Early Formation of the Political System
In 1776, all 13 American colonies acknowledged their independence from Britain. Each of the states had already drafted their own constitutions before the end of the American Revolution, granting their citizens exclusive rights such as freedom of religion, speech, and media. In 1781, the states came together and set up a federal government and drafted the Articles of Confederation, which contained the governing laws and restrictions (US History, 2020). The articles gave the government several powers such as to declare war and manage foreign affairs but restricted it from regulating direct state activities such as trade and the collection of taxes. This meant that the states worked to meet their own needs independently, leading to both external and internal conflicts. Moreover, without the ability to collect taxes, the US federal government could not repay the huge debts incurred during the American Revolution. The US was also facing economic chaos as all the states had their own currency, and the government lacked the funds to provide the citizens with national defense.
In 1787, all states, except Rhode Island, sent their delegates to review the Articles of Confederation after several flaws were identified. The defects had been brought to the attention of other leaders by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison (The USA Online, 2017). The delegates had different opinions on what the new constitution should contain; some wanted more representation for larger states, others equal representation for all countries, others a powerful federal government, and others protection of state rights. After lengthy discussions, the delegates agreed on the contents of the new constitution in the same year. The constitution gave power to the federal government while still offering protection to individual states and was flexible enough to proceed in its rudimentary form to the present day.
The central government incorporated a two-house legislature, The House of Representatives and The Senate. The Senate offered equal representation to all states as demanded by the smaller states while the House of Representatives’ members were chosen based on the state population pleasing the larger states. The federal government was divided into three branches, the executive, legislature, and judiciary headed by the President, Congress, and the federal court system, respectively. Each branch had specific duties and powers that ensured none of the others had too much power. Also, the government now had the ability to collect taxes and regulate trade hence a source of income. Although it still faced opposition by many states, the constitution finally became law after New Hampshire ratified it as the ninth state in 1788. Much of the debate was due to its lack of provision for individual human rights. This was catered to by George Mason and James Madison, who drafted the Bill of Rights, which became law in 1791 (US History, 2020). The bill contained ten amendments which assured various rights and freedoms.
According to the constitution, the president was elected into office by an Electoral College made up of people selected by states. George Washington was elected as the first president under the new constitution in 1789 and re-elected again unanimously in 1792. New York City served as the first capital city of the federal government in 1789, but the capital was later moved to Philadelphia in 1790, and lastly to Washington, DC in 1800 (The USA Online, 2017). Although many leaders were opposed to the idea of political parties, the constant disputes over government policies resulted in two political parties in the 1790s. The first was the Federalist Party by Hamilton and his followers, which fully supported the idea of a strong federal government, and the second was the Democratic-Republican Party by Thomas Jefferson and his followers, which demanded a weak central government.
References
The USA Online. (2017). History of the United States: Forming a New Nation (1784-1819). The USA Online.
US History. (2020). Foundations of American Government. US History.