| DBQ � Government ----- Throughout the course of U.S. history, the framers of the U.S government debated whether power should be concentrated in a strong federal government or divided among the states. Each of these types of government had their good points and their bad points in the eyes of their backers. The central government or �federal government� consists of the concept of distributing powers of government between one central or national government. Although the people can influence the states and the states then can influence the government, the main decisions are made by the central government. When power is divided among the states, the elected representatives of each state can choose the major decisions and therefore each state would have different basic laws and consequences if these laws were broken. This controversy was continually argued in our history. Each form had its strengths and weakness�. Before we declared our freedom from Britain, we lived under the rule of the central government that had the major power. We eventually would seek our independence because many citizens felt like they were losing their own rights and that the central government was destroying the liberty of the people. On October 19, 1781 Britain would finally surrender at the final battle in Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris would be signed to create the sovereign state of the United States. When we separated we gained a vast land with many different types of terrain and people as well. If a strong central government ruled, there would be no way that it would be able to keep up with the growing number of diverse problems in every part of the nation. This idea is stated in Document 4, which is a letter to the governor of New York from two representatives to the Constitutional Convention. They state that it would be impossible for one large government body to enforce laws on each of its colonies. With separate ruling states, each would rule and watch over their own citizens making everything work more effectively. The separate rule of the states would also provide a greater concern for the people�s needs of each area and not just what one main government could do for everybody. With such a variety of lands there was no way one single government would be able to keep up. Another problem with a central government would be the culture and habits of each person. This idea is in Document 1, which is a letter from Samuel Adams to Richard Henry Lee. One single strong central government would not be able to keep up with the habits, interests and demands of the people in their rapidly increasing nation. It would create unhappiness, distrust, and suspicion of the government and then revolt. The citizens had the right to believe this way. The same thing had already happened to them when they were not under their own rule. An example of this would be the U.S seeking independence from Britain because the grievances against the British rule such as obedience to the king and taxes. Many felt that a strong central government would be beneficial to the welfare of the citizens and provide them with the stability the people needed at that time. Their ideas are also well thought out and also would seem to establish an excellent rule over the nation. In many cases, those who wanted the strong central government to rule also were the ones who felt that adopting the constitution would also greatly improve the welfare and being of the people. These people were known as federalists and their ideas of the constitution had worked out very well then and still does today. Madison speaks the idea as a federalist in Document 3. A strong central government can prevent rebellion and instability between the people making it much easier to control and rarer than it would be with separate states ruling. With only one government ruling over the people, the rights of every person would be the same and therefore no one would be prosecuted any differently than someone else would or treated better than anyone else. Everyone would be equal. This was the way that a majority of the nations demographics at the time felt. They felt that if separate states ruled with different ideas on life and different laws that many of them could easily be manipulated and fall into the hands of another country without consent of any other states. The thought of this is provided in Document 2 by George Washington in which he expresses his thoughts in a letter at the Constitutional Convention. With the strong central government, another country would have to deal with one large body rather than small colonies and states. If the country were somehow able to change the ideas of the U.S. there would be no way it could be manipulated to fight itself in its own territories like it would be able to if separate states ruled. The strong central government would make people as a whole, stronger and able to defend their own nation rather than have to defend their separate territory. This would create much greater nationalism within the people and the people have a greater respect and trustworthiness to themselves and others. The argument of the people between a strong federal government and the power to be divided among the states was frequently debated. Every person had their own reason for their choice and each of them felt they were correct. Both seemed beneficial in their own ways but the time to make a decision had come quickly. Their choice turned out to be almost split and the main ideas resemble the articles of Confederation, which is a combination of both types of government. The states do have more power than the central government, however their power is limited to their territory. The main government has only the power to do what it feels necessary to the country by what is stated in the constitution and it is the same with the states. Each state votes on certain items within their territory such as drinking age and driving age and these are different state to state. As for the federal government, they have many rights such as federal taxes, the right to coin money, the right to declare war, etc. As stated in the declaration of independence� �That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that when ever any form of government becomes destructive at these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.� |