In America today, there is a common misconception concerning the form of government this nation possesses. Some believe it to be a democracy while others understand it to be a republic. Regardless of what people believe the American form of government to be, it does not change the fact that it was founded as a representative republic, and therefore, must be maintained and upheld as such. The following paragraphs will show the difference between a democracy and a republic, describe what form the Founders intended for the American government and explain in what ways this nation has strayed from the original form of government created by its Founders. First, the meaning of and difference between a democracy and a republic must be understood. …show more content…
This desire continued and fueled the fire for the Declaration of Independence which eventually became the foundation for our governing document: the U.S. Constitution. In the Preamble to our Constitution, it states, “We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union...secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity...” (Constitution of the United States – Preamble). It is evident in the very first lines of the Constitution that the Founders considered the preservation of freedom to be one of the most important features of a government. In addition, the core principles that the Founders based our government on were drawn from the Bible. Noah Webster, whose ideas were influential in the writing of the constitution stated, “...the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament or the Christian religion” (History of the United States). Because the Founders drew their principles from the Bible which reflected the ideals of a republican form of government, it is evident that they desired such a government based on these principles. Consequently, the Founders not only set up this government such that its people would elect various levels of officials to represent them but also that those elected officials would be accountable to the higher law of the Bible. Third, the question must be asked, “In what ways has the
The Declaration of Independence led the way for the U.S. Constitution because without the Declaration of Independence the Constitution would probably never exist. The Declaration of Independence got the thirteen United States of America thinking about how much more they could do on their own under fair leadership and how better things could be if the citizens was able to help make some decisions.
They didn’t want to follow in Britain’s footsteps, so they created the Articles of Confederation to give people more rights and keep equality among the people. The American government found these influences beneficial and necessary in a society. The Declaration of Independence’s influence is still prominent in our government today. The Declaration of Independence has been an inspiring and guiding document in the development of the American
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress got together to form a document known as the Declaration of Independence. Written by American colonists, it did not want to be under British rule no more. The document also stated the rights of humans, but some of the main ones were the equality of men and also, the unalienable rights that the people of the United States were given as citizens. The Declaration of Independence has the main rights that modern citizens need now-a-day, but some can argue that the Preamble to the United States Constitution was made in order to form a more perfect union, making it the more compelling document. The Declaration of Independence, in comparison to the Preamble, is the most compelling document in today's day and age.
1. What does it mean when it is said that the United States is a "democratic republic"? Give an example of how our nation is a democratic republic.
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are two significant documents that transformed the history of the United States. The people of the “New World” went from being ruled by British law and living in the thirteen colonies, to becoming an independent nation with a democratic government. The Declaration was written to ensure that all official ties with its mother country, Great Britain, were suspended indefinitely. It then went on to describe the concepts and ideologies behind a just and fair government. The Constitution, however, outlined how the newly democratic government would operate. In 1776, after the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, a verdict was made that the only constructive way to ensure independence as a nation would be to declare independence from King George III, Parliament, and Great Britain. The colonists sought to fashion a clear, detailed document, known as the Declaration of Independence, which stated why the people chose to move in this direction as well as providing several arguments to support their case. This world-renown document is a symbol of the unity between the 13 colonies during their fight for independence during the American Revolutionary War.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the subsequent ratification of the constitution proved to be a more significant event in American political history than the Declaration of Independence. Many of the american leaders believed we needed to a new, stronger government. They had to persuade the states that stronger government was the right direction to ensure the country’s success.They did that with the constitutional convention but, To sway the states in the right direction documents such as the Federalist papers led the states to ratify the new U.S. Constitution. Which then led to the U.S. Constitution that we still live by to the day.
No documents have had a greater influence on the citizens of our country than the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. The Declaration of Independence marked the birth of our republic and set forth our “unalienable rights” to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Later, the Constitution outlined our style of government and defined the rights that are protected from intrusion by government.
The Declaration of Independence is the first of the three aforementioned documents. The document was drafted in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, with the assistance of the second Continental Congress. The document provided the reasons why the 13 colonies wished to “dissolve political bonds” with Great Britain and become the United States of America. Some of these reasons were: “[King George III] has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary
The Declaration of Independence was the first document to be adopted by the founding fathers in 1776. Its main purpose was to separate from the British Monarchy. The colonists knew this would be a clear step towards a new form of practicing self-government. The form in which the colonist decided to move towards was a Democracy. Which was shown in the U.S Constitution. This meant that everyone would have a part in the new government system unlike the British where one had little to no say. With this declaration, the 13 Colonies became the United States of America.
America’s democracy is an important part of our history and what has made this country what it is today. There are many pros and cons in relation to how our country is run when it concerns the U.S. Constitution. Something that is important is that America is how the framers came up with the idea of what democracy is to help this nation to succeed and to help provide a good model to be followed throughout the world. There are different parts of our government which has powers yet they must consult with the other powers before following through and executing their proposals. Another factor that has played an important role in the development of our American democracy is where there is a big separation of government and religion. Our American democracy has our U.S. Constitution which relies on the three branches of government where the political parties have candidates which are voted into office. This paper will discuss how federalism is incorporated into our Constitution and what the purpose is in having three branches of government, the reason behind having the political parties and how this is incorporated into our American Democracy.
Various documents have shaped the history of America, influencing its citizens in different ways, namely the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence, a document penned by President Thomas Jefferson and other members of the Second Continental Congress asserting the newfound independence of the original thirteen American colonies. Although the Constitution established the framework for a government that has thrived for over two hundred years, the Declaration of Independence introduced concepts that established a milestone in the development of political theory and freedom.
The Declaration of Independence was to be legal approval in 1776, to be followed by the Constitution of the United States of America. And the idea for a national framework of structural importance to American history, democracy set out in these documents were to have a great impact on legislator and political thinkers
The American Constitution has as its precedent, the event when Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Its purpose was to announce to the world that the 13 English colonies in North America had decided to become independent from England to start a new country; where their own ideals and precepts were held to make and American Union.
We live in this country for the land, and the for the free as Americans we rely on many attributes in this world in order for us to live our lives. Our government has supplied us with many great things for us to be proud of. Our government is “the institutions and processes though which public policies are made for society.” (Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry, p. 7). With all these institutions which includes the President, Congress, the courts and all the federal administrative agencies. These are the institutions that make up public policies for us, and to shape the way we live as Americans. The way this system has been operating through all the years has been
Biblically speaking, it is correct that religious freedom and a democratic system of government is not mentioned in the Bible. However, the principles of freedom were inspired by the Biblical values of free will, individual responsibility, moral conduct, and liberty. It is clear that the Founding Fathers believed in the value of Biblical principles guiding the nation and its laws.