Was the American political system designed to protect the powerful and privileged?

Question

mission accomplished?

Answer 1

Yes, mission accomplished. The U.S. was not founded on equality of all people. The nice rhetoric of "all men are created equal" was meant that all rich white men were created equally. White men who had private property. Women (including white women), slaves, Native Americans and all other minorities weren't included in this sentence although we include them in the sentence now. From the beginning of the U.S., it has always been that the powerful and the privileged were under protection.

Answer 2

Yes
read Douglas Harvey's "A few bloody noses" The Myths and Realities of the American Revolution.
Then look at our history as a nation willing to commit most any crime (the CIA just fessed up to a bunch of stuff that many people accused them of in the 70's and were derided as everything from kooks to alarmists to anti-american,kinda sounds familiar n'est-ce pas?)and circumvent most any treaty(talk to any native tribe or virtually any country with whom we have had trade agreements) or support the most tyrannical regimes (south america's various countries at various times ya'll have heard of "banana republics", vietnam, africa and so it goes) for a buck i.e. "protect our interests"
The electoral college was put in place specifically to protect from what was called "rabble politics" ...if enough of the right people do not cast their ballots....then the popularly elected is not elected. People think that the electoral college is designed to level the effects of population from state to state but from a statistical point this is not valid as the electoral college is weighted by population! bigger states get more votes duh

Answer 3

It certainly seems that way at times, doesn't it?

Take, for example, the conservatives who promote the "global market" concept, which has obviously led to the loss of many American jobs to cheaper Asian and Indian labor.

But try to apply that same concept to seniors who want to travel across a border to buy cheaper pharmaceuticals and it doesn't seem to carry over to them.

What's up with that?

Answer 4

Actually, yes, it was. When the Framers put together the Declaration and the Constitution, it was the wealthy landowners' interest they were trying to protect the most, because they were consideredthe ruling class. Slaves, women, and the average schmoe were not really included because they were not in the same class as the land owners.

Answer 5

Since the Federal Reserve was established!

It has been furthered through economic globalization with the World Trade Organization and our trade agreements!!

EDIT:LoriK it may have designed to ......but in practice it really doesn't!

Answer 6

The men who drafted the constitution tried to correct all the wrongs in government that went on before them. Sure there is always privledge, but part of the American dream is mobility between classes. Lets face it, it was the best system ever tried. I'm afraid now it is declining in many respects.

Answer 7

good question...simple answer.
because these same people run everything and the ones who are trying to do something about it keep getting blocked, but the time is coming for change.
There are some great leaders Rep. & Dem trying to make a difference

Answer 8

The American political system was designed to protect all Americans. Paris Hilton and her famiily would probably disagree with your assertion.

Answer 9

No, it wasn't. However, money and power can buy you lots of things just like it has in every other political or social system that has existed since people settled together into cities.

Answer 10

yes
because those who arranged the rules were themselves powerful and privileged so will never establish any law which is against them