GraceKurian&DishaPatel

October9,2015
APAmericanGovernment
Ms.Dorand
ConstitutionalCritique

ThechecksandbalancesystemthatwascreatedbytheFramersoftheConstitutionto
separatethepowersamongthejudicial,legislativeandexecutivebranchespreventsabuseof
powerbyanyofthethreebranches.Theexecutivebranchincludesthepresident,vice
president,andcabinettheyareinplacetomakesurethatthelawsarecarriedout.Iftheytryto
abusethepower,theothertwobranchesareabletostopit.Thepresidentisabletovetoabill,
butthecongressisabletooverturnthepresidentsvetoiftheyareabletogetvotesofboth
theSenateandHouseofRepresentatives.TheSenatehaspowertorejectthepresidential
nomineesforfederalofficialsandjudges.In1987,PresidentReagantriedtoappointJudge
RobertBorktotheSupremeCourt,butthenominationwasrejected.TheCongresscaneven
impeachandremovethePresidentfromitsposition.Therearemanymorelawssetinplaceto
keeptheexecutivebranchinitsplace,andtoavoiditfromoverpowering.
Theconstitutiontodaypromotestheideasandvaluesofpopularsovereignty,political
equality,andpoliticallibertyverywell.Theoriginalconstitutionof1789didnotqualifywiththese
idealsasmuchasourcurrentconstitutiondoes.Theoriginalwasmoreinfavorofthewhite
malesofsociety.Today,allcitizens18andabovearegiventherighttoelectwhorunsour
nation'sgovernment.Thebillofrightshaveevengivenrightsoffreedom,religion,speech,and
etctoitscitizens.Weareallabletofreelyexpressourselvesandweelectleadersthatpromote
ourbeliefs.Intheoriginalconstitution,thesocietywasrunbywhitemalesmostly.Nowmale
andfemale,coloredandwhitearegivenasaytowhatgoesoninthecountrytheylivein.The
Constitutionmakessurethattheelectionofleadersinthiscountryisfairandthattheirpoweris
limitedbythepeople.Itisthepeoplewhohasthesayondecisionsmadeinthecountry,andno
branchofpowerisabletodictatethepeople.Thoughtheconstitutionstrivestoprotectits
citizens,itisstillnotabletofullyrepresenteveryindividual.Decisionsaremadebasedonthe
goodofthewholecommunityandnotjustforthewantsofanindividual
Theconstitutionhasplentyofroomforreformsthatpromotestheidealsofpopular
sovereignty,politicalequality,andpoliticalliberty.Forexample,illegalimmigrantsisahottopic
inpoliticstoday.Theamericandreamisthateveryoneisgiventherighttosuccessiftheywork
hardenough.IllegalimmigrantscometoAmericahopingforabetterlife,andtoessentiallyhave
partintheAmericandream.Ifwecloseoureyestotheillegalimmigration,thenthiswould
arouseunfairorundesirabledebatesonimmigration.Ifweallowillegalimmigrantsintothe
countryanddocumentthemthenwehavetoprovidejobsforthem.Unemploymentisalreadya
bigprobleminAmerica,isitfairtoprovidetheillegalimmigrantswithjobswhenthereare
Americancitizenswhodon'thavejobs.Whenmakingreformstotheconstitution,itisimportant
toconsiderwhatoutcomesitcanleadto.Thelawsmadehavetomadesurethattheyareinthe
favorofthegreaterpopulationofitscitizens.