What Is One Reason Why Amendments Can Be Made to the Constitution?

Why Was the Constitution Written

The United States Constitution is the oldest and the shortest written constitution in the world. Its 4,400 words have played a crucial role in limiting regime and creating freedom for over 200 years. The answers to this question seem contradictory: (1) The immediate reason for the Constitution was to replace the Articles of Confederation, which granted too little power to the federal government; (2) The purpose of the Constitution was to limit the power of the federal government; (three) The purpose of the Constitution is to protect (non grant) the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as contained in the Declaration of Independence and the right to property as espoused by John Locke (The pursuit of happiness replaced holding in the Declaration of Independence. The Founding Fathers, most of whom opposed slavery, feared slave owners, who considered slaves holding, would employ the phrase to perpetuate slavery).

Reasons for the Constitution: The Weakness of the Articles of Confederation

[caption id="attachment_130585" align="aligncenter" width="512"] The Manufactures of Confederation - 1777[/caption]

The immediate reason for creating the Constitution was to supplant the Manufactures of Confederation, which contained the following weaknesses:

1. The Manufactures created a unicameral legislature with no executive or judicial branch, hence, no separation of powers.
2. The Articles granted very little ability to the key government. The central government had no authorization to revenue enhancement, raise money for the mutual defense, or to regulate interstate merchandise.
3. A unanimous vote amid the 13 states was required to amend the Articles, a nearly impossible feat.
4. Nine out of thirteen votes were required to pass laws, not impossible, but very difficult.

All these weaknesses are addressed in the United States Constitution.

Building Checks and Balances

[caption id="attachment_130586" marshal="aligncenter" width="512"] The U.s.a. Constitution - 1787[/caption] The United States Constitution is deliberately inefficient. Framers of the Constitution recognized the tendency for homo beings in ability to corruption that power. They desired to establish a framework for government that takes into account human being nature. It seems paradoxical, therefore, that the Founding Fathers would create a certificate strengthening the central government that was also intended to limit government. A wait at the intent of James Madison, "the father of the Constitution," settles this signal. Co-ordinate to historian Pauline Meier in her introduction to The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, "James Madison was more concerned with the wrongful acts of the states than with the weaknesses of the Confederation…Worse yet, many of the new laws passed by triumphant state majorities violated the rights of minorities." Meier adds, "Madison also concluded that the rights of the people would be more than reliably protected in a national authorities than by a state authorities." (20). In other words, country constitutions had proved ineffective in securing the rights of citizens; a national Constitution, therefore, with strict limitations on regime, could better protect private rights.

Maier, Pauline. The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the Usa. New York: Bantam, 1998. Images in the public domain. U.S. Constitution and Manufactures of Confederation.

This mail service is part of the series: Background to the United states of america Constitution

Get the background on our nation's most of import certificate.

1. Facts about the United States Constitution
2. The Purpose of the Constitution: Why was the United States Constitution Created?
3. Great Compromises of the U.s.a. Constitution
4. Understanding the Emancipation Declaration

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