57 thoughts on “Blog #5 – Founding Fathers distrust”

1. Lukas Nicola November 2, 2010 at 3:26 pm

   1. I believe the founding fathers were right to distrust the people because as a whole, the people have too many different viewpoints and they fail to see longhand consequences. First, the people will never agree on anything. There will never be something where every person in the country will agree on. There will always be someone who says no. The founding fathers had to work indirectly with the people, instead of trying to appease them all. By establishing the electoral college, for example, the government has control over who becomes president. Tying in with this, people fail to see the long term consequences. People act impulsively. For example, in shay’s rebellion, the rebels didn’t consider the government’s reaction, and they didn’t even have established goals. They simply acted without having a long term plan. This pattern has been forever present, and sadly, it will never change.\
   2. Currently, taxes and property values are the concerns of the people. The local tax increase of 38% is a prime example. People hear about the consequences, if you don’t vote for this increase, people will lose their jobs! People freak out, and fail to see alternatives to the tax increase. Instead of increasing taxes to save the police officers’ jobs, you could simply cut the income of the existing officers. But people don’t think like this, as mentioned above. Action is all about impulsiveness. On the other hand, people hear about tax increases and think,”omg they’re raising our taxes, they’re evil corporate people”, even when the tax increase is important. People don’t analyze situations, they just act.
2. Angela Mercier November 2, 2010 at 4:32 pm

   1.)Yes, they were right to distrust the passions of the public because, now that Britain was gone and there was more freedom in American government, people could start rebelling and attempting to get further their own political agendas. The Senate and House of Representative were good bodies to create because it gave representation to the people (so they felt like they were more a part of the government) and fairly split the power with large and small states. If the people didn’t feel they were being represented, they probably would’ve hated the government for being tyrannical and too much like the old British rule. There are also many opinions among the people and if when the constitution was made, if people disagreed with it, the worst case scenario was that they might try to take over and become dictators; therefore, the Founders needed to keep an eye on the public and watch for tyranny.

   2.)There are many issues that are making the public vote for their favored candidate but I believe the most pressing issue is the economy. When the economy is struggling, voters tend to vote for a different party if they want to see change. For example, Jennifer Granholm is the Democratic governor in Michigan, and in today’s midterm elections, people will more likely vote Republican because Granholm has not changed the Michigan economy much; people are still suffering and they want to see a change. Other fears include unemployment, health care reform, national security, and the War in Iraq. Many people want to get out of the war, and Obama has tried to stop the troops from leaving, but many think it’s not happening fast enough and that might be a problem in the presidential election in 2012.
3. Katie Burke November 2, 2010 at 4:40 pm

   I do think that the founding fathers were right to have some distrust in the passions that were guiding the people when they were writing the constitution. It was something that was very necessary in the process of creating the constitution so I think it is good that they did what they did. They could not just look at the bright side of things when they were writing the constitution because it would have been a completely useless document. They had to really get to the root of the passions of the people that they were writing this document to govern in the first place. If they did not get down to how the people in the society really are and what really makes them do what they do then would not have been able to create this document that was supposed to govern them effectively.

   When people are going to the polls today, I think that they really have what is going to be best for their families on their mind. The current economic state that we are in today has people very worried. People are scared that they are not going to be able to keep a roof over their families heads, keep their families fed, and have warm clothes to be able to put on their kids. People are loosing jobs left and right in this economy and as a result not having enough money to pay all of their bills. I think that when the people go to the polls today they are going to be looking for change. They are going to be voting for the candidate that they think can bring the change about in the most effective way. They want a candidate that is going to make it so they kind provide the essentials for their families well being.
4. Will T November 2, 2010 at 5:09 pm

   1.After the war, all the American people was democracy, complete rule by the people. That’s what they fought for. But in reality, a government like this could not exist. They already tried the Articles of Confederation, which was too weak and gave too much power to the states. Ion order to run the country, there needed to be an organized system that could run the country. The founding fathers knew that most of the people were tired and scared of a strong central government, but in order to run the country this would be crucial. The public was too emotional and focused on one thing, and the Founding Fathers were able to act on what was intelligent and better for the future of the country. A country where every person got to run themselves how ever they wanted is just not possible.

   2.Taxation is defiantly an issue, according to the graphs. It seems everyone is being taxed the same percent on the income, and some people may say this is unfair. They might think that the rich should be taxed more, and that the wealth can be more evenly spread. Others might think that taxes should be lowered, because the government shouldn’t have the right to go and tax them just because they worked hard. They also might think that the poor don’t have good work ethic, so they should be taxed the same amount, and that they could be more wealthy if they tried (according to the picture).
5. Angelique Harrison November 2, 2010 at 5:28 pm

   1. I don’t think that the Founding Fathers were right in not trusting the American people but I also feel that they should partially listen to the people’s idea. I feel that the Founding Fathers shouldn’t listen to the people because they wouldn’t have made a fair Constitution. I think that people automatically have a need to fulfill self interest and with the people making the Constitution they would have only thought of self benefits and not how others would be affected. Although I feel that I think that what the people want should have been a big factor in making final decisions in the Constitution because of the fact that the people are the ones who have to obey these laws. If the laws weren’t made to accommodate the people the Constitution would have been pointless because it would have turned in to a tyranny and not a democracy. By including the people’s thoughts you keep the idea of a democracy but you also make things as fair as you can for all parties involved.
   2. The fears are not being able to keep their job. They are scared because of the financial issues going on today and whether or not they can be fixed. They don’t want to lose their source of income and they don’t want to lose their houses or anything else they have right not. They fear that the country will never go back to the way it was before and if I does they want to know who will do that for them. They don’t want to make the wrong choice and regret it because a bad choice, as you can clearly see, leads us into situations which take a while to clean up. They are passionate about all those same things. They have fear but are passionate about getting on track and the fact the jobs are “coming back to Michigan.” They want the economy to start booming and to be able to be as free from debt as they were before the recession. These are the things people are thinking about whether passionately or fearfully as the walk into the poles to vote.
6. Danny Cohen November 2, 2010 at 5:40 pm

   1.) I think that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the Constitution because the majority of the population of this country is relatively uneducated and misinformed. If they had made it possible for the public to heavily influence decisions made in Washington, the country would be in ruins. Because most people are misinformed and have swayed opinions based a number of things including the media, families, friends, and traditions, many of them would contribute ideas that are not important or relevant or maybe just plain wrong.

