Founding Fathers of the US - Essay Example

This is to say that the founders intended to form a government, whose sole purpose was to ensure freedom and prosperity of its citizens. They understood that power came with consequences and that it could be corrupted limiting the liberty envisioned, as is evident in the governments nowadays. This can be traced back to the founding father's hypothesis that there is a correlation between personal liberties and expansion in the federal government that is negative. Though this growth was viewed suspiciously by the founding fathers, it was inevitable since society is dynamic necessitating governance changes and growth. Even though it may have a detrimental effect on liberty, the growth of the federal government since the time of its founding has been necessitated because conditions today demand that government grow to meet our needs, since governance needs to change over time.

The idea of government is based on the principle of servitude, in that it is created to serve the people. Therefore, as opposed to the government being rulers, they are servants of the population (Mason and Rauchut, 2008). This principle is translated into the constitution, which lays the outline in which the government operates within. Therefore, the constitution that governs the government should be based on the people in that they ensure their rights and well-being first before political interests. This is because the rights of individuals are conceived when one is born despite the belief that the government decides these rights. It is, therefore, the mandate of the government to ensure that these rights are protected in the Constitution. Consequently, the argument of the founding fathers, that the growth of the government is detrimental to the liberties of the population is flawed. This is because the government is guided by the fundamentals of the Constitution. It is, therefore, irrational to state that this is only conceivable with the presence of a limited government.  This is because it is the moral mandate of the government to ensure that its citizens are accorded their liberties without prejudice or suppression from the government.

In recent times, the government in America has a mandate over a vast number of citizens and a gigantic economy. These factors have significantly increased America’s potential to influence its citizens’ expectations and attitudes. This is because the population expects the government to fulfil its obligations, which include the protection of basic liberties, an efficient judicial system, a stable economy, and sustainable agriculture among others (Madrick, 2009). They also expect the government to provide good infrastructure, social amenities and services to cater for their needs. The government in return has expectations that the citizens will be dedicated to their flag and country (Mason and Rauchut, 2008). The country due to its vastness in these areas requires a federal government that can adequately address the needs of its population. The situation greatly contrasts with the America that existed in the time of the founding fathers, in that the needs of the population to the government have been dynamic with time. Social reformers in the 19th and 20th centuries attempted to address the issues that emerged with the industrial revolution resulting in the modern capitalistic state that America is today (McNeese, 2007). The reform movement dubbed progressivism exploited the significance of changes resulting from the industrial revolution in the social, political and economic context. The progressives believed the consequences of this revolution signalled the need for a new and progressive system since the system of the founding fathers was becoming obsolete (Mason and Rauchut, 2008). The progressives strived to ensure that the governance of the country adapted to the necessities of the country. This is because it will be retrogressive to perceive that the government need of a country is stagnant and that governments should not grow (McNeese, 2007). Though the concerns of the founding fathers are valid, the growth of federal governments is inevitable for a country to be progressive.

The needs of communities about government change with time. This is due to divergent factors that influence the social, political and economic needs of a population. America has experienced tremendous growth since independence. This, therefore, necessitated the need for the government to grow to match up with the changes the country was experiencing. This is because the government has the mandate to ensure that the needs of its citizens are addressed. This, therefore, requires the government to grow with the needs of the population. This was realized despite the reservations of the founding fathers, who cautioned against a big government citing it will affect civil liberties negatively.  Despite this concern, the American government has grown, and the system has thrived and is emulated worldwide.