Introduction
The United States of America is perceived by the rest of the world as a powerful and monolithic state, with far-reaching economic ties and strong national interests. As history shows, it was not always that way. Initially comprising of 13 member states, the USA was a conglomerate of different groups with varied prerogatives, beliefs, and interests. The purpose of the Constitution, as well as the bicameral system of governance, was to balance these interests while allowing the union to function. The globalization of the economy and the strengthening of ties between states slowly erased the distinctions between separate states. People started seeing themselves and each other as “American,” rather than Texan, Missourian, or Alabaman. The USA of today is different from what it was over 200 years ago. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the progress the Union made so far in relation to the six goals of the constitution.
Constitution and its Main Goals
The purposes of the American Constitution, aside from providing the framework of rights to govern the nation, also included long-term goals for statecraft. These goals are as follows (Sheldon, 2018):
- To form a perfect Union. This goal acknowledged the imperfections of the existing system and wanted for future generations to govern themselves better;
- To establish justice. The factual elimination of inequalities before the law;
- To ensure domestic tranquility. Prevent in-fighting among member states in order to ensure peace and prosperity;
- To provide common defense. Be capable of fending off existing and future enemies;
- To promote the general welfare. Improve the standards of living for all Americans;
- To secure liberty and prosperity. Ensure that the rights and liberties of Americans are not being infringed upon by anyone.
The existing state of the USA can be evaluated upon these 6 important criteria.
The State of the Union
America is, arguably, more united than it used to be during the signing of the Constitution in 1787 (Sheldon, 2018). Much of this came from political, informational, and economic integration. The states used to be self-sufficient in terms of economy, and many people did not have much contact with other states due to the rigors of communication and transportation. Nowadays, all states are bound together through various socio-economic ties, the breaking of which would mean devastation for local enterprises (Nevitte, 2017). People from different states meet one another on the Internet, can travel by car, train, or plane, and can talk to one another over the smartphone. The distinctions between individual states and their people have thus become erased, and individuals have started seeing themselves as part of the American super nation. Although there have been calls for separation from various marginal political groups, these calls are unlikely to shake the status quo (Nevitte, 2017). Thus, the state of the Union is indeed stronger, and the likelihood of civil war is slim.
The Establishment of Justice
The American legal system has progressed in some areas while regressing in others. The major step forward in the history of American jurisprudence was the granting of rights to black people and women (Skrentny, 2018). Before that, only white men were capable of enjoying the full scope of legal protection available to Americans (Skrentny, 2018). At the same time, the war on drugs as well as discrimination of minorities by law enforcement agencies has proven that the establishment of justice has not been truly achieved. The US has the highest number of incarcerated individuals (over 1 million), topping China and Russia combined (Pound, 2018). Over half of these individuals were imprisoned over charges of possession and distribution of drugs. The issues of flat sentences and the disproportionate representation of blacks and Hispanics stand in the way of establishing true justice.
Domestic Tranquility
The issue of domestic tranquility is connected to that of establishing a stronger union. Without peace at home, a strong union cannot be established. The 18th and 19th centuries were notorious for their violence in the US, as the majority of Indian repressions, inter-state disputes, and the American Civil war happened during that time period (Shi & Tindall, 2016). However, the 20th and the 21st century saw the gradual resignation from large-scale violence. Rebellions were very few and small in number, while the majority of events took the form of protests and riots (Shi & Tindall, 2016). Nowadays, the majority of disturbances to the peace take the form of terrorist attacks and school shootings. Despite the tragedy of these events, they cause much less grief than a full-out war or rebellion. Based on these tendencies, it could be concluded that domestic tranquility in the US is stronger than it was.
Common Defense
The US has one of the strongest armies in the world, with the largest military spending, a vast arsenal of nuclear and conventional armaments, and over 800 bases in 70 countries of the world (Vine, 2015). The countries that the US borders are Canada and Mexico, both of which are incapable of threatening the country using military means. At the same time, foreign powers combined have less than 30 military bases around the world (Vine, 2015). None of them is in close proximity to the US, especially after the Soviet withdrawal from Cuba (Vine, 2015). Based on these factors, it could be concluded that the US achieved its goals in providing a common defense. It is virtually unassailable by any country using conventional means. While the prospect of nuclear warfare is present, that outcome is also unlikely, as the country has the means to assure mutual destruction.
Promoting General Welfare
General welfare is a contested subject in the USA. Many critics of the existing state of affairs point out that 84% of the entire US stock is owned by 10% of upper-class individuals (Gordon, 2017). There are also massive problems with medical care insurance, access to high education, and social mobility. At the same time, the overall standards of living and general welfare have improved greatly in the last 200 years (Gordon, 2017). Black people and women have acquired the rights they previously did not have as well as access to jobs, education, and other securities. However, the progress for the majority of American individuals is not as great as it could have been. With the welfare gap growing, it could be concluded that the US is largely failing at providing equally good access to opportunities and commodities for everyone.
Securing Liberty and Prosperity
Although the 19th and the 20th centuries have seen great strides in promoting liberty and prosperity for the underprivileged classes (women, blacks, minorities), the 21st century sees the infringement of some of the basic rights as defined by the amendments to the constitution (Skrentny, 2018). The state is becoming increasingly totalitarian in its attempts to undermine some of the important facets of the Constitution, such as the right to bear arms (2nd Amendment) and the right to privacy (4th Amendment) (Watt, 2018). The freedoms of speech are also being infringed by the State and certain political activist groups, who seek to prevent others from speaking their minds based on gender, race, and political affiliation. After the 2016 elections, the country has seen a significant decline in freedom of speech, but the tendency has been going on since as far as 2001 (Watt, 2018). To summarize, while the state of liberty and prosperity in the US increased when compared to 1787, that progress has the potential to be undone.
Conclusions
The USA of today is certainly a more “perfect Union” than what it was during the creation of the constitution. During the last 200 years, the state has become more politically and economically united, has achieved the status of world power, and has secured its borders against any kind of foreign intervention. Its citizens are (at least on paper) equal in the eyes of the law, no matter what race, gender, or social group they belong to. At the same time, there are significant challenges in regard to the liberty and prosperity of its citizens. The wealth gap is growing, the number of rights keeps shrinking, and the state has demonstrated repeatedly that it can take away anyone’s freedoms at any time it wants. Examples of these include the detainment of Japanese-Americans in 1942 and the subsequent witch-hunt on Arab-Americans conducted today. Nevertheless, there is still hope that through the actions of its people, America becomes a perfect union.
References
Gordon, R. J. (2017). The rise and fall of American growth: The US standard of living since the civil war. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Nevitte, N. (2017). The North American trajectory: Cultural, economic, and political ties among the United States, Canada and Mexico. New York, NY: Routledge.
Pound, R. (2018). Criminal justice in America. New York, NY: Routledge.
Sheldon, C. H. (2018). Essentials of the American constitution. New York, NY: Routledge.
Shi, D. E., & Tindall, G. B. (2016). America: A narrative history. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company.
Skrentny, J. D. (2018). The ironies of affirmative action: Politics, culture, and justice in America. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Vine, D. (2015). Base nation: How US military bases abroad harm America and the world. Metropolitan Books.
Watt, D. H. (2018). Whose freedoms? Which religions? Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 86(1), 248-252.