   2.) Many passions and fears are swaying the American people right now but the main passion/fear of the public right now as they head towards the polls today is the economy. Most people are concerned that what the current administration is doing with the economy is hurting it rather than helping it. They believe that there needs to be a change in the way that the state and national governments are handling this issue. Many believe that Washington should stop spending so much federal money when they are in a multi trillion dollar debt. Others strongly support the current policies being enacted in politics. Another huge issue this election season is that of the new health care plan. Some are calling it socialist while others are calling it long overdue. Whichever is the case, this is only one among the dozens of issues that are causing many excited and riled up voters to voice their opinions today.
7. nathan krasnick November 2, 2010 at 5:48 pm

   1) The period in which our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution was a very controversial time. Our Founding Fathers were some of the greatest political leaders that our nation has ever seen. Their political ideas were revolutionary and would prove to be ingenious. I believe that when the Founding Fathers were creating the Constitution they made sure to not let the passions of the American people influence what went into it. The founders knew that the average American was uneducated. I think it was a good thing that the Founders built the Constitution based on their ideas, uninfluenced by American passions, because the passions of most Americans at the time were heavily biased. If the Fathers had not ignored the passions of the Americans they represented then our government would most likely have fallen apart and compromise over anything would be almost impossible.
   2) Today the passions of most Americans are very mixed. Many Americans have been very unhappy with the way the federal government as been working lately. With both the House, Senate, controlled by the Democrats many Americans have focused their blame and anger towards them. With the mid-term elections upon us, many Democratic Congressman and a few Senators will loose their seats in the House and Senate. Some of the many issues that have been swaying the nation to the right have been such things as the National Healthcare Bill, the startlingly high unemployment rate, and the growing national debt. The American people will have the final say after we find out who still has control of the Senate and House after November 2.
8. Brandon Walling November 2, 2010 at 6:15 pm

   1. Yes I think that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the Constitution because in times of passion people make decisions that they would not necessarily make if they thought it through. The people as a whole need someone to bring them together, and that’s the role of government. It is a collection of experienced leaders who will make a decision that will properly serve the people. Also, the people are not always educated in the both the purpose of the decisions being made, as well as the action of the decisions being made, so might agree or disagree with no idea what they’re agreeing about. That’s why we need the government, because they know what’s going on.
   2. I think that right now the number one fear in voters is the well-being of our economy. A lot of people are out of jobs, and because of it, a lot of people are becoming poorer and poorer. I think many people are afraid of the status quo. Like in Michigan, for example, we have had a Democratic governor in a time where the economy is getting worse and worse, so people will vote Republican no matter what. People are too ignorant to look into the policies and beliefs of the candidates and see that really Virg Benero would be a better leader to help fix the hurting economy. No matter who was selected to run for governor for the Republicans, they were almost guaranteed to win because people are afraid that the Democratic Party will continue doing what Granholm did for us.
9. Kiara Moore November 2, 2010 at 6:45 pm

   1. I think the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when writing the Constitution because it is best to focus on the facts given, common sense, and current and past events. Going by passions would not achieve anything because everyone is different, and they would have a different passion than their friend. When I refer to facts, I mean past experiences and situations that we know the outcome of. Common sense of situations or results should already be known. Current and past events helped them shape the Constitution because it was basically planning for situations to occur like the ones that already did or ones that are bound to happen. The Founding Fathers did a good job with not bringing in passions of the people to the Constitution because the Constitution is still solid and effective today.

   2. The American people are currently swayed by what the candidates brought to their attention. The people are either agreeing, disagreeing, or partially agreeing/disagreeing with a candidate while walking towards the polls today. The American people might be passionate in what a candidate said or in a candidate. Some fears that occur might be what the end result is, or not choosing the right candidate. The end result brings fear to some people because they might passionately not want a certain candidate to be elected. Also those who are first time voters or finally able to vote might not know who exactly to vote for and they might have a fear on voting on the wrong person. Passion needs to be on what one believes in.
10. William Hudson November 2, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    1. I believe the founding fathers had a right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the constitution; because while the public is a large, whirlpool of ideas and it’s usually reliable to assume it will eventually sort out the best plan of action or the best person for a job, the assumption should not be that they will find the best solution on the first attempt, as one would not assume this for a person nor should one assume this for a mass of people. People are imperfect beings, assuming that upon first try they will come up with perfect ideas is ridiculous, in addition these people may be swayed by personal fiscal or other worldly gains, safeguards serve to negate this issue. (also I feel it is worth bringing up the fact that 1/3 the country thought Obama was a Muslim, that said, if you can convince 1/3 the country such a fallacy what else can you convince them of to further yourself)
    2. Issues that are present today are multiple, but most revolve around the economy, many people want tax decrease’s, people want immediate gratification, people want more money in their pockets and less debt in their mailbox, many worry that the health care plan is either needed drastically or far too expensive for our burdened country to bear, in either case the biggest issue it seems, is who can get (promise) the best results the quickest.
11. Adam Green November 2, 2010 at 7:07 pm

    1. I believe that it was totally necessary for the Founding Fathers to distrust some of the passions of the people when they were writing the Constitution. The reason for this is that although the people should be able to have control in a democracy, if all decisions were left up to the people, mass chaos and anarchy would ensue. If the people were directly allowed to make their own decisions, almost everyone would act in their own self-interest, and huge arguments would break out, possibly causing a civil war. An example of this is with states rights. If each state was allowed to abide completely by its own separate laws, there would be lots of disagreement on how the states should be run, which would probably result in war.
    2. Currently, it seems that a lot of people, especially Republicans, are afraid that the U.S. is becoming a more socialist country. This theory is based off the fact that Obama has began to take over more companies and that he has also instituted policies such as national health care. Another fear that some Americans have is about the state of our economy. Some people believe that the way the economy is declining right now, another Great Depression could be coming fast. These fears may or may not become a reality. Although I don’t personally believe that these things will happen, the fact that many others do is driving voters toward the Republican party.
12. Alexis Barkin November 2, 2010 at 7:15 pm

    1) I do believe that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people while writing the constitutions. The truth is, every single person has their own set of ideologies. Because there are so many viewpoints in America the government can’t trust all of them. Creating a constitution which can regulate people’s actions is necessary. Often, people’s passions spiral out of control, having a government which doesn’t have power derived directly from the people is a good thing. Once policies and ideas reach government they often have all the nonsense filtered out. The founding fathers were also right to distrust the passions of American people because passions change on a day to day basis due to many different events. As the American’s passionate feelings die down there will often be logic. Sometimes passion doesn’t die down for a while and the constitution ultimately protects the people from their own passions which are sometimes illogical.
    2) Some passions that are swaying the American people who voted today were taxes and unemployment. For example Christine O’Donnell was running under the tea party. Her entire campaign revolved around lowering taxes. Many followers supported her pursuit across America on the tea party express. Unemployment was also reached in VIrg Benero’s campaign as he provided example of how he was going to decrease Michigan unemployment if elected governor. Still, his campaign wasn’t as strong as Snyder and his approval rate was much lower. Campaigns are great examples of American passions at the moment; for example, Benero and O’Donnell, both incorporated two important factors people in America are dealing with today. To help them succeed in the elections.
13. Aaron Yost November 2, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    1.) The founders were certainly right to distrust the popular passions of the people. We don’t like to admit it, but humans are governed by their own emotions, and emotions are fickle things. Like the wind, emotions are prone to random and sometimes violent change. These winds can easily sweep up anything in their path, just as popular tides of emotion can sometimes sweep officials into office. The Fathers wanted to prevent these incompetent people from taking office, and the Constitution’s electoral system was intentionally designed to be difficult, so that not just anyone can make it into office. Hamilton’s view of this is especially interesting because unlike the upper class planters, he saw firsthand how the common man lived, and Hamilton came to the conclusion that these people could not make educated decisions about their future. Someone else’s, such as Jefferson’s, intentions could have been seen as aristocratic, but for Hamilton to make such a bold claim is very telling indeed.

