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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Blog Post #2 -- The 63rd Federalist Paper

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 (9/27/2011) Started 7:01 p.m.

The 63rd Federalist Paper

In this document, most likely written by James Madison, the Senate is the topic of interest. Madison uses the great republics of the past (like Greece), as examples of how the government is to serve the people yet, maintain somewhat of a distance from public opinion and thought (although, he feels that they pale in comparison to America's setup). He also uses the constitution of Maryland as an experiment of how a senate should operate. I believe that the current electoral process of appointing senate members is based of the Maryland example and I feel that it's very well constructed. The Senate (as an add-on to the House of Representatives) is an institution that acts as a defensive mechanism against the delusions and self-interest of the public. It is difficult today for a bill to go through the House of Representatives, unaltered, and become law with Senate approval. The Senate ensures that the public will not make erroneous legislation that they will have to amend repeatedly or abolish altogether.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Blog Post #1 -- Thomas Jefferson's Letter to Samuel Kercheval

Saturday, September 17, 2011 4:58 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson's Letter to Samuel Kercheval

In this writing by Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, Jefferson addresses what he believes to be the proper manner in which government should serve the public. In particular, he makes the grand argument that the government should be permitted to make adjustments periodically to the Constitution as deemed fit and necessary. He mentions that institutions should "go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind". As with all things, society must adapt to changing circumstances, sciences, advancements, and technologies. Therefore, it is an inherent necessity to modify and adjust our constitution to maintain the pace of change as well. A perfect example of how this applies would be best stated in the need for legislation regarding conduct on the internet. If a completely explicit  interpretation of the laws were only applied, people would take advantage of the "loopholes" that our Constitution would not address. Conversely, certain rights or liberties people would think to be commonly accepted, may become undermined. For instance, society believes that there should be a right to privacy granted within it, however, it's not expressly stated that citizens have that privilege. Granted, Jefferson makes the statement that he is not a supporter of frequent changes, but more or less an advocate for moderate modifications.