In the late 1840's women and African Americans were trying to get equal rights. It seems natural for oppressed groups to come together since there is more power in numbers. Frederick Douglas' lecture is taken from a women's organization in Rochester called "Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society". The lecture was acknowledging the different groups in the anti slavery movement and how he felt there needed to be more energy in the anti slavery movement. The women held a convention in which the shared sentiments on what rights they should be entitled to. Frederick Douglas was one of the signatures in the Declaration of Sentiments.
People felt women and African Americans had their roles and should stick to it. Obviously these are wrong views and it was a long battle to change popular opinions. Equal rights for all Americans is what they were after and at the end succeeded.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Innovation and John C Calhoun
States are going to vary in innovation or how quickly a state can adopt new policies. The most important variables are demographic factors mainly income, how much urban area, agricultural/factory output, literacy, and years of education. There's also a political factor but it's not as important. States also group themselves together and there's usually a lead state and other states in the group look towards that state to see how it worked it out.
John C Calhoun was against innovation in ending slavery. He knew the south needed slaves to keep their industries alive. Fortunately he wasn't a successful statesmen or he would have spread slavery into the union. He was pretty smart and if anything I would only agree that states should have more power than the federal government.
John C Calhoun was against innovation in ending slavery. He knew the south needed slaves to keep their industries alive. Fortunately he wasn't a successful statesmen or he would have spread slavery into the union. He was pretty smart and if anything I would only agree that states should have more power than the federal government.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Another Stab at the U.S. Constitution
The Constitution was written a long time ago and making any changes to it happens too infrequently. Below are some issues brought p.
Term Limits for Federal Judges - As stated by Jamal Greene the average lifespan of an American in 1787 was about 36 years old. Now with modern medicine the life expectancy is about double that. There should be fixed terms much like other countries. The tenure should be long enough to ensure independence from political patronage and short enough that we remain a country of laws and not of men.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment - This is a very fine line and hard to determine what is considered cruel. To me solitary confinement is cruel and shouldn't be done. Cruel mental punishment is just as bad as say waterboarding a physical punishment. There's also the issue of some crimes not fitting the punishment. Some punishment is given out to they can be made an example which is not fair. There should be more emphasis placed on reform not punishment.
Allow Naturalized Citizens to Be President - This law was made so someone from another country couldn't come here and take over immediately. This was understandable during a time when there were only 13 states. I would want my president to be a citizen of this country. There should simply be a rule that someone who wants to run for president be a citizen of the country for 10 or even 20 years.
Restore Federalism - States should have more authority over it's citizens than the federal government. I think federal power should be limited by what the state wants and it should be able to overrule a federal law.
Do away with the electoral college - This one is a no brainer to me. A popular vote nowadays would make more sense since we have more educated citizens then when it was a bunch of farmers in our early days. It would also do away with "swing states". Nowadays a republican wouldn't really try to win New York's vote since it almost always votes democrat in a race.
End the Monopoly on Amendments - This is another that states should have rights to propose amendments and an easier process to amend the constitution is necessary. Our world is constantly changing and need a constitution that is more fluid.
Get rid of the right to bear arms - I do not agree with this one. I believe we should have the right but there should be more laws governing that right. Maybe having to renew licenses more often and make it harder to procure weapons.
Treaties are laws - Treaties the federal government made should be law.
Amend the commerce clause - We the people should vote on economic policies. Especially subsidized healthcare and states should be able to decide what trades they want to make with other states (not other nations).
Rewrite First Amendment - I think this is kind of redundant and we pretty much understand that our rights shouldn't be infringed upon based on religion or if we wish to petition something.
Term Limits for Federal Judges - As stated by Jamal Greene the average lifespan of an American in 1787 was about 36 years old. Now with modern medicine the life expectancy is about double that. There should be fixed terms much like other countries. The tenure should be long enough to ensure independence from political patronage and short enough that we remain a country of laws and not of men.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment - This is a very fine line and hard to determine what is considered cruel. To me solitary confinement is cruel and shouldn't be done. Cruel mental punishment is just as bad as say waterboarding a physical punishment. There's also the issue of some crimes not fitting the punishment. Some punishment is given out to they can be made an example which is not fair. There should be more emphasis placed on reform not punishment.
