Why Was The Constitution A Controversial Document Even As It Was Being Written?

The United States Constitution was written more than 200 years ago and it has been used as the foundation for the government. The constitution has been and still remains the most durable political agreement in the history of the world. Even though an inspiring document, its creation was not that easy but controversial. Its framers were divided over a number of major issues which led to lengthy arguments when it was being written.

After its creation the Constitution still remains controversial. It has turned out to be the epicenter of Civil Rights activism, conflict between state sovereignty and national supremacy, questionable over universal healthcare as well as marriage controversy1. The compromises on the key issues that characterized its genesis are responsible for the controversy of the imperative document. From the beginning of its creation the constitution ideas were divided between the advocates.

The advocates understood that that the constitution was an idea of the republican thinking, providing for a new level to the people’s elected government. On the other hand, the critics were convinced that the republicans aligned themselves in small political units, the states. The separation of powers between the central government and the state governments was thus a major controversy as the constitution document was being written and stands out as a crucial issue up to date. The delegates drafting the constitution encountered issues over the state representation.

The delegates that were representing bigger states advocated for a population based representation while the delegates from smaller states thought an equal number of representatives for every state was fair leading to the Electoral College2. Despite the agreement, the not all parties were satisfied making it a controversy. The creation of the constitution was strongly debated as some prolific and influential leaders were opposed it. The issue of a two party system was another issue that sparked controversy as the American constitution was being drafted. The delegates failed to accept that it was a two party system.

This continued to create a growing rift among the advocates. It led to the separation between advocates for a large and stronger versus those for a small and a weak federal government. Slavery was another controversial issue in the drafting of the constitution. It was not about its abolition, but rather division on to which state the slaves would be counted to in working out a state’s population as well as the amount of property tax to be implemented over the owners3. The government decided to it would not interfere with the slave trade for no less than 20 years, but this move received opposition from the southern.

Eventually, another controversy of the constitution was the issue of the citizenship. The written constitution did not clarify what composed citizenship. It did not also deliver the particular rights for a United States citizen4. These issues led to the controversy in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of rights still remains controversial due to the changing times. Conclusion As the constitution was being written ideas were divided between the advocates. The advocates understood that that the constitution was an idea of the republican thinking, providing for a new level to the people’s elected government.

The delegates drafting the constitution encountered issues over the state representation. A two party system was another issue that sparked controversy, Slavery as well as issues concerning citizenship formed the controversy of the constitution was being drafted. The U. S. was controversial even as it was being written and will always remain controversial since compromises rise up with time. There are also several interests of various people that cannot be reconciled all of them without compromise.

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Why Was The Constitution A Controversial Document Even As It Was Being Written?. (2016, Aug 24). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/why-was-the-constitution-a-controversial-document-even-as-it-was-being-written/

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