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Already tried that, the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation. The founders quickly discovered the federal government was too weak. But alas, one o
by cmurf 7y ago
Already tried that, the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation. The founders quickly discovered the federal government was too weak.
But alas, one of those founders, Jefferson, argued we should rewrite the constitution every 19 years.
And another founder, Hamilton, argued that ambition must be made to counteract ambition. And that government is a reflection on human nature, most directly its citizens.
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed51.asp https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed51.asp
- ashtonkem 7y agoJefferson’s opinions on political processes changed drastically after the French Revolution, by the by.
- skybrian 7y agoWhat's an example?
- ashtonkem 7y agoPersonally, it made him cool significantly on France, which is in pretty stark contrast to where he started. He ended up siding with Hamilton on expelling the French diplomat who both threatened American neutrality, and was kind of gearing up to try and overthrow George Washington. And Jefferson hated Hamilton. Politically, it moderated him significantly. He started off as very pro-revolution, pro “watering the tree of liberty with the blood of tyrants and patriots”, and by the end he ended up regretting France not shifting into a constitutional monarchy. This is after both witnessing The Storming of the Bastille in person (he was an ambassador then), defending the September Massacres[0], and knowing quite a few people who were executed during the terror. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_Massacres https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_Massacres