Why has the
Constitution survived?
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A |
t the end of the Constitutional Convention,
George Washington said, "I do not expect the Constitution to last for more
than 20 years." Today, the United States has oldest written constitution
in the world. Why has the Constitution survived?
The framers of the Constitution established
the broad structure of government but also left the system flexible enough to
adapt to changing conditions. A document of less than 6,000 words, the
Constitution is not overly detailed. Over the years, Congresses, presidents,
and the courts have reinterpreted to document to meet the needs of the moment.
How has the
constitutional system changed?
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W |
hen the Constitution was ratified, the states
were dominant. Since then, the national government has gradually become
dominant.
When George Washington became president, he
had just five cabinet officers: Secretaries of state, war, and treasury, an
attorney general, and a post-master general. Since then, the presidency has
accumulated more and more authority. Today, there are 14 executive departments
and 2.7 million civilian federal employees.
The framers of the Constitution expected
Congress to be the dominant branch of government. In the early years of the
republic, presidential candidates were usually nominated by a caucus system
centered in the House of Representatives. Today, Congress is less inclined to
initiate policy than to let the president set the legislative agenda. Today,
Congress has about 290 committees and subcommittees. More than 10,000 people
work for the 535 members of Congress.
Especially in the 20th century,
the Supreme Court has become a powerful vehicle for making public policy as it
interprets the law.
Political parties, which are not mentioned in
the Constitution, would become an integral part of the American political
system. They remain the means through which political officeholders are
nominated and elected.