ACT Perspective Essay

A very big focus in my HOA class recently has been the process by which the United States Constitution was ratified and what changes it brought about in American government. On the road to ratification the constitution had much opposition; people from all over the thirteen colonies feared the changes that would come along with this new system. These people argued that the constitution gave too much power to the central government and that this power would undeniably lead to tyranny and oppression of the individual citizen. Their beliefs stemmed from the large scale oppression that they had recently suffered at the hands of Great Britain. This not only negatively tainted their view towards a strong central government, but it also stopped them from seeing how progressive and necessary the would-be constitution actually was. The constitution's capabilities were ahead of its time; it protects its citizen's unalienable rights, encourages political activity, maintains a stable economy, and provides fair representation for all.

The Wilson Times (Sept 15, 2017)

One of the constitution's key characteristics is its bicameral legislative structure. This two house system allows for multiple different forms of representation and ensure that there will be no abuse of power within the legislative branch. The house of representation is the first of the two houses, it grants a varying number of representatives to each state. This number relies on the state's population, the more people living in the state, the more representatives they get in the the HOR. More populated states really like this because it gives them much more power and sway in the HOR vote. The other house is called the senate. In this house, a state's population does not affect their number of representatives granted: every state gets two. This complex legislative structure is one of the main reasons that the United States constitution is so effective. The bicameral nature guarantees the satisfaction of both large and small states, while also further implementing various checks and balances present throughout the constitution.

These checks and balances are the reason that tyranny under rule of the constitution is very improbable. There are three branches of government that make up government under the constitution (executive, legislative, and judicial), and each one is granted specific and clearly stated powers. The checks and balances aspect of the constitution means that there are some powers granted to various parts of the government that "check" other parts. For example, bills passed in the legislative branch must be approved by the president, who is in charge of the executive branch, before they become a law. If the president vetos a bill, then it must pass through the legislative branch again. Except that this time, it must obtain a larger majority than before before becoming law. This is only one example of the many checks and balances that make the constitution as fair and great as it is. In conclusion, the while the constitution may have received massive adversity upon its creation, it has become clear with time that it is actually one of the most sophisticated, complex, and effective government outlines around the world.