Influence & Impact of the US Constitution

Although many issues were neglected directly from the Constitution, the Constitution was able to directly address some fundamental problems which faced the United States in its early years, but arguably more importantly indirectly addressed almost every problem which faced the United States at the time and problems which we still face today as a nation by setting forth a system to peacefully resolve disputes about any problem facing the nation. The US Constitution may have had problems, but it is important to establish that it was never meant to establish a government which had to abide to specific protocols for certain situations. Instead of directly attempting to fix problems facing the United States in its first few decades, the creators of the Constitution sought a system which could help fix any problem which the new nation faced, whilst ensuring that the system could remain democratic and incorporate the will of the people into decisions and policies which would be used towards many fundamental problems which the United States faced.

The Constitution itself, unlike what is often set forth of it as a visionary document which essentially “runs the nation,” did not truly (and not before various later Constitutional amendments) directly address most of the issues facing the new nation. Many direct issues which plagued the nation at the time were deliberately ignored from the Constitution, such as the ongoing debate about if slavery should be allowed or whether and how Revolutionary War debts should be paid. In this sense, the Constitution did play a relatively small direct role in fixing national issues at the time. However, it is important to realize that the Constitution never set out with these intentions – the idea of creating the Constitution was not to create a governing rulebook which stated specific procedures for specific problems, so it therefore did not give singular solutions to large national problems itself: instead, it gave governing bodies the ability to decide on these issues. Although it would have been entirely possible for the creators of the Constitution to add in specific solutions to current problems at the time, this would have limited the government, and changing landscapes in the new nation would be difficult to predict in a document which could not be easily edited. Therefore, the Constitution did not directly establish solutions to most problems, both those at the time and those Americans have faced up to today.

Although the Constitution may not have directly addressed most of the problems facing the nation at the time, it was able to address several problems – especially in that it was able to meet the needs of a strong government which could keep together the large nation. One of the key problems which the nation faced at the time was its lack of organization and lack of ability to raise armies (and, for that matter, pay them). As these issues in the organization of the United States by the Articles of Confederation became increasingly prominent, many turned towards a stronger central government to take care of the nation and keep it together. By creating a strong federal government, whilst making sure to include many checks and balances in the system, the Constitution was able to create a central government which did not, however, turn into a monarchial system like that present in England at the time. By including three balancing branches of government (the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary) and other components which ensured that the federal government could not assume dictatorial powers, the Constitution solved a problem which loomed large over the beginning of the new nation: how could the nation be governed and rise to new heights, whilst remaining a republic in its political system?

The Constitution indirectly solved not only problems which the new nation faced at the time, but also was able to indirectly help in solving all of the problems that the United States has faced till this day, and continues to indirectly help in solving current issues for the USA. The Constitution was able to establish a system by which different people could voice their opinions on issues facing the nation, and these issues could be fairly resolved. In establishing this system, the Constitution allowed issues to be solved without causing turmoil or chaos for the country. The strength of the system of checks and balances allowed disputes to be settled peacefully and with the will of the people, and made sure that no one branch or person became too powerful in the government and had a monopoly on influential decisions. Instead, decisions were made as a result of interactions between people within branches of the government, and the branches of the government themselves. Using the political elements established in the Constitution, many problems could be solved easily, such as the problem of how the Revolutionary War veterans should be repaid. In establishing a central government, the Constitution not only allowed decisions to be made, but also to be enforced (as can be clearly seen in the federal government taking taxes to pay for war debts).

In conclusion, the Constitution played a role which cannot be overstated in all of the problems which faced the United States in its founding years, and the problems which we still face today. Although the Constitution may not have directly addressed many serious issues plaguing the nation, it definitely addressed at least one central problem directly, but more importantly set forth a system by which many other future problems (in fact, almost every problem which regarded to how the nation should be run) could be resolved – even with multiple opinions – in a peaceful and democratic way. The Constitution’s very long survival indicates that it clearly succeeded in playing a role in almost every large-scale issue today, and maintaining democratic values in important decisions.