So what form of government do we have?
To give a hint as to the original form of government. Let me use a quote often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, one of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep getting together to decide what is for lunch.
The intent of the Constitution is a Republic, or a Federal Republic. Three branches. Compare intent, to see how they stack up today.
The legislative branch writes the laws.
The executive branch enforces the laws.
The judicial branch interprets the laws.
Does that work today? I would say no, and the main reason? In my opinion, it all tracks down to one thing.
The Seventeenth Amendment. This amendment switched the election of Senators from the states, to the people, sort of creating a second popularly elected legislative body. Why is this important?
When the Constitution was ratified, the legislative branch was set up with two bodies. The House, which represents the people. The Senate, which represents the states. That is right. Senators represented the state governments, and were appointed by the state legislature. That is why, federal appointments and treaties are done by the Senate, essentially saying that the States approve of the appointments, or actions. In other words, the legislation, or treaty, or amendment, is approved, not by the people, (that is the House) but the states. the Seventeenth amendment essentially abolished the State's say in anything in the Federal Government.
This was the genius of the Constitution. You see, the Founders felt that the States were independent, sovereign entities that shared some of their sovereignty with the Central Government, to negotiate treaties, to protect from enemies, and to provide a vehicle to work common cause. Those are the only things delegated to the Federal Government by the Constitution. If you think of the United Nations, but substitute States for Nations, then perhaps a better understanding of how the government was set up.
The state's authority was mostly wiped out after the Civil War. It was complete with the 17th amendment. Now there is no balance, which introduced the rule of the mob, yes, mob. When a republic devolves into a democracy with no checks, then it is mob rule. The very thing the Founders wanted to prevent.
Because of the change in the Senate, legislation passed, that would never have. The Affordable Care Act comes to mind. If the Senators had represented the States instead of a party, It wouldn't have passed. Look at a map. Democrats representing states that were either purple (West Virginia) or red (Nebraska, Louisiana) would never have supported it.
Now, frustrated by gridlock, a now strong executive can branch out on its own, with all checks destroyed.
Questions?
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep getting together to decide what is for lunch.
The intent of the Constitution is a Republic, or a Federal Republic. Three branches. Compare intent, to see how they stack up today.
The legislative branch writes the laws.
The executive branch enforces the laws.
The judicial branch interprets the laws.
Does that work today? I would say no, and the main reason? In my opinion, it all tracks down to one thing.
The Seventeenth Amendment. This amendment switched the election of Senators from the states, to the people, sort of creating a second popularly elected legislative body. Why is this important?
When the Constitution was ratified, the legislative branch was set up with two bodies. The House, which represents the people. The Senate, which represents the states. That is right. Senators represented the state governments, and were appointed by the state legislature. That is why, federal appointments and treaties are done by the Senate, essentially saying that the States approve of the appointments, or actions. In other words, the legislation, or treaty, or amendment, is approved, not by the people, (that is the House) but the states. the Seventeenth amendment essentially abolished the State's say in anything in the Federal Government.
This was the genius of the Constitution. You see, the Founders felt that the States were independent, sovereign entities that shared some of their sovereignty with the Central Government, to negotiate treaties, to protect from enemies, and to provide a vehicle to work common cause. Those are the only things delegated to the Federal Government by the Constitution. If you think of the United Nations, but substitute States for Nations, then perhaps a better understanding of how the government was set up.
The state's authority was mostly wiped out after the Civil War. It was complete with the 17th amendment. Now there is no balance, which introduced the rule of the mob, yes, mob. When a republic devolves into a democracy with no checks, then it is mob rule. The very thing the Founders wanted to prevent.
Because of the change in the Senate, legislation passed, that would never have. The Affordable Care Act comes to mind. If the Senators had represented the States instead of a party, It wouldn't have passed. Look at a map. Democrats representing states that were either purple (West Virginia) or red (Nebraska, Louisiana) would never have supported it.
Now, frustrated by gridlock, a now strong executive can branch out on its own, with all checks destroyed.
Questions?
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