Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny?

Alex Lynch

Period 3

10/12/17

Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny?

The Constitution was created in Philadelphia in May, 1787 by

James Madison. It was made to replace the Articles of Confederation, which was too weak because it did not have a chief executive nor a court system. In order for there to not be tyranny, a government must be able to balance its power by using federalism, operation of powers, checks and balances, and representation in Congress.

Federalism is the division of powers between central and state governments. Document A states that, “the different governments will each control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself”, this guards against tyranny because the governments do not have complete control over the country. The powers are separated and given to each government based on their own needs. For example, the central government can declare war and print money, meanwhile, state governments can establish schools and hold elections. This allows for the power between nation and state governments to be divided equally, therefore preventing tyranny.

Similar to federalism, separation of powers divides power, however, the power being divided is among the three branches, Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Document B states that, “the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct.” This means that each of the branches’ powers are divided based on their responsibilities. Each branch has their own job, the Legislative Branch makes the laws, the Executive Branch enforces the laws, and the Judicial Branch determines if laws are broken or unconstitutional. This is why a person cannot be elected to the House of Representatives to serve at the same time on the Supreme Court, because the branches