerated powers, to make the national government have more authority over the states to impose order. In addition to the enumerated powers of congress, to avoid limiting the national government to what is in the constitution, Article 1 of the constitution also includes the “necessary and proper” clause which gives congress the ability “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing [enumerated] powers” (Article
The Constitution may be a mess and need amendments, but it covers our basic rights and freedoms. There are many clauses within it that assure these rights will be kept and not changed. In one one of the clauses it states that no bill shall be passed that would override
What seems like such a miniscule crime to commit, could potentially turn into a very big one. Additionally, with more and more people thinking it is perfectly okay to break minor laws, it eventually gets out of hand and becomes an even bigger problem than it would have been had everyone followed them to begin with. For example, if one person throws a small piece of trash along the road, it does not seem like that big of a problem but when that one person’s trash is added to everyone else’s littering, it really puts it in perspective. All together, if someone is not abiding by the law, it is a
Trippett is right, the enforcement is making the good citizens feel more of criminals than the actual criminals.
However, where is the interest and chance for lively discussion in that? I had considered, but decided against, a topic on the "True Cause(s) of the American Revolution", "Was Florida a Strategic Hindrance to the Confederacy" or "Were There Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq". Controversy, promotes discussion, and discussion hopefully leads to learning. Some historical
The word “tyranny” means, cruel and oppressive government or rule. If the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution weren't put in place, the United States would have tyranny. Tyranny usually refers to when a person has a lot of power on their hands, or has the ability to have complete control. Tyranny is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, the preamble and in the grievance. The first mention of tyranny state that's the king aspires to establish tyranny over the United States.
It was not long after the enforcement of these laws that dispute arose from them. All fifty U.S. states were trying to grasp these laws and figure out what do about them. People quickly thought that the four laws were unconstitutional, and something had to be done about it.
We need to change peoples idea of the elections. This will not be something easily done because its hard to change peoples minds on stuff like this. After the people become educated about congress and the president
These laws were passed as a means to provide the president with unilateral power to have immigrants imprisoned or deported by claiming they were a threat to our nation’s security and had committed crimes against the federal government. In the Alien Act it states that “it shall be lawful for the President of the United States at any time during the continuance of this act, to order all such aliens as he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States, or shall have reasonable grounds to suspect are concerned in any treasonable or secret machinations against the government thereof, to depart out of the territory of the United States” (U.S. Stat. 2). This caused further division and conflict between the Federalist and the Republicans when it pertained to the Constitution. Many Americans as well as Republicans felt it conflicted with the Constitution and encroached on the states’ rights which were seen as being unconstitutional.
Back in 1969 there was a case to abolish the electoral college system which won the support of the House but was blocked by a Senate filibuster led by southern senators who opposed civil rights legislation (textbook, pg. 210). A definition for the term “filibuster” can be described as someone engaging in unauthorized warfare against a foreign country or as the political system likes to put it: an action designed to prolong debate and delay. Either way, this should not be a part of American democracy and affect the way American citizens get to have their right to a fair, direct
For the first time in our nation’s short history, citizen’s voices were beginning to have more and more of an influence on our governing body. However, during this era, political freedoms were also being restricted. Despite the Fifteenth Amendment granting the right to vote to all male citizens, some—specifically those who were black or poor—were discouraged or even barred from voting due to “…literacy tests and residency and registration requirements” (Foner 701). Despite gaining political freedoms during the Progressive era, many were still restricted from doing so. Much like political freedoms, there were also expansions and restrictions of economic freedoms during the Progressive Era as well.
First, the Declaration of Independence declares that the government is by the people, which is based on the line “the consent of the governed.” Citizens in America each have a voice in the government if they let their voice be heard. Most commonly, this voice can be shared by voting in elections for government officials. This is still relevant today because people can vote, but unfortunately, many have chosen not to. According to statistics, the participation of U.S. citizens voting is constantly declining.
Article V has withstood for over 200 years, both preventing and creating new amendments. I believe in the idea of multiple majorities and an overwhelming consensus. Therefore, a 2/3 majority in both the House and Senate and ratification from 38 states (3/4 of the state’s legislative houses) provides a safety net to prevent ill-conceived or irresponsible amendments from taking place, such as the anti-flag burning or balanced budget amendments. The strongest argument for changing Article V resides in the idea that only a small minority of American citizens, just under 5%, can hold up can amendment. While this concern seems valid, it is irrelevant for two reasons.
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.
Immigration laws have had an impact on the past, as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the National Origins Act are two out of hundreds of laws that were made to limit immigration. Currently, similar laws and actions are taking place with regards to a wall on the southern border of Mexico, and the exclusion of immigration from Middle East countries. With immigration laws playing a huge part in our present, and an even larger part in our past, future laws and disputes are inevitable, and will continue to be hotly contested in the US. However, immigration laws and the discrimination against immigrants needs to change. Immigrants provide this country with an immeasurable number of benefits, and limiting immigration will only leave the United States at a disadvantage to other countries.
