Constitution the United States Constitution Is Based

Constitution

The United States Constitution is based on the self-interest view of human nature. It was created to provide people with a large number of freedoms. When the Founding Fathers sat down to write it, they carefully considered all the issues that they and their fellow countrymen had faced when they were still in England, before they came to America to have the freedoms they wanted (Billias, 2009). Because they knew what it was like to be oppressed, they also knew they could not operate the United States that way and have the people accept it. If they tried to turn the New World into what they had just left behind, it would be of no benefit to anyone involved (Pritchett, 1959). With that in mind, the Constitution was written to show that all men were created equal and that they had certain rights that were given to them simply because they were human beings (Maier, 2010). Because of that, those rights were not something to be controlled or taken from the people, and could not be controlled or taken by the government (Maier, 2010). The government, in short, did not have that right or ability, and was not designed to control the masses.

The self-interest view of human nature deeply influenced the structure of the original government (Billias, 2009). To some extent it still influences it today, but times have certainly changed when it comes to the rights people have and how they are provided to the American public. When people are focused on their own self-interest, they do not spend as much time interested in the affairs of others. This was a large part of what the original government was about. It was designed to be hands-off to a large extent, so people could do their own things and live their lives the way they wanted to, without excessive government interference. The interference from the government into everyday life was what the original colonists moved to the New World to avoid (Maier, 2010). As such, they were deeply committed to avoiding that type of problem and building a government that was too intrusive to the colonists and their desires for a more open society.

The government was designed to protect the people from too much actual governing (Pritchett, 1959). Instead, it was there to take care of them, and was much more about protection and much less about intrusion. Most of the rules and regulations that were focused on being involved with private citizens' business came later, with amendments and changes (Maier, 2010). The laws that were created by states were also a part of that intrusion (Maier, 2010). For the most part, the desire of the original American government was of protection of the people (Billias, 2009). It was there for ensuring that people worked with one another, did not harm each other, and contributed to society so that everyone could have some measure of equality and a good life (Billias, 2009). The Constitution, as it was originally written, was not about following rules but about providing freedom of choice (Maier, 2010).

That is a very notable issue, because most people without a lot of historical knowledge assume that the signers of the Constitution were interested in making laws that kept the country under control and also kept the people beholden to the government to some degree (Pritchett, 1959). However, this is not correct and the original plans were not to make or keep anyone beholden to the government in any way. The original freedom of the Constitution was one of the best and most significant things about it, and showcased how valuable it was for people who escaped oppression to ensure that they did not oppress others in the future (Billias, 2009). Those who created the Constitution took what they did very seriously, and focused their efforts on what they knew to be important to the people and to themselves (Maier, 2010). Because this was done, the best of human nature was showcased when the Constitution was created. That desire to reflect the self-interest of human nature was at the forefront of the Constitutional decision-making.

There are weaknesses in human nature, however, and those were exploited in an effort to safeguard against any abuses of government power. When a person is given any kind of absolute power over himself or others, it can be very easy for that person to become focused on that power and misuse it (Pritchett, 1959). Even people who do not plan to do so can struggle with the ability to control others so easily. To avoid that kind of problem with the United States, the government was set up to have a system of checks and balances that would protect both the government and the individual people (Billias, 2009). That kept anyone who had power from being able to use it in a way that was unacceptable, which kept the darker part of human nature from becoming a problem for the newly formed government (Maier, 2010). As a protection for the people, it was highly important.