Friedrich A. Hayek, The US Constitution, and institutional design (2016)
The history of the composition and ratification of the Constitution gives abundant material for a deep understanding of institutional and social establishments created on its basis. The author argues that a lawmaker cannot design a constitution because the final result will not match with the initial idea and intention (Calabresi, 2016). At the same time, the author provides a detailed description of the functions of the Constitution as a means of planning and regulating processes within society.
It becomes evident that the power of the federal government in general, as well as of its executive and judicial branches that become stronger after the Philadelphia Convention, does not suppress the authority of state governments. It is especially noted that in spite of the initial assumption that it is impossible for a legislator to create the Constitution, the system of debates helps to develop the main law of the country as a “Planned System of Order” (Calabresi 2016, p. 232). This site is useful because it provides an argumentative basis for an understanding of historical trends in the development of the Constitution in the USA in such a manner that it becomes clear why the Constitution of 1787 is observed nowadays in the same way it has been observed since 1789.
Ideas, words, and the 1788 ratification debates (2017)
The Constitution of 1776 is a good subject for research and investigation. The analysis of the principal component of ratification debates (1788) includes the clarification of ideas and word meanings aiming at determining the sides’ positions. Linguistic research grounded on the text analysis and spatial modeling has qualified the debates as a “unidimensional” activity that took place between those who were for the Constitution and those who were against it (Londregan, 2017, p.28).
The Ratification Debates investigation allows the use of various approaches. On the one hand, the modern analysis is based on examining the differences in the arguments taken in isolation rather than in analyzing the context. On the other hand, old investigations were based on examining private communication of the leaders, representing the opposing sides. Modern investigations demonstrate a thorough understanding of the language models used while creating the U.S. governmental system, and the influence they have on modern American society. This resource is useful as it gives a profound understanding of the discordance of opinions on the subject of the Constitution and position of the state, and provides a detailed, well-grounded analysis of historical facts and documents.
Constitutional convention and ratification, 1787–1789. (2017)
The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia between May and September back in 1787. The main issue of the Convention was strengthening the position of the central government, as its competence in the spheres of the domestic and foreign policy had to be strengthened. The established Convention granted the federal government some specific powers the most important of which were related to foreign policy and the processes of conducting and establishing relations with foreign countries.
In the sphere of domestic policy, the economic issues including the tax policy were raised and discussed. In 1789 as a result of the ratification of the Constitution, the state was granted new governmental machinery to be tested, approved, and put into operation. This site is useful as it gives us an insight into the role that negotiation of domestic economic problems and foreign affairs has played in casting the fundamentals of the USA constitutional arrangement.
References
Calabresi, S. G. (2016). Friedrich A. Hayek, the US Constitution, and institutional design. Web.
Londregan, J. B. (2017). Ideas, words, and the 1788 ratification debates. Web.
Office of the Historian. (2017). Constitutional convention and ratification, 1787–1789. Web.