Summary: Can A More Perfect Union Exist?
If there was a way to construct a government so reliable that it could never fall into corruption, what would it be? The Founding Fathers of the United States wanted a Constitution that would reflect this — a document that could clearly illustrate the rights of their citizens, and would prevent their new country from having a fate similar to Great Britain's. They wanted a more perfect union. Can a more perfect union exist? Alexander Hamilton, George Washington’s right-hand man, wanted a government that could gain the same power that Great Britain achieved, so he built a financial plan that drew inspiration from Britain’s government. His plan to build a national bank drew many controversies, as many influential figures believed that it was unconstitutional,
…show more content…
Furthermore, Jefferson thought that a national bank would only grant “convenience” to the government, though “the Constitution allows only the means which are ‘necessary,’” (Jefferson, paragraph 7). The government does not need to institute a national bank only because it would be easier for them. By doing so, Jefferson thought that it would be a massive leap in Congress’s power and interfere with the necessary and proper clause of the constitution — this clause states that Congress shall have the power “to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers,” (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution). Convenience is certainly not necessary to the government, and by allowing Congress to make this leap, it’s simply unprecedented what other leaps they might make in the future. Jefferson believed that the Constitution was a strict document, while Hamilton believed it was more forgiving and left open for interpretation by the citizens of the United States. So in Jefferson’s interpretation of the Constitution, what Hamilton was trying to do was not
Furthermore, Jefferson thought that a national bank would only grant “convenience” to the government, though “the Constitution allows only the means which are ‘necessary,’” (Jefferson, paragraph 7). The government does not need to institute a national bank only because it would be easier for them. By doing so, Jefferson thought that it would be a massive leap in Congress’s power and interfere with the necessary and proper clause of the constitution — this clause states that Congress shall have the power “to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers,” (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution). Convenience is certainly not necessary to the government, and by allowing Congress to make this leap, it’s simply unprecedented what other leaps they might make in the future. Jefferson believed that the Constitution was a strict document, while Hamilton believed it was more forgiving and left open for interpretation by the citizens of the United States. So in Jefferson’s interpretation of the Constitution, what Hamilton was trying to do was not