The foundations in American government were discussed in the first week by giving a critical look at the meaning and content of political science. In terms of definition, political science is the study of governance systems in society. It is a division of knowledge that explores ideologies and structures used by governing structures across the world.
The American constitution is also a critical component of American government.[1] The constitution is used as the supreme law of the land since all other statutes operate below it. The same constitution has undergone several amendments especially through federalism. In order to support this reading, we also watched the video entitled “ethos”. This video media largely focuses on various aspects of governance that hinder the full implementation of democratic ideals.
In addition, the video attempts to give a clear picture of how our individual liberties as well as the environment can also be negatively affected by factors that work against democracy.[2] From the readings, it is evident that the corporate power lacks regulation while the country’s politics has suffered conflicts of interests. This essay underscores the distorted democratic ideals that have culminated into warfare and over-consumption.
During week two, we explored federalism which captured chapters 3 to 5.[3] Under this theme, we discussed the systematic development of American constitution, the federalist no.10 on faction and also the “centinel” no. 10 on responsibility. From the chronology section, we noted that the adoption of the articles of confederation took place way back on 1st March 1781.
This was followed by the Annapolis convention five years later.[4] A lot of other amendments have taken place in this constitutional document until the present date. The Federalist no.10 focused on the protection against the local faction and insurrection for the residents of New York State.[5] Finally, the centinel was a 1787 document that was directed towards “the Freemen of Pennsylvania”.[6]
It is evident that in spite of the myriads of changes that have taken place in the US constitution, the current state of democracy is still wanting and as such, the political system still demands urgent reformation.[7] This assertion has been supported by the evidence presented in the video.
For example, there are still powerful political elites who have extremely distorted corporate leadership for the sake of their own interests.[8] Secondly, when the chronology of the US constitution is keenly followed, it is found out that the more changes are made on the document, the more the constitution remains the same.
For instance, under the Federalist #51, Massachusetts carried out a ratification of its constitution while amendments were proposed on the same document after one day. This was a common occurrence across other states such as Maryland, Connecticut and Georgia. This implies that in spite of the constitutional changes that have been undertaken up todate, the positive impacts are yet to be fully realized.[9]
Conclusion
In summing up, the “centinel” was against all the federalist ideals that had been put forward by the US constitution. The “centinel” noted that “from this investigation into the organization of this government, it appears that it is devoid of all responsibility or accountability to the great body of the people…”[10]
This implies that most of the gains that had been made towards constitutional development were brought down by several opposition fronts. Moreover, the American constitution and various phases of federalism have remained clear proofs that the foundations of American democracy have been influenced by several other factors
Bibliography
“Centinel”. Web.
“Chronology”. Web.
“Ethos”. Web.
“Federalism”. Web.
Miller, Lisa. “The Invisible Black Victim: How American Federalism Perpetuates Racial Inequality in Criminal Justice Miller Invisible Black Victim.” Law & Society Review 44, no. 3 (2010): 805-842.
Prochaska, Frank. “The View from Albion: Bagehot and the American Constitution.” History Today 60, no. 2 (2010): 35-41.
“The Federalist No. 10”. Web.
“U.S. Constitution”. Web.
Footnotes
- “U.S. Constitution”
- “Ethos”
- “Federalism”
- “Chronology”
- “The Federalist No. 10”
- “Centinel”
- Frank Prochaska, “The View from Albion: Bagehot and the American Constitution,” History Today 60, no. 2 (2010): 39.
- “Ethos”
- Lisa Miller, “The Invisible Black Victim: How American Federalism Perpetuates Racial Inequality in Criminal Justice Miller Invisible Black Victim,” Law & Society Review 44, no. 3/4 (2010): 834.
- “Centinel”