    2.) In many ways, the fears that voters have today are many of the same ones that Americans have struggled with throughout history: How much government is too much government? Some Americans are opposed to taxation in any form because they see it as a distribution of wealth which, in their eyes is socialism. To be fair though, has the massive new health care overhaul overstepped its bounds constitutionally? Only the courts will tell. People will always be dissatisfied with their lot, but some with no legitimate concerns are being taken advantage of. Perhaps the voters should ask themselves who is really casting their vote. Their own ideas? Or their television’s?
14. meghan furton November 2, 2010 at 7:49 pm

    1. Yes, I think that the founding fathers were justified in distrusting the public. We learned in gov that the government created by the constitution wasn’t meant to mirror public opinion, but to collect all of the different and conflicting interests and deduce public policy from that point. In The federalist, Madison explains how factions are interest groups with selfish desires that harm other groups by nature. It would be impossible, first of all, for the government to just do whatever all of these groups demanded because then polices would be clashing. Government allows these factions to come together and compromise until more moderate policy arises. None of the groups will be happy, but none of the groups will be completely disadvantaged, either. Apart from people’s interests being selfish, they are usually just stupid. In a moment of anger at the high price of gas, you could decide that taxes should be abolished and Alaska should be ripped up to reach oil under the ice. But in that moment of passion, you can’t see that taxes come back to benefit you through government programs and that if you drain Alaska of its oil, you are doing damage to the environment and the future could be in jeopardy. People don’t know what is good for them, and don’t have enough information to make logical decisions beyond their immediate passions. People in government are hopefully better informed and better educated and therefore in a better position to decide what is best for the country.
    2. Right now, the economy is the most important issue on people’s minds. They want less government involvement into their lives. They want less government spending and lower taxes. For example, they don’t want centralized healthcare or some welfare programs. A few social issues, like abortion and gay marriage, are also important to people. The tea party movement is an example of the conservative direction some people are taking as a reaction to these issues.
15. Jessica Turner November 2, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    1. I believe the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the Constitution. It would have been unrealistic to believe that the colonists would be informed or educated enough at that time to make intelligent decisions regarding social or political law, especially because the policies were recently established and unknown to almost all but those who created them. Colonists also exhibited popular passions and emotions as the main motivators to their rebellious actions, instead of established and legitimate grievances. For example, the Whiskey Rebellion was an over-reaction on the part of the tax-sensitive colonists, and although it spurred a response from the Washington administration, the rebellion disintegrated and fled, and no constructive conversation between the colonists and the government ever occurred. If anything, this rebellion strengthened the national government’s force and formidability.

    2. The main fears and wedge issues that afflict the American people at the polls today are the economy (especially in Michigan), the war against terrorism, and healthcare implementation. The economy subject encompasses unemployment, the creation of job opportunities, and the location of these job opportunities (foreign vs. overseas). I believe all of these issues are valid because they carry a wide impact, and will directly affect a large majority of American voters. I do believe, however, that on many of these issues, particularly the war against terrorism, Americans vote based on uniformed opinion and inexperience. It is true however, that even if a voter is not directly involved in the war, he/she will be affected by the foreign affair, through aspects such as oil prices and taxes to boost the governmental military programs.
16. Sarah Blume November 2, 2010 at 8:06 pm

    1) I do think the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people. First of all, most Americans attitudes about their country was full of an independent spirit because of their victory from Great Britain. The people of this new country had previously suffered years of dependence and unfair representation by a very distrustful government. The Founding Fathers knew how many differing and radical views there were about government out there, so the only way to stabilize the new society was to write the Constitution on their practical opinion, and, in secret.

    2) Today, as Obama is halfway through his term, the American people are full of very mixed opinions, both radical and moderate, that will greatly impact the results of tonight’s elections. Many people are displeased with Obama’s progress during his first two years in office because they believe he is too far left and hasn’t completed enough “change” in our economy. For example, many Americans believe he is raising our taxes too much and is using a lot of executive power. This view is radically illustrated in the Tea (taxed enough already) Party’s platform. These people are the type of citizens who have influenced the rest of the public in sharing their passionate opinions on small government and less taxes, mostly opposing the Democratic party. These opinions on Obama’s administration and the Democratic party will greatly effect the results tonight, and will probably lead the Republicans to a strong majority in Congress.
17. Timothy DeWitt November 2, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    1. I believe the founding fathers were justified in their mistrust of the general populace as an unrestricted force in politics. Due to constantly changing domestic and international circumstances, the American people will be constantly experiencing pressures from nearly unlimited sources. These pressures can cause the general population, mostly uneducated and uninformed, to submit to fleeting passions that may or may not be based on sound political reasoning. It would have been unwise to allow the general population direct participation in the new democracy in America. The founders understood that there must be a separation between the people and the government to prevent an oppressive popular majority from instantly seizing control of policy.
    2. In the past decade, countless fears have emerged as a result of many issues such as foreign policy and the domestic economy. Ever since the attacks on September 11th, the undying threat of Muslim terrorists has been rolling through America. This constant fear has been furthered by government and the media, and has likely contributed to support for a more aggressive and forceful foreign policy. The fear of international terrorists along with the many other security concerns that could go along with this fear are certainly still on many of the minds of many voters. Because of the economic condition of the country, some voters are also likely swayed by the fear of further collapse. Many voters have strong opinions regarding what should be done about the economy, and these opinions are surely impassioned by a negative fiscal state.
18. Maxime Lawton November 2, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    1. I think that the Framers were right to distrust the American people because of their tendency to be swayed by popular passions because it happens a lot. Since the vast majority of voters don’t really learn what their candidates stand for and what their stances would mean for the country, a system relying on voters to be right and thoughtful 100% or even a majority of the time is highly unrealistic. Power by a majority is, and was recognized by the Framers, the same as a dictatorship so long as the majority stays in power. Allowing the rule of the many to reign supreme and not question its decisions is a fatal mistake and very likely to result in the abridgement of the minorities’ rights; so yes, the Framers were right to distrust the American people.

    2. As they headed to the polls today, the American people were swayed by a multitude of irrational and ridiculous fears largely spread by the opposition to the party in power. These fears include a socialist state run by the Democrats, a large national debt, high taxes, and a health care system that will kill us and steal our money. These fears are frankly stupid and just serve as a ploy to get the less educated and informed voters to get riled up and angry at the dictatorial Democrats and go vote for the Republicans. A passion running high in America directly associated with ousting the Democrats is the desire of voters to fix the corrupt system and put in people who will do so supposedly by never having been in politics before. This passion is totally illogical, but since it is a passion, it will affect the people’s minds and make them some of them vote for anyone but the Democratic incumbent, even if it means electing a Republican who had been ousted last election. The severity with which passions and illogical fears can shape an election make me question if the Framers distrusted the people enough.
19. Mia Orlow November 2, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    1. Yes, I do think the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the Constitution. The passions of American people are heated and constantly changing. The American people say they want something, and in their minds, it probably sounds like a good idea. When it is actually constructed and tested out in public, it may not go exactly as they had planned it would. Since the passions of the American people are ever changing, the people themselves do not always know what they want. The Founding Fathers could not have created a Constitution based on what the people thought they wanted, because eventually, people’s passions would die out and change, and they had to create the Constitution in the best interests of the country.
    2. There are many problems in our society that people are passionate about and fear as they go to vote today. I would say the economy is the largest problem. People are worried that not much is being done to improve the state of our economy in a timely manner. They want to see results, and while they are not seeing the results they want from the people already in Congress, they might reelect new people to it and see how they fare and if they will approach the problem more efficiently. If they are experiencing a crisis in their lives, like their houses being foreclosed, they will vote for who they think will provide them with the most help. These kinds of passions can lead people to vote for candidates who they might not have originally voted for if they were not in situations like that.
20. Lucy Mailing November 2, 2010 at 9:12 pm

