Is The Constitution A Living Or Dead Essay

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Pages: 4

Is our Constitution a living or a dead document? This is an interesting argument that is brought up in many a political conversation. For years, Democrats and Republicans have disputed the topic, always finding some way to undermine the other. Without question, the answer for many would lie heavily on what side of the fence they were on. After taking a look at what this means to each party, I will express my own thoughts on the subject.

Why are the terms living or dead used when referring to a document? This is the question on everyone’s mind. When something is alive, it grows and changes. By definition, a living document is one that is continuously updated. If something is considered dead, the opposite happens and it ceases to grow or adapt. A dead document is one that will never see updates. As for the Constitution, this theory relates to its relevance. Basically, it’s a decision on whether or not the Constitution appertains to today’s contemporary society as it did during the time of our
Founding Fathers, or if it is no longer consequential and effective.

Why do Democrats believe the Constitution is a living document? Democrats are in many ways still ardent to the Constitution. According to Dictionary.com,
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The Constitution was made for the people by the people. It was not constructed for the government to have a larger and larger role until the people have no say. No individual is given the authority to alter any laws of the Constitution, if a change is to be made, the people should have a voice in what should be done, not the individual. Again, even though an alteration may be convenient for that single person, it could produce a major uproar that could disrupt the overall balance and leave our nation in shambles. Manipulation is more often used for evil than good. It only take one crack in the foundation to make the dam