Principles Behind the Constitution

Though the Constitution of the United States came to be written as a collaboration of comprise, debate, and philosophical reasoning, nothing like it had ever been before written. As such, many of its ideas and principles were novel and were not thought up and written down over night. The Founding Fathers of our nation wrestled in heated discussion and debate over several essential principles of this country, before they even began the writing of the Constitution.

The most basic, underlying, and foundational of these essential principles was the concept that the United States must have a government. Though they agreed on this, the Founding Father wrestled with a key aspect of this principle. How were they to form a government where they could enjoy the benefits of structure and organization while avoiding the effects of the natural tendencies of human nature for corruption. Having recognized this, next was the arduous task of choosing a form of government that fit their needs.

In examining various types of governments, one of the core elements addressed was the issue of sovereignty. Who would ultimately have the final say? As one writer expressed, “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” From very recent experience the colonists were well aware of the danger of placing so much power in the hands of one individual. Though some expressed desire for a strong central government, many of the Founding Fathers took into consideration the need for a balance of political powers.

In wrestling with the principles necessary to create the Constitution, the Founding Fathers had to grapple with three essential concepts. These were government, freedom, and human nature. Through significant research, they examined the structure and possibilities of four types of governments, including autocracy, classical republicanism, libertarianism, and liberalism. Each one of these options presented incredibly important points of view and ideas for consideration. Yet, not one of these alternatives of governmental form answered all the questions the Founding Fathers had concerning the principles they had established as necessary to create the Constitution. In short, the system of government for which they were looking, did not yet exist.

Another principle the Founding Fathers wrestled with before writing the Constitution was that of political economy. They recognized that government set bounds for people by laws, courts, and police. In bringing political theory and economics together, they had first looked and structure, analyzing why certain governments work better than others. Participation was decided as a key component of this principle. This would inevitably result if the citizens were able to attain a sense of ownership. The importance of laws was also addressed. It was agreed that laws must be by common consent, but that they must be implied impartially. This would especially come to play a significant role in the conflict over the “Rule of Law.” Rule of Law is the idea that no one is above the law.

Other significant principles considered by the Founding Fathers before they drafted the Constitution included custom and tradition, a moral sense, and leadership. Custom and tradition is what binds people together in a society, as one nation. It brings unity and loyalty, which are essential to the success of any governed group. The Founding Fathers recognized the critical need for a moral sense to exist among the people. If government was to structured upon the consent of the governed, it was then absolutely essential to establish common ground as to what people view as right and wrong. Finally, leadership is one of the fundamental keys to progression in any society. Leaders must possess the quality of vision, to lead the people forward to a successful future.

Before the Founding Fathers could even begin to write the Constitution for the United States, they wrestled with several principles upon which the revered document would come to be built. They intended to tackle the problem of government once and for all. Through the fundamental principles they examined, the Founding Fathers recognized that they would not be able to anticipate everything. They would have to develop a form of government requiring the possibility of adaptation.