The power of the national government is always debated on whether or not it should be
bigger or smaller now. But back then was when the making of the constitution the national
government was feared to become too big because of the past experiences with the British. The
Constitution creates a national government that does not endanger liberties. Because the founders
made a 3 branch system with elected representatives and checks and balances and making
promises for future rights
Firstly, The founding fathers did not endanger liberties because the people elect their
representatives. Were this principle that was rigorously adhered to, required that all the
appointments for the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should be drawn
from the same fountain and authority, which is the people, and it does not endanger liberties
because these people are voted by the people and there is no way that the national government
can endanger liberties because the people can easily remove people who don't adhere to their
liberties. When the government fails to protect these rights, the people have no choice but to
remove that government and replace it with a government that will do its job and protects the
people's rights.
Secondly, In America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two
distinct governments(federal and state governments), and then the portion allotted to each is
subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Consequently, a double security arises for
the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that
each will be controlled by itself. In this Federalist Paper, James Madison explains and defends
the checks and balances system into the Constitution. It works by making each branch of
government limit each other so that one branch’s power checks the power of the other two. Also,
each branch of government is reliant on the people, who are the root of legitimate authority in the
government.
Thirdly, To ensure the adoption of the Constitution, the Federalists who held the
majority, such as James Madison, promised to add amendments specifically protecting the
individual liberties of the people. These amendments, including the First Amendment, became
the Bill of Rights. Further proving that the federalists who did not want the bill of rights initially
were not endangering national liberties. In these promises that came the bill of rights would
eventually expand protections and rights for the people. With them adding more rights to the
people that would not be “endangering” them or taking them away, further proving they were not
endangering the people’s liberties.
Lastly, But in all of this, you have to consider the other point of view, which is how they
endanger people's liberties. One way they did this was by the anti-federalist inability to add a bill
of rights that was supposed to grant essential rights and civil liberties. Even the "if men were
angels"(James Madison) quote was meant to imply that not everyone has communal interests in
mind and that certain government officials are inevitably going to push legislation that is in their
interests. So the absence of a bill of rights to protect the people from officials trying to get more
power is even more evident.
In conclusion, the Constitution created a new national government that did not endanger
the liberties of the people because the representatives are elected by the people. Also, there are
two governments (federal and state governments), and then it is subdivided into smaller local
governments to spread out the power to the national government so it does not endanger liberties.
Also in the making of the constitution, there were promises made to add amendments
specifically protecting the individual liberties of the people which would later become the bill of
rights. But also you have to consider how even though there were promises made there was still a
lack of a bill of rights at the making of the constitution. The national government at the time
acted responsibly and did everything they could do to protect the liberties of the people and not
endanger the people’s liberties.
Works Cited:
“Federalists.” The First Amendment Encyclopedia, 2009, mtsu.edu/firstamendment/article/1184/federalists.
Madison, James. “Federalist Papers No. 51 (1788).” Bill of Rights Institute, 2008,
billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/federalist-no-51.