    I think that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the America people in writing the Constitution. The Framers’ position is explained in their reasons of creating a representative democracy, rather than a pure, direct democracy. First, the Founding Fathers feared that a government in which all citizens participate, like the New England town meeting, would be a government subject to temporary popular passions. They believed that direct democracy was likely to lead to bad decisions, because people often decide large issues on the basis of fleeting passions and emotions. The public is often ill-informed on issues, leading to an uninformed decision that may not be in the best interests of the city, county, state, or country. Average Americans do not have time to stay well informed on all the issues present in politics at a given time. With representative democracy, the American people can elect representatives that are up to date on the issues and can make a well-informed decision on issues.
    There are many possible passions and fears that are swaying the American people one way or the other as they head to the polls today. The economy, however, is definitely one of the hot topics in the current election. Many Americans are upset with their current economic state and are looking for a change. In Michigan, for example, many residents were unhappy with Granholm’s approach to the economy, and as a result, Rich Snyder, the Republican candidate, is likely to win the gubernatorial election. Other local passions include jobs, taxes, and the education system, while big national fears include health care and the War in Iraq.
21. Cameron Blum November 2, 2010 at 9:17 pm

    1) I think the Founding Fathers were absolutely right to distrust the passions of the American people. People are far too controlled by their emotions to decide on the fate of the nation. Even Alexander Hamilton, during the election of 1800 was greatly affected by his emotions and could not properly provide insight into the best candidate for president. The point of government is not to incite emotional reactions; the purpose is to create a proper society that benefits all under its jurisdiction. Also, emotions aren’t extremely permanent; although, raising the number of criminals sentenced to death truly is a permanent thing. Those deaths cannot be reconciled, while emotions will eventually settle down.
    2) There are many fears/passions are currently swaying the votes. The main issue is the economy. Not just in Michigan, but other states as well. People want their representatives to fix this economy. Also, people are thinking quite a lot about health care. The Cadillac Tax attached to the bill has made many union members turn away from the Democrat Party altogether. The upper class has also turned away from the Democratic Party completely because of their raised taxes. Many citizens in the working class will be increasing their support of the Democratic Party due to the benefits they receive from the Health Care. A third issue dividing the nation towards the parties was the dispute over the erection of an Islamist Center in New York City. This issue is not changing party affiliations as much as it polarized the voters for this election.
22. Andrew Gordner November 2, 2010 at 9:27 pm

    1) I think that the founding fathers were right in distrusting the passions of the American people when writing the Constitution. The general public at the time was misinformed and uneducated. The people, fed up with a monarchy controlling every aspect of their lives, would have probably created a constitution that granted to many freedoms and established a central government too weak to effectively govern the new nation. If this were the case anarchy would more than likely take over spelling doom for the new nation. In addition if the founding fathers had created a constitution that served to appease the general public in the short term it would probably serve the country terribly in the long term. It was the ability to think ahead of their time that enabled the founders to create a constitution that set up a government that would be able to successfully govern the growing nation for centuries to come.
    2) As in every election throughout are history there are a number of issues or fears that Americans have as they head to the polls to vote. Among these, however, I think that the most important issue in the minds of voters continues to be the struggling economy. In every elections voters vote for the candidate that they feel will represent them the best and help make their lives better. For the large percentage of unemployed Americans, this candidate will be the one that they feel can bring the most jobs back to America. Of course the economy is only one of many important issues in these upcoming midterm elections, but since it affects a majority of the country I believe that it stands out as the most important.
23. Michael Hersch November 2, 2010 at 9:33 pm

    1. I think the founding fathers were right when they did not trust the American people. First of all, these founding fathers are known as the best polities and greatest minds in governmental history. If they distrusted the American people it must have been for a good reason. Secondly, the new nation needed to create a new government, one that did not exist in the world during that period of time. If these fathers were to listen to the people they could never come to a consensus. Their distrusting them is justified because of the amount of uneducated people in the United States. There is one prime example of giving citizen to much freedom and trusting them too much, Shays’ rebellion. The people were giving freedom and a rebellion was started in New England. Daniel Shays and his followers failed to realize the long-term consequences of their rebellion. If he were to succeed the country would be in trouble. In retrospect the Founding Father were successful in their judgment of the American people.
    2. There are many fears of people heading into the poll today. The one major concern for many people is taxation. In the eyes of most, taxes are too high, even though according to the graph they remain at a record low. A new faction was created in the Republican Party that expresses their hatred of taxes, known as the Tea (tax enough already) Party. While other people fear the taxes other fear the candidates running for office under the Tea Party such as Christine O’Donnell. Another major concern is the economy. Since many people haven’t been happy with the way the Democrats have tried to fix the economy, there will be many more Republican elected into office in these elections. This normally happens when the public opinion for the government is subpar.
24. Meghan Marx November 2, 2010 at 9:33 pm

    1) When we judge by the standards of the time, it is understandable why the Founders distrudted the people so much. They had all emerged from under the rule of a king and had no experience with or model for a democratic system. All they knew was how the people were invovlved in European government which most of the time amounted to none. They distrusted an uneduacated and uninformed public to be making critical decisons especially in the country’s infant years. I think that in the beginning it was right to be wary of the public, over time the trust grew and a greater democracy was created.

    2) As voters hit the polls today they are obviously swayed by current passions. The approval rating of President Obama is low and his clear association with the democratic party has hurt democratic candidates in these mid-term elections. Obama and the democrats are being blamed for the economy and everything else that goes wrong on America. If the country was doing well, then the democrats would probably have a great shot at holding both houses.
25. Keely Nowland November 2, 2010 at 9:39 pm

    1. During the time in which our Founding Fathers wrote to Constitution was a very controversial time. Our Founding Fathers were some of the greatest political leaders ever. Their politics were revolutionary and forever changed our country. I feel that when the Founding Fathers were creating the Constitution they made sure to not let the passions of the American people influence what went into it. I think most of the founders knew that the average American was uneducated when it came to politics. I think it was a brilliant idea that the founders built the Constitution based on their ideas, uninfluenced by American passions, because the passions of most Americans at the time were heavily biased. If the Fathers had not ignored the passions of the Americans they represented then our government would most likely not be what it is today.

