The Problems of Independence - Case Study Example

How far do you agree with the following ment: ‘No Constitution: No United s’? United s Of America: at the end of Revolution The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a conflict that erupted between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen British colonies, who declared their independence as the United States of America in 1776. The war was the culmination of the American Revolution, a colonial struggle against political and economic policies of the British Empire. The war eventually widened far beyond British North America; many Native Americans also fought on both sides of the conflict. Throughout the war, the British were able to use their naval superiority to capture and occupy coastal cities, but control of the countryside (where most of the population lived) largely eluded them. After an American victory at Saratoga in 1777, France, Spain, and the Netherlands entered the war against Great Britain. French involvement proved decisive, with a naval victory in the Chesapeake leading to the surrender of a British army at Yorktown in 1781. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 recognized the independence of the United States. Relationship of United States of America with the European Powers The European Union and the United States share common interests in developing coherent strategies in order to promote peace and stability, to create conditions for harmonious economic development in the wider world and to promote the stability of the international trade, financial and monetary systems, as well as the economic integration of countries in transition and developing countries. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with the European Union and its forerunners since 1953, when the first US Observers to the European Defense Community and the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) were nominated. In 1961, the US Mission to the European Communities -now the European Union- was established. The European Commission is represented in the United States by a Delegation in Washington, which was established in 1954 largely thanks to the work of the then President of the ECSC, Jean Monnet. [Gerken, 2004] A New York office, accredited as observer to the United Nations, was established in 1964. In 1971 the Washington office became a Delegation with full diplomatic privileges and immunities. The Delegation represents the Commission in its dealings with the US government for all matters within EU competence. It reports on US developments to headquarters in Brussels, and acts as a liaison with other international institutions in Washington, DC. Internal Political System of United States of America Federal, state and local governments The federal entity created by the Constitution is the dominant feature of the American governmental system. However, every person outside the capital is subject to at least three governing bodies: the federal government, a state, and a county (Note: county government has been abolished in some places, see New England and Town Meeting, the town/city fulfills this level of government). Within an incorporated entity, such as a city, they are also subject to the local government and possibly a district. Each level has its own political system (subject to constraints at higher levels). This multiplicity of jurisdictions reflects the countrys history. The federal government was created by former colonies that had been established separately and had governed themselves independently of the others. Within these colonies were counties and towns with varying levels of development and therefore different administrative needs. Rather than replacing the states legal systems with a unitary government, the Constitutional Convention chose to keep the states largely self-governing. As the country expanded, it admitted new states modeled on the existing ones. The problems of Independence Articles of Confederation The compact, which was made by the original thirteen states of the United States of America, bore the name of the Articles of Confederation and perpetual union between, the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. [Vile, 1999] It was adopted and went into force on the first day of March 1781, and remained as the supreme law until the first Wednesday of March 1789. Powers confided to the congress were greatly restricted in their exercise; for it was expressly. Provided, that congress should never engage in a war; nor grant letters of marque or reprisal in, time of peace; nor enter into any treaties or alliances; nor coin money or regulate the value thereof; nor ascertain the sums or expenses necessary for the, defense and welfare of the United States, nor emit bills nor borrow money on the credit of the United States nor appropriate money; nor agree upon the number of vessels of war to be built, or purchased; or the number of land or sea forces to be raised; nor appoint a commander-in-chief of the army or navy; unless nine states should assent to the same. And no question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day, was to be determined, except by vote of the majority of the states. Trade and Economy The United States has always been a trading country, epitomized by the clipper ship. Trade policy, like all other elements of international relations, must be pragmatic and results-oriented in a world of contending powers. The dramatic shift of the United States from a creditor nation running a century of trade surpluses, to a massive debtor nation mired in expanding deficits is not the result anyone wanted or should want from international economic and trade policy. The financial strain of such deficits slows the economy and threatens the status of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, an asset of immense strategic value if we want to remain the world’s only Superpower. And in the case of China, the gains from trade are used by Beijing to support ambitions at odds with American and allied security. Borders and the British in Canada Canada was a major battlefield of the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. The British forces had the upper hand, until the Americans managed to build warships faster and seized control of the Great lakes, and with the Napoleanic wars raging in Europe the United Kingdom had limited men and resources to commit to the war, which essentially ended in a stalemate. [Alonso, 2003] The war was over with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 