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Debates that began in 1776 persist in 2009

Written by Ali Mustansir, The Shorthorn staff

Tuesday, 30 June 2009 03:41 PM

The political climate has changed in the 233 years since the Declaration of Independence, but some things remain the same.

Many early Americans worried the U.S. would perish and some advocated a much smaller national government. Arguments persist even now, according to some political science professors.

Inequities in the Government

The declaration argued against King George III’s abuse of power.

The tax day tea parties earlier this year exhibit growing discontent with “gross inequities in the government,” political science professor Mark Cichock said.

“People are feeling a disconnect with the government and feeling like they have no power,” he said.

Representative Government

The Founding Fathers instituted a representative democracy. The people select representatives through votes and in turn they represent the people with their votes in Congress.

History associate professor David Narrett said a representative government needs constant input from its constituents, and getting it can be challenging.

“How can we as citizens express our views in a way the government will be responsive to our needs and at the same time be lawfully responsible?” he said.

The Founding Fathers tried to move away from a monarchy and succession through heritage to a system of elected officials.

Interdisciplinary studies senior Todd Lucas said political families like the Kennedys or Bushes, negate that.
He said politicians don’t do enough.

“Politicians see what is going on, they know what the issues are and do everything in their power to not fix it,” Lucas said.

Small vs. Large Government

In 1776 after the declaration, some didn’t believe in the U.S. and favored a much less centralized and looser governmental organization, said Allan Saxe, political science associate professor. Some historians argue that many inhabitants at the time didn’t think of themselves as Americans. They considered themselves citizens of their states. The feeling of being an American didn’t really emerge until after the Civil War, he said.

“Today, some believe that the states should still have more power and that the federal government has become much too powerful and [is] overriding the state’s prerogatives and authority,” Saxe said. “There is civil unrest today, but nothing like during the early days of the country or even during Vietnam and Civil Rights Era.”

The Founding Fathers could not foresee the federal and state governmental growth in the last century, Narrett said. But the constitution’s framework allows it.

“The American Revolution was more than a declaration of independence,” Narrett said. “It was a new political order and a new type of society.”

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Last Updated ( Monday, 21 September 2009 09:07 PM )

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