    2. There are multiple issues that are making the public vote for their favored candidate but I believe the most pressing issue is the economy. When the economy is struggling, voters tend to vote for a different party if they want to see change. For example, Jennifer Granholm is the Democratic governor in Michigan, and in today’s midterm elections, people will more likely vote Republican because many voters feel that Granholm has not changed the Michigan economy much. Many people are still suffering and they want to see a change. Other fears include unemployment, health care reform, national security, and the War in Iraq. Many people want to remove troops and feel it is not happening fast enough. This issue will become a prevalent topic in future presidential election.
26. Sam Cusimano November 2, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    1. I think that the Founding Fathers were indeed right in distrusting the passions of the American people. Even with television and the internet, the public today tends to be uninformed on all but relatively simple matters. Imagine how much slower and unreliable news would have been during the Founders’ time, when the principal means of communication were newspapers, pamphlets, and word of mouth (and horses were often the most convenient form of transportation)! Further, history shows us how people can be swayed by demagogues, especially during times of hardship: consider Shays’s Rebellion, when thousands of western Massachusetts farmers rose up in economic protest under Daniel Shays. Not only is the public uninformed; they are also liable to fleeting passions. Our AP Gov textbook makes a point to remind us how unstable and contradictory public sentiment can be today: “In many surveys, wide majorities favor expanding most government programs and paying less in taxes. On some issues, the majority in favor one month gives way to the majority opposed the next, often with no obvious basis for the shift.”
    2. As Americans head to the polls to vote today, they are faced with a number of passions and fears. Many people are frustrated at how slowly the economy is recovering; unemployment is 9.2%, as new jobs are still few and far between, and foreclosures are still a major issue. Tea Party activists, among many others, are angry at out-of-control government spending and the resulting $13 trillion public debt. Many people are also concerned about national security: an Al-Qaeda leader is calling on Muslims in Metro Detroit to rise up and attack, and the illegal drug trade has resulted in rampant violence near the Mexican border.
27. Dylan Kakos November 2, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    1. I believe the founding fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the constitution. The founding fathers were all educated people and diplomats who either had experience in politics or experience in war. The founding fathers knew how a country could be run, whereas the American people were mostly agricultural people and were focused on making a living and providing for their families instead of educating themselves and getting into politics. Also, people in each region would never agree on bills because they would only be trying to pass bills that were beneficial to their state and their states economy. Their opinions would be biased and they wouldn’t be thinking of the Countries well being.
    2. There are many fears and passions for American people heading into today’s election. Right now the democrats control the senate, house, and presidency and they are in fear of losing the house and senate. If they lose congress then they will have a hard time passing the bills that they want. The Republicans have a passion to win the house and senate so they can get back on track with their plan for reviving the country. Theirs also the fear for both parties and the general American people whether the economy will heal, whether they can keep their jobs and provide for their families, whether new jobs will be created for the people who already lost their jobs, will the stock market and housing market pick up, and whether business will be able to prosper in the new economy.
28. Leah Sherman November 2, 2010 at 9:50 pm

    1. I’m not sure if it was right of the fathers to distrust the Americans’ passions, however I can understand where they’re coming from. Our government was built for the people, and not letting it be built by the people helped it to retain some of its power and prestige. Throwing into the Constitution whatever the citizens wanted would have made for a scattered, difficult to enforce base to build a nation on. Everyone wanted something different, and it seemed as though that seemed to change every day. By taking control, the founding fathers literally laid down the law and created a document which still governs us today. One way to think about it is as though it’s a child’s birthday party: the child has a great deal of input as it is his or her party, but the parent retains the right to make the final decisions. The wants of a child are all over the place, and it is the responsibility of the parent to keep things in line and keep all of their bases covered.

    2. What isn’t there for people to be scared about these days? People are scared of the United States becoming socialist, they’re scared of being overtaxed, they’re scared of being run by unfit politicians… these fears are all influencing how and who people vote for. A specific example of this can be seen with the tea party movement: there are thousands of people voting for tea party candidates as they are scared of what kind of change Obama is bringing around. They’re scared of their taxes going even higher, and they try to combat that by voting against it.
29. Beth Mansueti November 2, 2010 at 9:52 pm

    1.The period where the United States was trying to establish the government to their new nation, after the Revolution, was a period of many changes in the country and unstable, varying passions of the American people. I think these changing passions and the environment of revolution during that time gave the Founding Fathers some right to distrust the people. The Founding Fathers didn’t believe the people always knew what was best for them and the country. Although I do agree the unstable and mostly uneducated opinions of the people can sometimes be misled and cause problems, I think it is important that the Founding Fathers considered these opinions validity when writing the Constitution. It was the job of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention to write a Constitution that they thought would be the best for America. If they didn’t think what the public wanted would be best, than they were right to distrust the American people’s passions.
    2.The area that is causing the most fear and strong passions is the economy. People are afraid to loose their jobs and their money. The uncertainty of what the future could bring and how much their lives can change is scaring them. Because money is so dear, the people have opinions on how the government should spend our money. Examples for this current election were bailouts, loans, and unemployment payments. We are also concerned with preserving the American value of individual choice which some may argue is threatened by the health care bill.
30. John Hammond November 2, 2010 at 9:52 pm

    1. The founding fathers were right to distrust the people as a whole, because people are to emotionally driven. In history, countries have been convinced to do stuff that they probably do not really want to do because of emotion. People often fail to look at future consequences and just think off of impulse and let their emotions get the best of them. The Holocaust is an example of this, because the German people were in a time of depression, and a demagogue was able to manipulate the whole country and nearly take over the whole world. The founding fathers probably saw this coming, and so they created a government that would not be susceptible to a demagogue that plays toward emotion.
    2. Currently the economy is the main issue that concerns the people. People are sick of high unemployment, low property values, and what they consider to be high taxes. People are tired of the current government and want sudden change and sudden improvement. This can be seen in the Michigan government race as well as many other races around the country. In these races people are tired of the democrat who they believe has failed and want change by voting for the other candidate no matter what. In some races, like in Nevada, it does not matter how experienced the Democrat (Harry Reid) is or how bad the Republican (Sharron
    Angle) is, the Republican will probably still win. Instead of looking at their policies and what they are saying, people are just seeing the terrible unemployment in Nevada and demanding a change in office.
31. Olivia Reader November 2, 2010 at 10:01 pm

    1. I believe that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the Constitution. They realized that many Americans would be ill informed on policy issues throughout history. Many people today do not have the facts necessary to make an educated vote. Without being fully enlightened on certain topics, they cannot understand what is best for themselves and the nation as a whole. Their voting ends up being flawed because their opinions are formed around here-say and rumor; many cannot foresee the long term effects of their voting decisions today.

