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CalebBertumen
Humanities10:Block2
Mrs.AmbroseandMs.Augustine
26October2015
ConstitutionalDemocracy:ThePowerofthePeople
Beingheardisthebestfeelingwhenparticipatinginasituationthatdealswithnotonly
you,butagroupofothers.Thatiswhyaconstitutionaldemocracyisthebestformof
governmentthatissuccessfulandfunctionsproperly.Notonlydoesthisgovernmentseparate
powerthroughbranches,theyalsotakeinthecitizensideastoaccount,makingtheirvoices
heard.Ifcitizensdontfeelfreeandarentabletoparticipateinthegroupthatgovernsthem,
thenmanythingswillgowrong.
Aconstitutionaldemocracymainlyconsistsofarepresentative,threebranches,and
officialsthatareassignedspecificjobs.Throughthethreebranchsystem,powerisseparated,so
noconflictwithabusingpowerwillarise.Thisgovernmentenforcesrecognizedlimitsonthose
whogovernandmostimportantly,theyallowthevoiceofthepeopletobeheard.Thepeopleget
toelectthosewhogovernthroughfree,fair,andrelativelyfrequentelections.Allthesereasons
makethisgovernmentthebestofall.Notonlydoesitpreventabusingofpower,buttheyinvolve
thepeopletheygovern,whichismostimportantsincetheyknowwhatsbestforthecountry.
TwophilosopherswhoareforaconstitutionaldemocracyareJohnLockeandBaronde
Montesquieu.JohnLocke,anenlightenmentthinkerofthe1600s,believedthatallpeoplehad
thenaturalrighttolife,libertyandproperty.Tomakesurethepeoplekeepthoserights,the
governmentwastoprotectthem.Hearguedthatgovernmentsshouldoperatewiththeconsent,


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orapproval,ofthepeoplebeinggoverned.(BiographicalBriefingonJohnLocke).Thisgoes
alongwiththecitizensinvolvement.Theygettovotefortheoneswhogovernandalsoon
decisionsthataffectthem.Anotherphilosopherthatagreeswithaconstitutionaldemocracyis
Montesquieu,whobelievedthatthegovernmentshouldbeseparatedinto3branches,whicha
constitutionaldemocracycontains.AccordingtoMontesquieu,branchofgovernmentchecks
(limits)thepoweroftheothertwo.Thisway,nobranchofgovernmentcanthreatenthefreedom
ofthepeople,andtyrannycanbeavoided(BiographicalBriefingonBarondeMontesquieu).
Thisisknownasseparationofpowers.Thisway,therewouldbenoabusingofpower,which
governmentwithaheadchiefareabletodo.Inaddition,byMontesquieu,nopowercanbe
abusethroughthethreebranchsystem.Thesetwophilosophersbothbelieveagovernment
shouldincludethepeoplewhoarebeinggoverned.
Next,theresPiggywhoalsosupportsademocracy.Hesnotaphilosopher,buta
characterinthebookLordoftheFliesbyWilliamGolding.Hedisplayscharacteristicsthata
constitutionaldemocracycontains.Theconch.Igottherighttospeak(Golding45).Ifaruleis
set,thenPiggyalwaysenforcesittotheotherboys,oratleasttries.Forexample,theconchgives
therighttospeaktowhomeverholdsit,duringassemblies.Piggywastheonewhotookthisrule
veryseriously.Soletshearfromthatlittlunwhotalkedaboutabeastandperhapswecanshow
himhowsillyheis(Golding84).OnetraitthatmakesPiggydifferentthantheotherboysis
howhehandlessituations.Fortheeventfromtheevidence,thelittluns,ortheyoungestboys,are
scaredofasocalledBeastie.Whiletheolderboysdealtwiththesituationinawrongway,
Piggyactuallytooktimeouttolistentothelittlunsstoriesandfigureoutwaystosolvetheir


