Purpose of the Constitution Essay

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Constitution of the United States must be understood within the broader cultural, historical contexts in which it was drafted and ratified. The most basic explanation of the "original intent" of the Constitution is that the founders needed to formulate a cohesive and consistent system of governance and political culture after independence. The core issues at stake were Federalism vs. anti-Federalism, and the need to strike a balance between a federal government that was strong enough to oversee key economic, social, and political institutions and one that was kept in check by regional or state powers. The social and economic diversity within individual states, and between the states, made the framing of the Constitution an arduous process. By the time the Constitutional Convention convened, it became apparent that the Articles of the Confederation were insufficient. There was no sense of nationhood with the Articles; no means by which to effectively unite in matters related to the economy or national security.


In fact, the first threat to national security post-Revolution occurred as a domestic uprising. Shays Rebellion was crucial to the determination to form a more perfect union out of the disparate states and their diverse populations. A key social issue played itself out before, during, and after Shays Rebellion: that being the class conflicts that were brewing with intensity in some parts of the republic. Wealth and political power were concentrated into the hands of a relative few who could too easily ride roughshod over the new nation's poor: the people who Shays represented. Shays' iconic rebellion was not isolated; but it was the most highly organized. Wealth disparity had become immediately apparent after the Revolution. Shays rebellion highlighted the need for a government that was more responsive to citizens, and responsible for them in terms of maintaining just social, economic, and political institutions. The rebellion….....

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