    2. The main passion that is swaying the American people today is government spending. With our economy in the condition that is right now, many are fearful for their jobs and their futures. These fears result in a large number of people (Tea Party members) who support the immediate halt of government spending. Others agree that Washington needs to greatly decrease government spending but this is not the time to do it (Democratic Party). The Tea Party members would argue that the government is spending a large sum of money that we don’t have which ultimately means that inflation would increase; Democrats would argue that we need to get the industries healthy by investing money in them so they can function on their own- if we don’t, they may fail and we will go into a second recession. The Tea Party members don’t see the long term consequences of stopping government spending immediately- many people are ill informed and do not understand the total economic ramifications that might result.
32. Morris Fabbri November 2, 2010 at 10:02 pm

    1. I think that the Founding Fathers were absolutely correct in their choice to distance the government from the passions of the people when they wrote the Constitution. Especially during the turbulent postwar period, there were many radical ideas being tossed around; if any one gained enough popular support, they would be able to change the government. The people needed a government separate from the passions of those who can so easily be manipulated. In 1787, it was necessary to remove the government from the passions of the people.
    Now, in a time when corporations can spend millions of anonymous dollars on advertising and campaign donations, it is imperative that the government be able to moderate the desires of the people before making any rash decisions. The Founding Fathers knew that the people could be manipulated; they knew that the decision-making should be left in the hands of the better-informed.
    2. Right now, there are those on both sides of the political spectrum who are being swayed toward either side, most notably the far-right Tea Party. The Tea Party is afraid that the government is becoming too powerful and too removed from the people; the Tea Party is worried that the government will soon take their personal liberties. The Tea Party is also worried that the government is overtaxing the people without their consent; they feel that they are losing control of their country.
    On the other hand, there are those on the left side of the political spectrum who feel that demagogues of such groups as the Tea Party are gaining too much power. These people believe that the fears and passions of the Tea Party may begin to influence government officials to try to appease these radicals in order to get elected; those on the left believe that the government is affected too much by the passions of the people. To this day, there are still arguments as to the influence the people’s desires should have on the government.
33. Sam Mondshine November 2, 2010 at 10:06 pm

    1. The founding fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people. Even with the modern media, many people are grossly misinformed or uneducated about most issues. People cannot make impulsive decisions about policy when they are ignorant of the possible ramifications. Also, self-interest groups shouldn’t have heavy influence because they may support policies that others feel conflict with their rights. One of the great things about America is that all of the factions are forced to come together and compromise to create a more moderate policy and be sure that no single group is disadvantaged. With people not always knowing what is good for them, and self-interest groups only looking out for themselves, the founding fathers were certainly right in distrusting the public.

    2. As people head to the polls today, they are influenced by both politics and fear for their security. This years elections have unfortunately been heavily influenced by partisan voting. People are motivated to vote just to keep one party out of power. Many voters, however, are influenced by the turbulent economy and fear for their family’s fiscal security. In some states, border violence is influencing voters, and in many others it’s the outrageous military spending.
34. Hannah Katz November 2, 2010 at 10:06 pm

    I think the founding Fathers were in right to distrust the people. The inherent trend of the people to take too much power for themselves manifested itself in the Shay and Whiskey Rebellions. While of course the people need personal liberties, there must be an extent to these liberties. The Constitution provided the people with the right amount of power without having the country led to anarchy. Without as strong of a federal government, the rebellious anti-central government feelings in America may have taken over, and then democracy would have been compromised altogether. This power shouldn’t be taken too far, however; balance is everything. A stronger federal government to the point of tyranny is obviously an equally bad destroyer of liberty.
    Americans are afraid because of the economy. They are afraid of losing their jobs, of taxes that are too high, of not being able to support their families. Americans are also confused. Partisan politics are making government a complex machine that has to be sorted through to pick out the truth. Nearing the polls today, Americans are reacting to the static economy and picking Republican candidates because they want to see a new face, try something different economically. Although this may or may not be the best option, change in any form seems like a good idea on election day–the incumbent party has a disadvantage because they’ve made mistakes in office that the other party can point out. Americans are also fearful of the future for their children, which is why they are looking hard for honest and sincere candidates not tainted by corruption. However, what the American people are looking for and what candidates they choose are not always parallel.
35. Justice Echols November 2, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    1. Although there is a bit of contradiction with the distrust of people because the people that wrote the Constitution clearly displayed the same “greed-like” qualities they feared in “normal” people. The Founding Fathers were right, however, when a large mass of people are involved. There are many opinions on the way the government should be run and giving the people the power would cause much chaos and disagreement. A majority could also take control of the government and completely change the form of government to an Aristocracy for example. The Founding Fathers took charge and did what was necessary to make this country prosper but still maintain some sense of civil rights.

    2. Some passions and fears that are facing America during these times are taxes, home foreclosures, education, jobs, the war in Afghanistan, and even “going-green” issues. Many people have been losing their jobs and the jobs have been getting shipped to places with cheaper labor. Some jobs have loss value completely and some jobs are being taking over as technology advances. This lack of jobs (in Michigan specifically) has caused many people to lose their homes and cut down on their spending. The decrease in jobs has really hit education in America. Many school are being shut down and class sizes are increasing. As students, we are being deprived of a high-quality education because our state legislatures are trying to save money. People are moving and trying to dodge places that are slowly rotting. Another example of a passion in the elections is taxes. The tea party specifically has devoted their positions to lower the taxes on the rich and have a more conservative government. Can’t wait to see how the elections turn out.
36. Jasmine Berer November 2, 2010 at 10:22 pm

    Jasmine’s Response
    1. I think that the founding fathers were right to distrust the passions of American people when they wrote the constitution. The founders knew that having a pure form of democracy would be dangerous because the public is generally uniformed or interested in politics an therefore shouldn’t always be directly involved in policy making, but instead have someone to represent them. Also people sometimes get persuaded easily by demagogues and side with whatever they are told to which can be dangerous, and can become tyrannical. People also can act very impulsively, and would want to make policies that were based on their opinions and feelings at that moment instead of looking at the future effects of things. For these reasons I think the founding fathers realized that it would be unwise to have a direct democracy and was instead more wise to have a representative democracy.
    2. A lot of high-tension issues drove people to the polls today to vote. Many issues that caused people to vote deal with the economy. People are passionate about bringing jobs back to Michigan so that the unemployment rate will come down, people fear having someone in office that will outsource jobs to other countries. Another big issue in this election was taxes. Some peopled feared having their taxes raised while others think raising taxes will open up more options for social welfare programs and help fix the deficit. Another he public passion that drove people to vote was the competeitivness of these mid –terms and the fact that these elections can determine who has control in congress. The election has been very close and could go either way which probably made a lot of people just vote for their party regardless of who the candidate was so that their party could have a better chance of having control in congress.
37. Austin Kue November 2, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    1. I believe that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the Constitution. This is because the American people cannot be trusted to always be correct. If they had trusted us and created a pure democracy, it would simply be mob rule and such. One example of this is the Red Scares. Even with the distrust of the Founding Fathers, the American people were still inflamed by public passion and went into hysteria, committing many embarrassingly unspeakable acts. Another prime example of this is that of the TEA Party. If we have that many right wing nut jobs in our country, then I commend the Founders for having the foresight not to trust us, in fact, I wish that they had distrusted us more.
    2. Some passions/fears that are swaying American people right now as they head towards the polls today are concerns about the economy and military policy. Specifically on the economy, people are worried about home foreclosures, the growing federal deficit and the ill advised stimulus package, growing unemployment, poor job market, tax policy, fears of a double dip recession, the global financial markets, specifically China’s currency, stability of the Euro Zone, increasing strength in Asian and South American markets and the possibility of new economic powers emerging, and the relative strength of the US dollar. The specific issues on the war that Americans are concerned about are especially troop withdrawal in Iraq, usage of drones in Afghanistan, the terrorist threat and growing anti-American sentiment.
38. Colette Gaenssle November 2, 2010 at 10:27 pm