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problem.Enforcingtherulesandtakingtimeouttolistentothecitizenswordsarethingsthata
constitutionaldemocracyisformedaround.
Ontheotherhand,Jack,whodidntwanttolistentothelittlunsandwantedthemtojust
dealwiththefear,isacharacterwhowouldntagreewithaconstitutionaldemocracy.
Throughoutthebook,therearemanytimeswhereheactsselfishanddoesntcareaboutwhatthe
otherswantasawhole.Becauseofthis,theformofgovernmentthatwouldrepresenthimisa
dictatorship,whichisthetotaloppositeofaconstitutionaldemocracy.Sothisisameetingto
findoutwhatswhat.Illtellyouwhatswhat.Anyway,youdonthuntorbuildorhelpyoure
alotofcrybabiesandsissies.Thatswhat.Andasforthefear,youllhavetoputupwiththat
liketherestofus(Golding82).Jackdidntcareabouthowtheyfeltnorwantedtodealwiththe
situation.Thiswasjustoneevent,butthroughoutthewholestory,hedisplayedhisselfishness
andcrueltytotheboys.WheneverPiggyhadanideaorenforcedtheconch,Jackwouldmake
surethatPiggyfeltworthlessbyyellingandinsultinghim.HesgoingtobeatWilfred.Hegot
angryandmadeustieWilfredup(Golding159).Jackwasnotonlycrueltotheboysverbally,
butwhenhewaschiefofhisowngroup,hebeattheoneswhowerentcooperative.Thus,
provinghistotalselfishnessandlackofcareforothers.Thesearetraitsthataconstitutional
democracydefinitelywouldnotconsistof.
AsconflictsemergedbetweentheboysinLordoftheFlies,aconstitutionaldemocracy
wouldmakessureeverybodyhasachancetogiveoutideastosolvetheconflict.Withtheconch,
everybodysattentionlieswithintheholder.Therefore,everybodyhearsalltheideasandcan
decidewhichisbestbetweenthem.Therewasalsoavotingprocess.Inthebeginningofthe


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book,theboysvotedthecharacterRalphaschief,overJack.Whendecidingonchoicesduring
theassembly,theboyswouldthenvotetogenerateafinalresult.
Astherearetwophilosopherswhoareforaconstitutionaldemocracy,therearetwo
philosopherswhoareagainstthisformofgovernment,whosenamesareThomasHobbesand
Plato.First,theresThomasHobbes,whobelievedthatpeoplewereborngreedyandselfish.
Becausethepeopleareonlyinterestedinpromotingtheirowninterests,Hobbesbelievedthat
democracyallowingcitizenstovoteforgovernmentleaderswouldneverwork(Biographical
BriefingonHobbes).Instead,hisidealformofgovernmentwasamonarchysothecountryhas
authoritativefigureforguidanceandmakingdecisions.ThentheresPlato,aphilosopherand
mathematicianinClassicalGreece.Hecriticizeddemocracyasmobrulewheretheignorant
anduneducatedmajoritygovern,ratherthanthewiseandvirtuous(BiographicalBriefingon
Plato).Heenforcededucationandbelievedthateachpersonsrolewastobedeterminedbythe
citizenstalentandwhattheyaremostskilledin.Forhisidealgovernment,asdescribedinhis
bookTheRepublic,wasrulebyphilosopherkings,andconsistedoftheking,populace
(people)andadministration.Thesetwophilosophersfoundmanynegativesindemocracies
becausetheybelievedthattheywereruledbytheselfish,uneducated,andtheignorant.
But,thesenegativesdontoutweighthepositivesofthisgovernment.Manyoftheother
governmentshavetheheadauthoritymakingdecisions,buttheydontknowwhatisallgoingon
withinthecountry.Thecitizensthemselvesknowwhatsbestforthem.Sotheyshouldhave
somepowerwithdecidingwhatisgoingtoaffectthem.Thatiswhytheconstitutional
democracyallowsthecitizenstohaveavoiceandalsovoteforwhogovernsthem.Thenthere
arethebranches:judicial,executive,andlegislative.Thesebranchesmakesurethatnoone


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abusespower,sincethepowerisdistributedevenlybetweenthethree.Ifanythingbadhappens
insidethegovernmentstructure,oranabuseofpower,thenthecitizensgettovoteforthemto
stepdown/Thenvotingfortheonewhoreplaces.
Manythingscanbeavoidedthattheotherformsofgovernmentshavetoface,whichis
whyaconstitutionaldemocracyisbest.Theconstitutionaldemocracyusedthethreebranch
systemtomakesurethatpowerisstable.Andmostimportantly,thepeoplewhoaregovernedget
toparticipate.Theyhavesomeformofpower,whichisthefinestideabecausetheyknowwhats
bestforthem,sincethegovernmentismaintainingthecountrytheylivein.Thegovernment
maintainsthecountry,buttheydoitsuccessfullythroughtheinputofthepeople.


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WorksCited
BiographicalBriefingonBarondeMontesquieuTeachersCurriculumInstitute.WH101,
Activity1.2.pgs.1819
BiographicalBriefingonJohnLockeTeachersCurriculumInstitute.WH101,Activity1.2.
pgs.1415
BiographicalBriefingonPlatoTeachersCurriculumInstitute.WH101,Activity1.2.
pgs.2021
BiographicalBriefingonThomasHobbesTeachersCurriculumInstitute.WH101,Activity
1.2.pgs.1213
Golding,William.LordoftheFlies.NewYork:PenguinGroup,1954.