Principles of American Democracy
“We the People”
These first three words, the preamble to the US Constitution, embody the whole idea of self-government and are a basic statement of the purpose preceding the Constitution.
The Constitution was written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and officially adopted on September 17, 1789. But what exactly does the Constitution, the document known as the Supreme Law of the Land, do? In simple words, the Constitution sets up and defines the structure, purpose and limits of the federal government and its relationship with the individual states.
The Rule of Law
The Constitution is based on the “Rule of Law” which states that everyone must follow the law, leaders must obey the law and that no one is above the law and that the rule of law is superior to the rule of any human leader. But most important too is that the Constitution protects the basic rights of all Americans.
And just how are those rights protected?
The basic rights of all Americans are protected and guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 to become part of the Constitution. The 1st amendment, probably the most recognized, guarantees Americans the following basic rights:
- Freedom of Religion (the freedom to practice any religion or not practice one if you choose)
- Freedom of Speech (the freedom to speak out against the government)
- Freedom of the Press (gives the media freedom to express ideas and opinion)
- Freedom of Assembly (the freedom to allow people to peaceably assemble)
- Freedom to Petition the Government (the freedom to communicate with government officials)
Amendments & Changes to the Constitution
Amendments, or changes or additions, to the Constitution are not easily passed and there have only been 27 since it was adopted back in 1789. Let’s look at how an amendment gets passed and go over a few amendments that have passed which concern voting rights.
For an amendment to get passed, two-thirds of both houses of Congress, the Senate and House of Representatives, must pass the proposal for the amendment to become ratified; then, three quarters of the state houses, must also pass the proposal for ratification. That isn’t easy to do and tells us why there have only been 27 amendments to the Constitution including the Bill of Rights!
The Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson and becoming official on July 4th, 1776, The Declaration of Independence is founded on the principals that all men are created equal and the belief that all men have three basic rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
This document, in addition to creating basic rights and freedoms for the people and the thirteen colonies, also announced the separation from Great Britain, creating the “The United States of America” and declaring itself a free and independent country.
After the Declaration of Independence
After the Declaration of Independence was written, another document, the Articles of the Confederation, was written which established the rules that governed the newly formed thirteen states—these rules were the foundation of what later became the U.S. Constitution.
Among these articles, along with the establishment of basic rights and freedoms, was also the establishment of the new government as a republic or representative democracy -one that is based on the principle of federalism, or power that is shared between the federal and state governments. In addition, the rules also established that the economy would be capitalist, not government driven but mainly privately driven and that the federal government would have the power to collect taxes from the people of the states.
Visit the “Colonial Period” section for more detail on the Declaration of Independence and its importance to the beginnings of our democracy.
