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Has the US Constitution enabled or hampered the expansion of democratic participation?

Hezekiah Eallis

Well, I think that the US Constitution has enabled and hampered the expansion of democratic participation at the same time. Let me explain.

On the one hand, the Constitution established the framework for the country's political system, which includes a representative democracy with three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. This system has allowed Americans to elect their representatives, participate in the decision-making process, and hold their officials accountable.

Moreover, the Constitution has undergone several amendments that have expanded democratic participation by granting voting rights to more people. For example, the 15th Amendment prohibited the government from denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, and the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.

However, the Constitution has also hampered the expansion of democratic participation in various ways. Perhaps the most significant obstacle has been the lack of proportional representation in Congress. Despite the country's demographic changes, the number of representatives in the House of Representatives has remained fixed at 435 since 1911. As a result, some states are overrepresented, and others are underrepresented, which can distort the will of the majority.

Moreover, the Electoral College, which is established in the Constitution, has sometimes resulted in the election of a president who did not receive the majority of the popular vote. This situation has happened five times, including in the 2016 election when Republican Donald Trump won the presidency despite receiving nearly three million fewer votes than his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Furthermore, voter suppression, gerrymandering, and other forms of electoral malpractice have disadvantaged certain groups of people and prevented them from participating fully in the democratic process. For instance, in the 2020 General Election, an estimated 1 in 16 Black men were disenfranchised due to a felony conviction, disproportionately affecting their ability to participate in democracy.

In conclusion, while the US Constitution has provided a framework for democratic participation, it has also created obstacles that have hindered the expansion of democracy. Nevertheless, it remains a vital and evolving document that will continue to play a crucial role in shaping American democracy in the future.