In May of 1787 in the city of Philadelphia, 55 white men gathered together and created the document we know today as the Constitution. So how is it that a document made made over 200 years ago has managed to overcome the ruling of tyranny? Tyranny is the harsh and absolute power in the hands of an individual. The Constitution guarded against tyranny in several ways: federalism, the separation of powers, the checks and balances system, and large v. small states.
The first guard against tyranny was federalism. Federalism is a system of government which calls for a strong national government, but still leaves power in the hands of the individual states. In Document A James Madison states, “in the compound republic of America, the power surrendered
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Separation of power is exactly what connotes, power is divided among different offices. In Document B James Madison states, “liberty requires that the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct” (Doc B). He wanted each branch of government to be different because if they did the same thing tyranny would develop. The first three articles in the constitution broadly explains what each branch’s responsibility is. The legislative branch makes laws, the executive branch enforces laws, and the judicial branch interprets laws. Each branch carries out their role in order to insure that tyranny …show more content…
The House of Representatives and the Senate allowed the people to have a little more power. In Document D it explains how both the Senate and the House of Representatives are chosen. The House of Representatives is apportioned by population. This benefited larger states because it allowed them to have more representatives in the House. The Senate is composed of two senators (representatives) from each state this gives everyone a more equal opportunity to get what they want. Although larger states have more of an advantage in the House of Representatives the other branches have the ability to keep the legislative branch in check if there were to be any tyranny occurring.
The Constitution guards against tyranny in 4 ways: federalism, separation of power, checks and balances, and large and small states. Without these things America would be under tyranny. Allowing someone to have all the power is dangerous for a nation in the sense that they will be most likely be making decisions to benefit themselves as opposed to the whole country’s needs. Preventing tyranny gives people the opportunity to have some power in what decisions are being