Discussion on United States Government

Discussion on United States Government

Q1. Evaluate the articles of confederation as a guide for successful democracy in the United States.

The first constitution introduced to congress was the Articles of Confederation in 1777. This article was proposed with objective to link thirteen independent states. In 1781, the article was ratified and it made eternal contribution in well-being of the nation. The Articles of Confederation were simple in basic structure. According to the Jensen (1940) A unanimous consent of thirteen states could result in the amendment, which rather was rare phenomenon where a two-third majority is required to make the amendment in the law. While the statesmen of United States had a little trust in monarchs of Britain and the arbitrary judges, the articles did not provide executive branch or judiciary. The Congress was the government body comprised of delegates from thirteen states. It was a weak body which reflected the fear of United States monarch as well as separate colonies possessing individual heritage.

Despite of a strong central government many Americans mistrusted the rule of Great Britain because of their experiences. Jensen further argues that (1940) there was an intrigue for invading the central government and to limit its opportunities by establishing a decentralized political system where all the power is divided among the state governments. Therefore, the United States possess a very weak government control during the era from 1781 to 1789, where separate states found it easy for disruptive legislation. These limitations made it unsuccessful to solve many major problems because of the decentralized power which leads, congress to remain dependent on the states for the men and money to support an army.

The first state to ratify the articles of Confederations was Virginia which approved in 1777, and other states ratified one year later. In 1778, when congress reconvened the delegates learned that the Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland refused to ratify the articles which required the approval from the states unanimously. It was Benjamin Franklin who drawn up the plan for Perpetual Union and The Articles of Confederation where the delegates like Thomas Jefferson supported the the proposal of Benjamin Franklin while many other opposed strongly.

Besides, the article has many flaws, but it played a role as stepping stone which results present constitutional establishment. The central government of United States was successful in clear outlining of general power under the Articles of Confederation. Moreover, it regulated western land and developed it as republic where thirteen colonies were kept in peace together (Dougherty, 2006). 

Q2. Describe the opportunities and challenges posted by the diversity of the U.S. Population.

United States has been observing demographical changes since its birth, and it will continue to shape the future of the nation. There have been racial and ethnic discriminations among the whites and the African American, where the black people were considered as slaves and have different schools, transport, restaurants and transportations for whites and blacks.

Population Growth in United States

United States faces several challenges regarding racial and ethnic ...