    1. I think that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the Constitution. There has never been one clear-cut public opinion; there are multiple opinions, and said opinions are ever-changing, largely based on fleeting passions and susceptible to manipulation. The Senate was created as a defense for the people from their own temporary opinions that they themselves will later regret. The general public simply was, and still is, too uninformed to be allowed to have the sole responsibility of making important decisions when it comes to the government. Even when they believed themselves to be informed, it is possible that that were misinformed by those purely pursuing their own interests, instead of looking out for the best interests of the country. What the public wants one day is not necessarily the same as what the public wants the next.
    2. When Americans headed to the polls today for the Midterm Elections, they were unavoidably swayed by various passions and fears spread through the media. Some of these include a fear of Socialism, a fear of higher taxes, and a general feeling of discontent with the current economic situation. Other issues of concern are property value, war, and unemployment. The average citizen is concerned with their personal welfare, and the welfare of their family above all things, especially in this current economic climate. With the rise of foreclosures returning, people will vote in a way that they believe will help ensure their security.
39. Gretchen Weed November 2, 2010 at 10:31 pm

    1.
    I think that the founding fathers were right to distrust the passions of American people, often times large masses of people are influenced negatively through fits of emotion. Also, what is popular might not always be effective for survival or relations with other countries. For example many citizens rejoiced in the news of the French Revolution, even chastising Washington for not upholding the terms of alliance, yet if America had entered the war the country most probably would have suffered, for as a young nation they required support and trade from many nations, especially Great Britain. If someone yells fire in a theatre, the word spreads quickly often being twisted and contorted even if no fire is present, as the truth is bended people are not informed that no fire actually exists and there is no need to flee the scene. This can be related politics as it is one giant rumor mill and if democracy was based on the opinions of every persons, no issues would be resolved and the country would break down undecided and full of false tales.

    2.I think some passions swaying voters at the poll today is their own personal finances, it is no secret that the economy of Michigan is in a downward spiral, through this election voters are looking for a representative who they believe will help the economy get back on track. This does not necessarily mean the same representative who has held office for years, especially with a recent campaign focusing on Change, this change in the government’s line up is a direct reflection of looking for answers outside politicians who have delivered speeches with broken promises year after year. Citizens are angry at their current situations and I think the polls will reflect this passion through a complete change and a new “savior” being elected into office.
40. Mark Melendy November 2, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    1. In my opinion, the Founding Fathers did have a sort of right to distrust the common folk of the time. The leaders at the time wanted a democracy based on people that knew what government was and why this person should be elected to power over someone else. The people of the time were mostly rural farmers that had a very low edumication and low literacy rates. If a bunch of illiterate people went to the poles and choose people randomly without considering any reasons for voting, then in theory our government could be run by a bunch of citizen monkeys, not that politics is already full of them already.
    2. Right now the biggest issue concerning voters is the economy. The economy went sour during the Bush years, but the voters decided to give him a second chance in his second term; that did not go well. The voters then went to vote for a Democratic president. He promised change, but hasn’t really held up his end of the bargain. So voters are now voting for Republicans to see if they can fix the economy, if they do then they have a chance at the presidency in 2012, if not then more Democrats will be getting elected. Another issue is Health Care. Many people are seeing that the Health Care they wanted was not the same bill that was being discussed in the next election. These voters may then want to have the bill repealed by the Republicans.
41. Michael Schwartz November 2, 2010 at 10:40 pm

    1. Yes I do believe the Founding Fathers had a right to distrust the passions of the American people when they wrote the constitution. Throughout our history the American people have been quick, or even eager, to rally behind any public figure offering a better future no matter how radical. An example of this was Shays’s Rebellion when thousands of western Massachusetts farmers rose up in economic protest under Daniel Shays. As well as America’s fleeting passions, an important factor is their ignorance. Consider how uninformed the majority of today’s public is, we seem to only care and know about relatively simple matters. It must have been even worse in the time of the Founding Fathers where the fastest means of transporting information was on horseback , incomparable to today’s internet and television news.
    2. I think that today when Americans vote the most pressing issue in their minds is the economy. With the housing market down and employment still up, voters will be voting primarily on who they think can bring us out of this recession. Since now both the House and the Senate are controlled by the Democrats, many Americans have focused their blame and anger towards them. Major issue in peoples mind will also be the health care bill, and the growing national debt. I think the ultimate decision will be based on the candidate that has the best plan for change and can promise to make change happen fast. It will be interesting to see the outcome.
42. Meredith Starkman November 2, 2010 at 10:41 pm

    1. When the Founding Fathers wrote the constitution I do believe that they had a right to be weary of the American people as a whole. I feel this way for a variety of different reasons, the first of which being that our society tends to be very ill informed. People often times act (and in this case vote) solely based on their emotions and passions and not on the facts of the matter. In the time that the constitution was written, media and public access to political news was either nonexistent or incredibly limited. For this reason as well, the founding fathers had every right to be hesitant in their trusting of the American people and their frequently misguided opinions.

    2. This midterm election is an unbelievably crucial one in our country. Many different passions and fears are pushing citizens to vote one way or another. Ineffective leadership in congress is one issue that is troubling the American people. Since the change Obama preached so passionately about throughout his campaign has failed to show itself as clearly and quickly as citizens hoped, the Democratic Party as a whole has felt the nation’s backlash. Another problem being addressed in this election is the controversy regarding how much power the government should have. A specific example of this can be seen in the recently passed Health Care Reform Bill drawn up by president Obama. Although Democratic leaders praised Obama for the groundbreaking legislation, the reform also received plenty of criticism from republicans – criticizing such overbearing government intervention.

    Meredith Starkman
    4th hour
43. Evan Slon November 2, 2010 at 10:55 pm

    1. Indeed the constitutional creators were correct in a blatant distrust of the american people. Simply put, the average Intelligence Quotient is 100, and running a democracy requires a higher I.Q. than aforementioned number. The founding fathers had no way yet to accurately quantify an individuals competence, but they also realized that all brains are not created equal and built safeguards against the less scholarly folk. As we all know, one demagogue can lead an entire country into genocide: so is it not conceivable that heightened passions in a faction can lead to wrong decisions against liberty? but still to say that the american people have no voice would be a lie: its just that by the time that voice reaches the top, its lost its thunder.
    2. What worries people today is the economy. People arriving at polls possibly lacking a house or a job or a reliable credit score. And in truth, people no longer want to live in fear of their money. If one were to step back from the overwhelming punditry and horribly lacking, incompetent third party candidates, they’d realize that regardless of who you put in office, its going to take time to remedy this recession. However, luckily, built into our government are safeguards against anti-masturbators and witches.
44. Anisha Glanton November 2, 2010 at 11:02 pm

    1. I definitely believe that the Founding Fathers were right to distrust the American people’s passions when they drew up the Constitution because their values and passions changed after events on home soil and abroad. They were influenced by what was going on around them in the newly born country, and they could have made rash decisions that would have seemed beneficial at the time, but in the long run could have been very deadly. Plus some people’s passions and ideals can change and be influenced very easily, so the overall views would have been across the spectrum on most issues. On the other hand, I still agree that the people should advocate what they believed to be just and fair. Their values, however, were very inconsistent, so they should not have been trusted when the Constitution was written.
    2. The economy was definitely one of the big concerns of the American people right now as the midterm elections approached. The current state of the economy isn’t providing enough jobs for America, producing enough revenue to pull us out of this recession, or getting rid of our national debt. People are getting worried and feel as if Obama’s administration deserves the blame, so they vote republican so the Senate and House of Representatives can ‘turn this mess around’ and ‘prevent him from doing anymore damage.’ Even though it is not just one president’s fault, the people believe that the republicans can do something to fix the recession.
45. Zack Kozlow November 2, 2010 at 11:12 pm

    1. The Founding Fathers were right to some extent when they distrusted the people in the writing of the constitution. Even though this country was built on the idea of democracy- where the people rule, too much of that democracy can be harmful to the country. People are often uninformed on issues or let their emotions and passions get the best of them. Misleading advertisements can also sway people’s opinions. This can lead to poor decisions from the people, which make for a weak government. The founding fathers worked to give power to the people while still giving power to the government to be a watchdog over the people. This “watchdog” government sort of brings the people together and steers them in the right direction.

