Tyranny Dbq Essay

Tyranny is a dangerous subject that not many people in the government want to talk about. But it is something that as Americans we need to know what it is and how to stop it. The constitution was written in 1787 in Philadelphia, PA. The purpose of the Constitution is to limit the power of the government such that the rights of the citizens are protected from government abuse. How did the constitution protect us against one person or group to have too much power? The definition of tyranny is cruel and oppressive government or rule. The Constitution guarded against tyranny in four ways, which were federalism, checks and balances, separation of power, and big states vs. small states.

The first guard against tyranny was federalism, which means

All hold different powers and, therefore, can check the power of the other branches. Document C says “…the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other…. They should not be so far separated as to have no constitutional control over each other.” Even though all three branches have their own jobs, they all rely on each other for many things. For example, the legislative branch can make a law, but the executive branch can veto it. But the legislative branch decides who goes into the judicial branch, can override the veto, and impeach the president. The judicial branch can say the presidents acts are unconstitutional, but the president (part of executive branch) nominates judges who are in the judicial branch. Lastly, the judicial branch can make laws unconstitutional. Checks and balances protects against tyranny because they gave each of the 3 branches of government several ways of having power over the other 2

Separation of powers is most closely associated with political systems, in which the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government are vested in separate bodies. Document B says “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, maybe justly pronounced the very definition of tyranny. Liberty requires that the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct." All three branches of government have their own job, for example, the legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch enforces the law, and the judicial branch says if the law is unconstitutional. Separation of power protects against tyranny because by separating the powers, you keep one person from gaining too much