Americans revere the US Constitution. But where did it come from? Two points:
- It was heavily copied from the Roman Republic of 2,000 years ago.
- It was not copied from ancient Greece, known for “democracy.”
To briefly highlight each …
1. It was heavily copied from the Romans
Five major copied items:
- The 3-branch structure of the government. For more, read 3 Branches of Government in the Roman Republic.
- The Electoral College, which remains, to this day, a big safe-guard against a “pure” democracy (i.e., one person, one vote, with a single majority rule, by the popular vote). For more, read: The Electoral College – Origin and History.
- A House of Representatives elected “by the People of the several States” (Constitution of the United States), where “the People” refer to some property-owning white men only, just like the Romans did.
- “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature” (Constitution of the United States), just like the Romans did.
- The two eagles are shown below. Do not they look eerily alike?
2. It was not copied from ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is best known for “democracy” (Athenian democracy).
The Framers detested democracy, as highlighted by the image below.
3. Discussion
The word “democracy” is not in the U.S. Constitution!
In addition, several institutional mechanisms protected the republic to prevent “rule by a simple majority” (aka “the popular vote”) from happening, then or in the future! For example, three different forms of majority were instituted for the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, respectively, with the Electoral College being the most critical and controversial today.
The Romans invented the Electoral College to safeguard against the popular vote, and the Framers copied it.
4. More discussion
Everything is subject to change. The U.S. Constitution should be no exception!
5. Closing
America, reform our failing political system, as I have suggested (History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline), or face a bloody revolution (A quarter of Americans open to taking up arms against government, poll says)!
