The Idea of Pluralism in the Workings of the Constitution Convention
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Category: US History
Date Submitted: 03/06/2014 10:57 PM
Mu-Hsuan Chiang
POLS 355
Professor Alan Buckley
9/25/2013
The Idea of Pluralism in the Workings of the Constitution Convention
“The fundamental importance of the 1787 Constitutional Convention is indisputable, not only as a turning point in the history of the United States, but also as an event that continues to affect contemporary politics” (Pope and Shawn 1). Indeed, the historical significance of the Constitution Convention and its direct impact on American contemporary politics cannot be ignored. For over two-hundred years, the Constitution of the United States has served as the foundation for the American system of government. It defined the structure and limits of the American political system and created an elaborate the system of checks and balances as a means of controlling the power of government. Since the ratification of the Constitution, many political reformers and scientists had begun examining the theoretical perspective behind the working of the Constitutional Convention and the ratification debate. At the center of these examinations highlighted the debate on whether the foundation of the Constitution Convention was based on the idea of pluralism – a multitude of groups, represented by the will of people, governed the United States or power elitism – well-positioned and highly influential individuals made the decisions for the nation. Some political scientists claimed that the Constitution Convention produced a form of government that protects elite interests, while other argued that it was merely a pluralistic nature. As evidenced by the argument for Federalism, the system of checks and balances in the Constitution, and the addition of the Bill of Rights during the ratification process,
the final product of the Constitutional Convention was a pluralistic compromise.
James Madison, one of the Founding Fathers of the Constitution, sat out to create a political system based on the principle of pluralism that would welcome diversity and...
