How Democratic Is the American Constitution - 695 Words

Robert Dahls book How Democratic is the American Constitution, reminds us that the American Constitution wasnt the only possible base for a democratic system in America. In this book Dahl explains some of the democratic and undemocratic aspects of the American constitution. He also explains what should be changed to improve it. In chapter 2, Dahl begins explaining about the Framers of the constitution who had the task of basically creating a new government that combated all of the problems of the new United States of America. The Framers desperately needed to gather knowledge on how to go about creating a new society but, there was very little information that would help them. Dahl then listed a few events in history that if the†¦show more content†¦Fourth, the definition of the word democracy has changed. The way Americans see the word doesnt refer to a static system as it once did, it is ever changing and improving. Moving on, Dahl explained that not only did ignorance hinder the Framers plans for a constitution but there were also limited on opportunities in that time period. One of these limits was the fact they were convinced that creating a republic was the only way to go. They surely couldnt purpose a monarchy or a government based on a hierarchy since they originally wanted to get away from the English monarch. A second limit was the existence of only thirteen states, which would complicate creating a central government. The delegates also had to confront several other issues before they could agree on a constitution. Two of the larger issues were slavery and representation in the Senate. It was then that within these limits that the Framers had to construct a constitution. Dahl explains that these limits caused the constitution to have serious undemocratic flaws. It neither banned slavery nor gave congress the power to do so; also the constitution didnt guarantee any right of suffrage and left that up to the states. The election of a president was left up to a body of presidential electors that was a group of men that would be unswayed by popular opinion to choose a chief executive. Choosing senators would be determined by the stateShow MoreRelatedHow Democratic Is The American Constitution Essay1616 Words   |  7 PagesThe question posed by both Madison and the Framers in the 85 â€Å"Federalist Papers† and Dahl in his book How Democratic is the American Constitution? is how effective the Constitution is at promoting the ideals of a democracy. For Dahl, there are several issues surrounding the Constitution, from its drafting, to its ideology, to its relev ance. By analyzing Dahl’s critiques of the Constitution in terms of the parallels that exist between factions and the two-party system, the issue of unequal representationRead MoreHow Democratic Is The American Constitution?1310 Words   |  6 PagesAs citizens of America, how free are we? Yes essentially, we can make our own decisions but at what cost. It seems like in order to uphold structure and stability within while securing the wellbeing of every citizen of a nation us to have a government. However, if the establishment of government is essential, there are certain sacrifices one has to make to ensure one’s protection. Therefore, the battle between freedom, equality, and security comes into play when you’re trying to construct a â€Å"perfect†Read MoreHow Democratic Is The American Constitution Written By Robert A. Dahl1457 Words   |  6 PagesIn the book How Democratic Is the American Constitution written by Robert A. Dahl, it shows us a deepe r understanding of how the complexities of when and how the ideals of the American democracy were framed. This book also shows us that this amazing document was created in a way that many of us wouldn’t have thought of. Throughout the book Dahl takes us on an incredible adventure through America’s beginning years, as far back as the Constitutional Convention in 1787. One of the first things thatRead MoreRethinking the Finality of and Democracy in the American Constitution1716 Words   |  7 PagesIs the United States Constitution a sacred and absolute document? Dahl (2001) argued that the Constitution is not perfect or permanent in his book, How Democratic is the American Constitution. He stresses that his main aim is not to propose that the Constitution must be amended, but to facilitate readers in changing how they think about the Constitution. In order to help people rethink the Constitution, Dahl (2001) explained the limitations of its Framers and the Constitution ’s not widely known undemocraticRead More Government and Politics - The Original Constitution Did Not Have Many Democratic Traits1621 Words   |  7 PagesOriginal Constitution Did Not Have Many Democratic Traits In two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, Americans fought and died so that democracy would prevail around the world. In the minds of many Americans, America is the bastion of democracy. But how democratic is America? Today’s America was â€Å"born† with the signing of the constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, it was determined how democratic America would be. And every American should ask himself how democraticRead MoreReview of How Democratic Is the Us Constitution809 Words   |  4 PagesBook Review Of How Democratic Is the American Constitution By Robert A. Dahl Context The American Constitution, seen by Americans as guiding light and bedrock of civil rights and democracy is as Robert A. Dahl argues not so democratic and does not guard the rights of individuals. P.18 Dahl places his work asking fundamental questions as to the use and application of the constitution in the modern world, not as an attack as Gordon S. Wood from New York Review of Books clearly states on theRead MoreHow Democratic Is The U.s. Constitution1506 Words   |  7 Pagesthe drafting of the U.S. Constitutions in 1787. These laws helped established America s national government and fundamental laws as well as guaranteed our citizens equal rights. Robert Dahl brought new light on the issue of how our nation views the U.S. Constitution and how effective it came to be. Most importantly, there is the possibility that Americans have the ability to alter the Constitution when it is needed. In Dahl’s book â€Å"How Democratic is the U.S. Constitution?†, he makes us thin k deeperRead MoreHow Democratic Is The American Consitution?1310 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"How Democratic Is the American Consitution?† written by Robert A. Dahl is a novel that’s main purpose is to â€Å"suggest changes in the way we think about our constitution† (Dahl 2003, p.1). Robert A. Dahl revolves his book around a few questions. However, the main focus of all the questions are â€Å"why should we Americans uphold our constitution† (Dahl 2003, p.1)? This question is asked because he questions why we uphold something that was written more than two centuries ago. He also questions how democraticRead MoreAnalysis Of The Constitution And The Constitution932 Words   |  4 PagesDahl and the Constitution James Madison and the rest of the Founders of the Constitution undeniably founded a government that has withstood the test of time. The question that Robert Dahl poses in How Democratic Is the American Constitution? is whether this form of government and specifically the Constitution is as democratic as it should be and focuses on the Constitution’s shortcomings. Dahl argues that the constitution is much less democratic than it ought to be. Madison, on the other hand, hadRead MoreWhen Asking Oneself If The Original U.S Constitution Is1521 Words   |  7 PagesWhen asking oneself if the original U.S Constitution is democratic, democracy itself must be defined. Democracy is defined as a form of government where all eligible citizens are able to participate equally, either directly, or through elected representatives-majority rule. The original U.S Constitution, including The Bill of Rights, as written is not necessarily a true democratic document, but it is rather a document t hat calls for more of a constitutional republic. This is true despite the fact