Allow Naturalized Citizens to Be President - This law was made so someone from another country couldn't come here and take over immediately. This was understandable during a time when there were only 13 states. I would want my president to be a citizen of this country. There should simply be a rule that someone who wants to run for president be a citizen of the country for 10 or even 20 years.
Restore Federalism - States should have more authority over it's citizens than the federal government. I think federal power should be limited by what the state wants and it should be able to overrule a federal law.
Do away with the electoral college - This one is a no brainer to me. A popular vote nowadays would make more sense since we have more educated citizens then when it was a bunch of farmers in our early days. It would also do away with "swing states". Nowadays a republican wouldn't really try to win New York's vote since it almost always votes democrat in a race.
End the Monopoly on Amendments - This is another that states should have rights to propose amendments and an easier process to amend the constitution is necessary. Our world is constantly changing and need a constitution that is more fluid.
Get rid of the right to bear arms - I do not agree with this one. I believe we should have the right but there should be more laws governing that right. Maybe having to renew licenses more often and make it harder to procure weapons.
Treaties are laws - Treaties the federal government made should be law.
Amend the commerce clause - We the people should vote on economic policies. Especially subsidized healthcare and states should be able to decide what trades they want to make with other states (not other nations).
Rewrite First Amendment - I think this is kind of redundant and we pretty much understand that our rights shouldn't be infringed upon based on religion or if we wish to petition something.
Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers
In the beginning of the formation of the United States there was a need to keep order by implementing a governing power yet keep government small and fair. In order to do so we Declared our independence from England and created our own Constitution. I'm quite fond of the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. It's pretty much the basis of anyone in a relationship looking to break up. It's basically stating people have a tendency to breakup and we should just breakup amicably.
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
Once the United States gained freedom the Continental Congress functioned as a provisional government for the United States. The first constitution was the Articles of Confederation. The problem with the Articles was there was no unity or more importantly as George Washington put it "no money"(1). There were no ways for the United States to pay their debts nor fund and army. On February 21, 1787, the Confederation Congress called a convention of state delegates at Philadelphia to propose a plan of government. This lead to the drafting of The Constitution which we hold now as the supreme law in America.
Following the Constitutional Convention, there ensued an intense battle over the Constitution's ratification. Each state was requested to hold a special convention to deliberate and determine whether or not to ratify the Constitution. Madison was a leader in the ratification effort. James Madison with help from others wrote the "Federalist Papers". Two of Madison's works were Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51. Federalist No. 10, Madison discusses the means of preventing rule by majority faction and advocates a large, commercial republic. In Federalist No 51, Madison argues for checks and balances in government.
1.)Maier, Pauline (2010). Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787–1788. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-86854-7.
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
Once the United States gained freedom the Continental Congress functioned as a provisional government for the United States. The first constitution was the Articles of Confederation. The problem with the Articles was there was no unity or more importantly as George Washington put it "no money"(1). There were no ways for the United States to pay their debts nor fund and army. On February 21, 1787, the Confederation Congress called a convention of state delegates at Philadelphia to propose a plan of government. This lead to the drafting of The Constitution which we hold now as the supreme law in America.
Following the Constitutional Convention, there ensued an intense battle over the Constitution's ratification. Each state was requested to hold a special convention to deliberate and determine whether or not to ratify the Constitution. Madison was a leader in the ratification effort. James Madison with help from others wrote the "Federalist Papers". Two of Madison's works were Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51. Federalist No. 10, Madison discusses the means of preventing rule by majority faction and advocates a large, commercial republic. In Federalist No 51, Madison argues for checks and balances in government.
1.)Maier, Pauline (2010). Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787–1788. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-86854-7.
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