Principles of the Constitution

           It is hard to imagine this country without the Constitution. Even if a few small things were left out there is a chance this country would be completely different. And if the Constitution wasn’t based on the four principles that it is, this nation as we know it would not exist. The principles of Checks and Balances, Separation of Powers, Federalism and Limited Government make the U.S. stand out. They provide the government with enough power to allow the country to run smoothly but they also protect the rights of everyone else. Although they all have their own purpose and are completely necessary, I feel that one sums of everything we need.

By limiting the government, not only do the people realize their rights but the three other principles are buried within it. Checks and balances were put in place to limit the government’s power by making each branch have certain abilities and the authority to keep the other branches at the same level. Separation of Powers is just that; branches created so they could balance things out. And Federalism allows each government, whether it be national, state or local, to make decisions according to which one is in a more appropriate position to make that decision. They all limit the government or governments by themselves.

Another reason why I believe limiting the government is the most important is because the people of this country associate that with more freedom for them. Although the U.S. needs the government to keep everything running normally, the Constitution was also written to make the citizens understand their abilities. When the government gets too involved in our business we lose sight of our rights. We feel like they have all the control over us. It is obvious that the people of the U.S. make the U.S. If a government gets too powerful and diminishes our abilities, this country wouldn’t last very long.

The final reason to support my choice of limited government being the most important principle is that it prohibits any one person to have absolute control over the entire nation. We have all seen what a dictator or tyrant can do to a country and it’s never good. When one gets too much power over their countries’ people their “government” collapses. With the U.S. Constitution there are too many things standing in the way of anyone who wants complete control. The president of this country may be our leader but they have many limitations as well.

These previous reasons show that a limited government is an important aspect to our Constitution. Without it, anything could happen and this country would not be as strong as it is to this day.

The Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the Constitution

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution have many similarities. After all, the Constitution was written with respect to what the colonists declared they wanted in the Declaration of Independence. Among these similarities is the fact that both consistently explain the power of the people. You can read it over and over again that the people have control when it comes to the government and I believe it is a crucial part of each document.

My first example comes from the Declaration of Independence.  When talking about unalienable rights, it states, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.” This clearly states that the people are in control of those running the government and if those people become destructive, the citizens have the right to remove them from their position. It was an important piece to the colonist’s new government because of their previous situation.

Before they declared their independence there was one thing in particular that aggravated the colonists. “Taxation without Representation” became a popular saying and still is well known to this day. It was one of the many grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence and the final straw. It relates to the principle that the people have a say because in this case, they didn’t. It was something that needed to be changed when they began to move forward. Without an opportunity to vote on the tax coming their way, the people were powerless. They had no say and as you’d imagine, that is an ideal right for the people of any country.

My final example to support this idea comes from the Constitution. It is located in several articles of this document and gives the people the power to vote for several positions in the government. The most obvious is the President of the United States but most positions on every level of the government allows the people to make their choice. Unlike the previous government under the King of Great Britain, leadership and power will not come from you bloodline or your wealth but rather if the people of your country believe you are the best option.

After looking through both documents I found that the principle of the people having a say in their government was a central theme. It was one of the reasons the colonists wrote the Declaration of Independence and the idea was implemented throughout the Constitution. Without this principle being implemented in our lives today, we would find our government unjust and too powerful and that is why this is so significant.

About Me

My name is Amy Tremmel and I'm 17 years old from Waukesha, WI. I was born on May 28, 1994. I have a brother and a sister, Dan and Becky, and two cats, Mandu and Rafiki. My brother graduated from UW Madison last year and my sister is currently studying at UW Milwaukee. I am a die-hard Packer and Brewer fan and watch nearly every game. I also love the Badgers and hope to see many games next year while I'm attending UW Madison. I'm interested in studying Medical Microbiology but would love to travel abroad. Another hobby of mine is cooking. I enjoy baking many desserts and would like to be able to create my own recipes some day.

My Definition of a Well Infomed 21st Century Citizen

My definition of a well informed 21st century citizen is someone who is aware of their surroundings whether it's dealing with politics, society or economics. In this current age, it is also important to understand technology and how it can be used to gather information to improve your knowledge of what is going on in the world.