In every society, there has to be a structure of political leadership with consent from the members in that particular society. The best theory to explain such is social contract theory. Social contract theory explains that people live together in a community by an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behaviour. The U.S Constitution is often cited as an explicit example of part of America’s social contract. It sets out what the government can or cannot do. The Constitution can be explained as the grand norm as it expresses the will of the American people in a written document. The Constitution sets out the terms and conditions of the contract between the political leaders and the citizens.
Question 2
The type of government that reflects limits on its power is a democratic government (Krutz and Glen 15). A democratic government is a type o organized authority that is elected through an election to run the country’s business, both economically and socially. The role of state government is to look after services such as health, education, water supply, police, and transport. There are limits on federal power because the rule of law would not be upheld. Judicial review is a way the government and the other separate forces are kept under supervision. The Constitution, specifically Article III, gives the court authority to oversee the other powers of the state. In other words, nobody is above the law.
Question 3
The oligarchic government is a type of government ruled by the few in society. The click of members of a community has been given consent by residing members to lead them. Therefore, the nation has forfeited some of the powers to this group of people. On the other hand, an autocratic government is that it is led by one person who processes unlimited potential, such as the monarchial systems, where there is no form or little democracy through liberal democracy. The differences are that in an oligarchy, a few people have control in society while in autocratic governments, one has power in a community. Autocratic governance has no form of voting, while oligarchy has a short way of voting. Direct democracy is a type of freedom that involves deciding over policies through a vote. For instance, if the state feels like society has a say in making laws and crucial decisions in the government, a referendum can be set. In contrast, representative democracy is the use of elected leaders who decide on behalf of the people on policies and lawmaking. The representatives of a specific locality express the grievances of that area by being their voice on a national level.
Question 4
The Articles of confederation was the first legal written document that ruled America for generations. However, the material had shortcomings and needed to be scraped off from the society. The Constitution was brought up with detailed structures of governance and a set of rules. The Constitution is, therefore, an improvement to the Articles of Confederation since it defines the government’s roles and gives an executive authority a separate power. The Constitution is a living document because the Americans abide by the laws and bill of rights written in it. It also structures the authorities such as the Legislation, Executive and the Judiciary as separate powers that govern the country.
Question 5
In the year 1787, the founding fathers came up with a constitutional convention in Philadelphia. There was disagreement about the document, and a great compromise was made. It impacted the way the U.S government was going to govern. There was a lack of enough representation in Congress, so action had to be taken. The making of the Senate and the House of Representatives was formed in which is used until the date. We are privileged to live with a democratically set up through the Constitution, which allows every citizen to elect their leaders who will act on their behalf on a national level.
Question 6
The function of the Constitution is to create law and order in society. It expresses the ‘” dos and don’ts” for the citizens. Individual liberty is taken seriously, as shown in the Constitution. The U.S Constitution protects individual rights through outlining freedoms that allow citizens to make confident choices. The choices can be made if they do not undermine other citizens. This is to say, the actions of all citizens must be constitutional and moral to society. The residents in that particular area must accept it. Such liberties are freedom of speech, right to privacy, and freedom of the press.
Question 7
The government is separated into three distinctive bodies: the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. The separation is intended to achieve a limited authority by specific powers and that each control sticks to their obligatory role. In other words, no force is more potent than the other, but they are all different entities with different characteristics and functions. However, they all work in unison for the benefit of the country.
Question 8
Local governments are responsible for working in the best interest of the federal government. Such a government can be given no funds to carry out such activities, but some functions do not necessarily need to be funded. An unfunded mandate is a requirement of a local government to oblige to without financial aid. General revenue sharing is when the federal government gives the state government financial aid. Both terms are negatives since there are limits on the effectiveness of accomplishing the obligated role.
Question 9
The Constitution spells the functions and roles of the Congress, and the best term to describe this is enumerated powers. Enumerated powers are powers that Congress upholds without infringing the civil rights of individuals. On the other hand, implied powers are powers that are not stated in the Constitution. Reserved powers are those not written in the Constitution and are also not unlawful. In America, reserved powers apply to the states. It is essential to discuss these powers because it gives an overview of how energy is delivered at given circumstances. The citizens should know when the Congress or any other authority steps out of their functions by distinguishing the types of powers that manifest in the leadership of the country. Dual federalism relates to these powers because the Constitution provides the rules of dedicating authority to the federal government and reserved governments to the states.
Question 10
The national government can control the states in various ways from the financial needs to rectifying the social standards. The federal government takes control of the currency that applies to all states. In other words, all states are subjected to the U.S dollar as a symbol for money in trade. The federal government requires state governments to work to achieve the national goal through cooperative federalism. If a state does not do what the national government wants, the national government can withhold the funds that are to be granted to the specific state as a weapon to make the state oblige to working to the objectives of the federal government.