with the British returning conquered land and the American objective of annexing Canada failing. Due to slow travel times hostilities continued after the treaty was signed. After the French and Napoleonic wars ended in Europe in November 1815 large-scale immigration to Canada resumed from the United Kingdom and Europe. The Northwest Ordinance (1787) After first providing for the survey of the land west of the Appalachian Mountains, the so-called Northwest Territory, Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the single most important piece of legislation in the Confederation period. The Ordinance provided the means by which new states would be created out of the western lands and then admitted into the Union. Governors and judges appointed by Congress would rule a territory until it contained 5,000 free male inhabitants of voting age; then the inhabitants would elect a territorial legislature, which would send a non-voting delegate to Congress. When the population reached 60,000, the legislature would submit a state constitution to Congress and, upon its approval, the state would enter the Union. Road to rebellion After the French and Indian War and Pontiacs Rebellion, the British government sought to overhaul its expansive North American possessions. In order to make the Empire more stable and profitable, new economic and land distribution policies were implemented. Specifically, the new British policies included the desire of the crown that the colonists would shoulder a greater share of the burdens of war and the cost of their own defense, as well as the curtailment of smuggling with the colonies of the West Indies, the payment of royal tariffs and the exclusive with the British homeland. The Federalist and Anti Federalist Argument on the constitution of United States of America The supporters of the Constitution, or "Federalists,” argued that the nation desperately needed a stronger national government to bring order, stability and unity to its efforts to find its way in an increasingly complicated world. Opponents of the Constitution, or "Anti federalists," countered that the governments of the states were strong enough to realize the objectives of each state. Any government that diminished the power of the states, as the new Constitution surely promised to do, would also diminish the ability of each state to meet the needs of its citizens. More dramatically, the Anti-federalists argued that the new national government, far removed from the people, would be all too quick to compromise their rights and liberties in the name of establishing order and unity. The Federalists The arguments in favor of the Constitution are well known. The supporters of ratification were troubled by the lack of energy and authority in the national government under the Articles of Confederation. They saw a stronger national government as the answer to a host of persistent problems--the lack of a common currency, constant trade disputes between the states, lack of unity in trade and defense policies being only the most notable of them. The features of the Constitution, the Federalists argued, would provide sufficient energy in the national government to address these problems while preserving a large degree of independence in the states and protecting the rights and liberties of the people. The Anti-federalists Because they lost the battle over ratification of the Constitution, very little attention is paid to the Anti-federalists. Their reasons for opposing ratification, however, deserve our attention. The Anti-federalists became, along with the Federalists of their day, one of the first two political parties in the United States. Furthermore, while the Anti-federalists party disappeared long ago, traces of Anti-federalist thought persist it. American politics today, In general, the Anti-federalists were opposed to the Constitution because they were much less optimistic than the Federalists about the ability of civic virtue and auxiliary precautions to keep the national government in check. But their lists of objections to the Constitution went well beyond those concerns. Ironically, the Anti-federalists claimed that it was they who were the true supporters of "federalism" and what the Federalists supported was not really a federal system at all, but one which trampled on the sovereignty and independence of the states. They wanted a national Congress that had, at best, authority equal to the states, not greater than them. In short, the Anti-federalists wanted to maintain the same kind of relationship that had existed between the states under the Articles of Confederation. American Constitution A list of Early Congressional Documents from the Constitutional Convention and the Continental Congress and also a list of 85 federalist papers were present before presentation of the constitution. And then after the Philadelphia congress in 1787, the constitution of United States of America was officially presented, containing seven articles and the preamble. Article I [The Legislative Branch] Article II [The Presidency] Article III [The Judiciary] Article IV [The States] Article V [The Amendment Process] Article VI [Legal Status of the Constitution] Article VII [Ratification] Who benefited by the Constitution and who did not?? If u desire to be an American citizen, under the republic with all-unalienable rights restore and master of your government Officers, then you can expatriate from the corporate democracy. But still there is discrimination for immigrants and the women class. They are still not being treated fairly or like the way they should be. But at least they are getting all their deserved rights as a citizen of United States of America. [Saltzman, 2005] Conclusion After having a detailed overview on the history of United States of America and its constitution, it is not very difficult to say that without this constitution United States can get such an organized political, social and economical structure. It has played an important role in the survival of the country after independence and provided the path for maintaining a steady flow to the growth and constant development of the country. Sources Gerken, Luder 2004 The Constitution of Liberty in the Open Economy Routledge Vile, M J C 1999 Politics in the USA Routledge Alonso, Joseph Bruce 2003 International Law and the United States Constitution in Conflict Houston Journal of International Law Vol. 26 Saltzman, Joe 2005 Journalists under Seige USA Today Vol. 133 Word Count: 2,026 Read More