Constitutional History of Our

Democratic Federalist Capitalistic Republic

Maintaining Our Republic Required Compromise



Political Discussions Have Had Five Recurring Themes



Three Continuing Questions Developed



Did You Know

1. Constitutional History 3. Capitalism 4. Our Democratic Federalist Capitalist Republic



updated 9/18/17 Please



Our Founding Fathers Feared Direct Democracy 17th-century Liberalism came during the Age of Enlightenment from philosophers like John Locke. He argued that each man had natural rights of equality, liberty, property, the necessity of consent, and limited government. These beliefs began U.S. political discussions which centered on minimal state liberalism (today's conservatism) vs. active state liberalism (today's liberalism). The US constitution was seen as very important because republican government had not succeeded due to an inability to limit majority power. Our Founding Fathers designed the constitution to promote political stability and control majority factions. Change would not be easy. Controls included a Separation of Powers with authority among three branches of government, the legislature, the President, and the courts. Within the legislature, power was again separated such that the Senate could stop a bill passed by the House of Representatives and vice versa. The President could veto a passed Congressional bill, Congress could override said veto with a 2/3 vote, and the Supreme Court could stop the President and Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional. These checks and balances between the branches were to protect minority rights from majority factions. The Electoral College was another control over concentration of power . Some founder/delegates to the Constitutional Convention feared Direct Democracy. What became known as the Electoral C ollege was a compromise between a true Republican election by the people and an electorate consisting of

citizens that are more qualified.

However

, there were other reasons. S lave states with large populations but far fewer eligible voters wanted a compromise like the one used to determine state House of Reprehensive representation. This 3/5 comprise counted some slaves as population for representation purposes. High population states such as Virginia which had many House of Representative members would also have a large number of Presidential electors. House members were not used as electors because maintaining presidential independence would be difficult if a small continuingly elected group like Congress electing the President.

See

America s Democracy had a difficult political beginning after violence and anarchy of the French Revolution 1789-99 made many Americans uneasy about their republican democracy. During this period the Federalist and their active state liberalism ruled.

A new tax was the first of many major controversies

.

It came when

Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton orchestrated the 1789 import tax. Many believers in minimum state liberalism were unhappy. The tax revenue was needed to pay Revolutionary War debt of both state and federal governments. Relative to GDP, it was the largest federal debt to exist until 1933 when revenue collapsed causing D3 (deep-do-do).

Thus Hamilton began the continuing practice of increasing taxes (though not enough) to pay for war. Repayment t of resulting long-term debt was spread over many years allowing

repayment in

cheaper dollars due to inflation. This minimized the Nation's financial sacrifice. A new practice of refinancing principal with new bonds to pay maturing bonds began after WWI. Some call this passing debt to our children but it has been seventy-five years and none has been paid so far. In terms of today's dollars, the WW2 created debt could be considered minimal.

The practice of lowering taxes during war began when Bush II cut taxes while starting two wars. He also expanded the social safety net by creating Medicare Part D. This added to our largest future liability because changing demographics will solve potential SS liabilities.

Hamilton to the dismay of Jefferson also began the practices of the federal government paying state debt with many states showing their appreciation by telling the federal government to stay out of state business. Source

Philosophical change, which would happen often, began with Jefferson when he purchased Louisiana even though he believed in minimal state liberalism. Others, Jackson being the most notable, followed minimal state liberalism. Then Lincoln used a strong federal government to preserve the Union. This lasted until the end of reconstruction when limited government helped by the Supreme Court fostered the Jim Crow Laws and the Gilded Age. The court did so by making owner property rights more important than worker personal liberties.



The new century brought Progressivism from Teddy Roosevelt and Windrow Wilson. Both believed in active state liberalist. The First Red Scare and unionism following WW I brought back minimal state liberalism. The Great recession allowed FDR to use active state liberalism to tame our Greatest Depression. Active state liberalism ended with by a Second Red Scare. The Korean War and The Cold War contributed to the feeling we needed security more than individual liberty. The 1962 Kennedy assassination gave LBJ the ability to use active state liberalism to pass The Great Society anti-poverty programs. Stagflation of the 1970's allowed Ronald Regan to reverse course. He blamed active state liberalism for creating excess government regulation which slowed the economy.

A new century brought back Active State Liberalism. First another Scare, this time from terrorism, meant personal liberty had to yield to maximize public safety. Active State Liberalism t continued with the Great Recession which required government corporate bailouts and health care expansion

Political Discussion Had Five Recurring Themes

1) American Exceptionalism exists because the country was formed at a unique time and place. This allowed America to be special with a responsibility to provide an appropriate government example



2) The dynamic flexibility of America Liberalism has allowed concepts concerning individual rights to adjust as required by evolving circumstances.



3) The reconstitution of American government first with Jefferson, then after the Civil War, and following the New Deal though other less significant though important reconstitutions have been beneficial though controversial. Think Kennedy, Reagan, and Trump .



4) An expansion of "we the people" from white men of property, to white men, to all men, to all citizens, and recently continued with the addition sexuality.



5) Geographic Space allowed for the separation of individuals from oppressive government, religion, and other potentially tyrannical organizations. Some feel modern America has lost some of this space. Source Cycles of American Political Thought

See The Founders Constitution for writings about the U.S. constitution.

1) Property vs. individual rights was won by property until excesses of the Gilded Age caused much public reaction leading to worker protection.

2) To what degree should government be involved with the protection of protecting which individual's natural rights.