    2. To this day, people are still letting their passions and fears sway their decisions in government. Today was Election Day, and many factors contributed to swaying the vote of the American people. Most of these factors have to do with the economy. People are upset with the unemployment rates, the high taxes, and just the economy as a whole. President Obama is trying to mend these problems by creating universal health care and by taking over private companies. People are beginning to fear that these efforts are too “socialistic” for America. Because Obama and the Democrats are in control of the government right now, people are going to blame them for the problems of the time. This will encourage people to vote for the Republican candidates.
46. Conor F November 2, 2010 at 11:12 pm

    Blog #5 Conor Flynn

    1. The founding Fathers were correct to be wary of the power of factions and special interests. The views of the peoples opions changes to radically too quickly. Political elites have much more stable opions of domestic policy then the public does. the public is easily effected by curent events and their fiews change quickly. The government that the founding fathers designed precvents the radical ideas of factions and special interest from over running the country so in a way the government is moderating the views of the people and then making policy based on the public views but severely moderated. The founding fathers did a very good jon intisipating the problems of
    2. specific examples of motivating factors for voters are the ever expasion of the size of american government. The increase in the number of socialistic programs and the increases in taxes. Obamas white house has created a position that is not supported by republicans becasue it is too liberal and not supported by the democratic base becasue they don’t see obamas stance as liberal enough. Many Repblican voters went to the polls today to vote against the health care bill and other large government programs. They also went to vote for lower taxes and smaller government. the tea party campained on the principle of controlling governments expanson and srinking it back down to a more managable size.
47. Emma Salter November 2, 2010 at 11:33 pm

    1) I think that the Founding Fathers were right in distrusting the American people; at this time in our nation’s history, nothing was stable. Everyone was changing their mind at some point, and no one could agree on how to run their infant country now that they had the freedom to do so; they had a basic foundation for what they knew they did not want, but when it came to deciding on what they did want, this new found independence was overwhelming to say the least. Someone needed to step up and start making decisions before everything they had fought for, such as the freedom to make said decisions, came crumbling down. It was wise of our founding fathers to organize a group of men (although some diversity would have been nice) to collaborate on how their new country would be run. If they had not had this council, America would not have turned out to be the wonderful country it is today; no decisions would have been made on how to even get it started, due to the many different voices we are free to have in the United States. Instead, it may have been a puzzling mix of many diverse opinions.
    2) Our country is, in an essence, struggling with some of the same issues as our founding fathers faced. We still have many people with different opinions who all want what they think is right for America. With voting coming to a close tonight, we will see where America thinks it should put its trust, after trial and error in the past decades. Perhaps we will soon find a leader who will solve some of the main concerns of the average American, including: taxation and the economy in general, the war on terror, and, in general, as it was in the late 1700’s and is still today, fulfilling the American dream.
48. Jasmine Acharya November 2, 2010 at 11:53 pm

    1. I definitely believe that the Founding Fathers were correct in their distrust of the American people. People tend to get very worked up over illogical passions such as prejudice and hate. I do not believe that government should enforce policies based on such detrimental principles; in fact, government should strive to protect the public from those oppressive forces in society. If America had been founded as a direct democracy, the abolitionist cause may have been stifled and defeated before it could really impact the evil slave system. Furthermore, we elect leaders for a reason—because we need to be lead. The politicians we elect are supposed to be able to make rational decisions that will benefit their constituencies. Sometimes people want to exercise their freedom in a way that would greatly harm the liberty and well being of another citizen. It is important to protect everyone from the harmful forces in society, because what an oppressive majority wants is probably not actually the best thing to do for the country.

    2. Passions that are swaying the public opinion during today’s elections are greatly varied. For many, it is a general bitterness toward the Democratic Party and dissatisfaction with President Obama. For many it is the issue of the weak economy and the federal deficit, as well as the extremely high unemployment rate. Another important issue is national health care reform—many voters, both liberal and conservative, are very unhappy with the national health care bill; most people believe either that it does too little or does too much. Issues like national security, immigration policy, gay rights, and the war in Iraq also work to influence voter opinion in this year’s midterm election.
49. Cheyenne Stone November 3, 2010 at 6:41 am

    I think that the founding fathers were right to distrust the people as they wrote the constitution. The people of this new country had just fought a war, and their ideas and values had been altered since before the seperation from Britian. Plus, they were about to create a country that put a lot of the power of the government in the hands of the people. A lot of the time, people vote and make decisions based on emotion, especially if they were not informed enough. This is could definitly happen at this point in the country.

    There are many concerns that the people are facing today as they head out to the polls. The biggest one is the economy, in that people are voting for a candidate that will bring their state out of debt, and back to normal. There arent enough jobs in America today, so people are going to want a candidate that will make new plans that will create new jobs. People have personal finances that need to be dealt with as well, so people will probably base their votes a little selfishly on who will help them the most.
50. Michael Aughton November 3, 2010 at 6:54 am

    1. The Founding Fathers did have somewhat of a right to distrust the American people, even though in some sense the Founding Fathers were just Americans who happened to be in the right position. However, other Americans may not have known what to do had they been given these sorts of positions or power. I am not trying to say that other Americans would act idiotic and rash in such a position, but, commonly, what the people want is not always for their best interest. For example, when we were all small kids, most of us wanted to stay home from school, eat tons of candy, and play video games or read or do some other activity all day. Sure, it may be what we wanted to do, but was it really in our best interest? No. What was in our best interest was completely different from what we really wanted, and that’s just the case for Americans and politics and government.

    2. Going into the polls, there are several things that keep on one’s mind that will deeply affect how he or she votes. Among these, of course, is the economy and how taxes and the values of property are affecting so many. Many people are struggling through this time, and they want something new, anything new that will make their situation better. Many people falsely blame the current government and Obama for most of this, when in fact, much of it is a remainder from our former president Bush. Among other factors influencing people are the war on terror, the national health care reform, and, of course, the everlasting fear that Barack Obama is clearly a Muslim and is not even from the United States, and therefore all Democrats are evil and trying to turn everything into a socialist society (fears like this relate back to question 1, questioning the intellect and aptitude of Americans who truly believe this).

    (And no, I obviously do not agree with such an opinion)