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> No regular people voted on the Constitution. Nitpick. The people who were sent as representatives from each state to help write and ratify the constitution w

by ColanR 6y ago

> No regular people voted on the Constitution. Nitpick. The people who were sent as representatives from each state to help write and ratify the constitution were chosen by the people of that state. So technically, through representative democracy, the regular people did agree to the constitution because their representatives agreed on it.

xxpor 6y ago
Not the same thing IMO. Ignoring the issue of who was allowed to vote in the 1780s, there's a reason why the House was voted on by the people and the Senate the state legislatures. They recognized then the two groups have different interests.
- heimatau 6y ago
  > Colan R said: So technically, through representative democracy, the regular people did agree to the constitution because their representatives agreed on it. >> xxpor said: Not the same thing IMO. It actually is. This country is not a direct democracy. You are trying to reinterpret the structure of this Republic. The people through their votes uphold the structure every time they vote. It's a collective decision (social contract) to have our vote to have representation and we 'trust' (for lack of a better term) said Rep. to perpetuate the ability of governing. [edited: accidental pasted something additionally]
- salawat 6y ago
  State Senators were still voted on by the People, and part of the vote of confidence for taking part in the State Senate was a recognition of their capability to choose who represented the State at the National level based on understanding of the State's business. To be honest, I kind of wonder whether it was better to let the State Legislature decide. Wasn't alive then though and haven't done the research.
  - heimatau 6y ago
    > State Senators were still voted on by the People...I kind of wonder whether it was better to let the State Legislature decide. It seems you don't understand the difference between how the people directly elected US Senators since 1913 versus a State Republic that was voted on. These are two very different things. I say very because one is more Democratic and the other is more Republic. A Republic is an indirect mechanism whereas Democratic is a direct mechanism.
  - kelnos 6y ago
    Those State Senators were still selected by what was then a very small faction of the "People": non-slave male landowners.
kelnos 6y ago
Who do you think was allowed to vote to choose those people? Only free men who owned land. That was a very, very small fraction of the population of the colonies/US at the time. These were hardly "regular people".

by ColanR 6y ago

xxpor 6y ago

Not the same thing IMO. Ignoring the issue of who was allowed to vote in the 1780s, there's a reason why the House was voted on by the people and the Senate the state legislatures. They recognized then the two groups have different interests.

heimatau 6y ago
> Colan R said: So technically, through representative democracy, the regular people did agree to the constitution because their representatives agreed on it. >> xxpor said: Not the same thing IMO. It actually is. This country is not a direct democracy. You are trying to reinterpret the structure of this Republic. The people through their votes uphold the structure every time they vote. It's a collective decision (social contract) to have our vote to have representation and we 'trust' (for lack of a better term) said Rep. to perpetuate the ability of governing. [edited: accidental pasted something additionally]
salawat 6y ago
State Senators were still voted on by the People, and part of the vote of confidence for taking part in the State Senate was a recognition of their capability to choose who represented the State at the National level based on understanding of the State's business. To be honest, I kind of wonder whether it was better to let the State Legislature decide. Wasn't alive then though and haven't done the research.
- heimatau 6y ago
  > State Senators were still voted on by the People...I kind of wonder whether it was better to let the State Legislature decide. It seems you don't understand the difference between how the people directly elected US Senators since 1913 versus a State Republic that was voted on. These are two very different things. I say very because one is more Democratic and the other is more Republic. A Republic is an indirect mechanism whereas Democratic is a direct mechanism.
- kelnos 6y ago
  Those State Senators were still selected by what was then a very small faction of the "People": non-slave male landowners.

kelnos 6y ago

Who do you think was allowed to vote to choose those people? Only free men who owned land. That was a very, very small fraction of the population of the colonies/US at the time. These were hardly "regular people".