I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, I've been rather busy. However, here is last week's paper. Hope you enjoy!
Strengths of the Constitution and the
American Government
The
Constitution of the United States of America was written in 1787, and
it is still the basis of our government today. While this document
has a number of weak spots, it also has many strengths, and these
strong points have helped to keep our country together for over 200
years.
The
first area of strength is in leadership. The Constitution allows the
citizens to choose their national leaders (such as the President and
Vice-President) through the process of elections, in which the
people, by voting for the candidate they want, are actually voting
for the elector in their state who will vote for that candidate. The
electors are chosen by the citizens of each state, and they vote as
representatives of the state. The candidate who receives a majority
of electoral votes wins the election. The Constitution also allows
citizens to vote for the Representatives and Senators who make up the
Congressional body.
The
Constitution establishes term limits for each office, which prevents
one person from holding a position of authority for a long time.
There are also limits on the number of terms a person can serve in
any particular capacity. The document also restricts the amount of
time a person can serve in the government, preventing a person from
spending their entire life in office and taking over the country.
The
second area of strength in the Constitution is accountability.
Congress is required to periodically publish their journal of
proceedings (excluding parts that Congressmen think should, for the
time being, be kept secret). Bills that are introduced in Congress
have to pass both Houses before the bill is passed to the President
to be signed. If the President vetos, or refuses to sign, the bill,
Congress can override that veto with a 2/3 majority of each House.
If
a high-ranking official commits a high crime such as treason,
Congress has the authority to bring impeachment charges against said
official, and a trial is held. In order for someone to be declared
guilty of treason, there have to be at least 2 witnesses who can both
prove that the person on trial did indeed commit the crime. If the
President is removed from office, the Vice-President will become
President, and someone will be elected to fill the vacant office for
the remainder of the term.
The
government is set up in three separate branches, yet designed so that
no one branch can take full control over the country. Anything one
branch does has to be agreed to by either one or both other branches
before it can take effect. This is called the system of checks and
balances.
A
final area of strength is freedom. Several Amendments to the
Constitution provide for specific freedoms for the people. The First
Amendment provides for the freedom of religion and speech, thus
preventing the government from dictating what people have to say and
believe. It also allows citizens to gather to peacefully protest
something that the government is doing.
The
Second Amendment gives citizens the freedom to arm themselves as they
see fit for the purpose of defending themselves. The Sixth Amendment
gives all people, whether or not they are United States citizens, the
right to a fair trial whenever they are accused of any crime.
There
are many, many strong points in the Constitution. Some are stronger
than others, but all have had a part in making our country what it is
today.
