Three different thoughts about the American Constitution explain how it was created and what its purpose is. Each one focuses on different things that influenced the Constitution. The Tocqueville story is about the ideas of a man named Alexis de Tocqueville, as stated by Brewer (2020). The place treated everyone equally and gave them the same rights. It indicates that the Constitution was created when everyone could succeed and advance. The Multiple Traditions Thesis argues that the Constitution was shaped by a variety of cultural and historical influences, including both democratic and hierarchical traditions. The Elite Interests Story claims the Constitution favors the wealthy and powerful.
Federalists like Alexander Hamilton and James Madison felt a strong central government was essential to rule a burgeoning nation and defend individual liberties. According to Ikuta and Latimer (2021), they believed a centralized authority was needed for military, trade regulation, interstate commerce, and state stability and unity. To accomplish these goals, they felt the Constitution balanced federal power and state rights. The Tocquevillian Story promotes democracy, equality, and American growth. Federalists felt that a strong central government, as defined in the Constitution, would foster democracy by providing stability and order. By creating a system of checks and balances that prohibited any arm of government from becoming too dominant, they believed the Constitution would promote equality and enhance people’s lives. The Federalist worldview supports democracy, equality, and social betterment in the Tocquevillian Story.
The Multiple Traditions Thesis and Elite Interests Story are Anti-Federalist. The Multiple Traditions Thesis states that several cultures and histories affected the Constitution. The Multiple Traditions Thesis says multiple cultures and histories shaped the Constitution. This indicates that everyone agreed on many ideas and customs (Ikuta & Latimer, 2021). Patrick Henry and George Mason worried that the Constitution lacked adequate rules to protect citizens and states. They sought a change to remedy these concerns. They believed the Constitution mainly benefited the wealthy and may produce difficulties if mismanaged.
One example illustrating the connection between the Elite interest story and the Anti-Federalist perspective is the debate over the inclusion of a Bill of Rights. Anti-Federalists like Patrick Henry and George Mason thought the Constitution did not protect rights adequately. They feared the government would abuse its authority and take away people’s rights (Fowler, 2023). This fear sprang from the belief that affluent and powerful people shaped the Constitution to benefit them most. According to the Elite Interests Story, our founding fathers wanted wealth and power. Many wealthy landowners, business owners, and government employees attended the Constitutional Convention. They wanted their advantages and wealth.
They were afraid of strict rules that could stop them from earning much money and having power in politics. So, they wanted to avoid creating specific rules in the Constitution to protect people’s rights because it could make them less powerful and harm their finances.
The Anti-Federalists wanted a list of rights because they did not trust the wealthy and influential people who created the Constitution in this situation. They believed the paper gave benefits to wealthy people and wanted to ensure it also defended the rights of all people. The Elite Interests Story says that the Founding Fathers cared most about money and power (Brewer, 2020). This shows that the Anti-Federalists believed that the Constitution should have more safeguards to protect ordinary people from the government and wealthy people who might misuse their power.
In summary, these different viewpoints give detailed explanations of the American Constitution and why it was made, showing how social, economic, and political factors all worked together when it was created. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists had different ideas for the Constitution. Their arguments helped create the document and affected how it was understood and used.
References
Brewer, M. D. (2020). Legacies of Losing in American Politics. By Jeffrey K. Tulis and Nicole Mellow. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018. 224p. 27.50 paper. Perspectives on Politics, 18(1), 268-269.
Fowler, R. B. (2023). 3. The Broader Critique and Alternative Perspectives.
Ikuta, J. C., & Latimer, T. (2021). Aristocracy in America: Tocqueville on white supremacy. The Journal of Politics, 83(2), 547-559.
write