The Constitution and the Magna Carta

[unixronin]

cipherpunk discusses the differences between the two, and how the government has turned a short and strictly enumerated list of only seventeen things it is allowed by the Constitution to do, all other things being forbidden to it, into "We can do whatever we want".

Comments

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Even granted that there were recognitions in the drafting of the Constitution of demands necessary for ratification of the Constitution by the South, I fail to see what this has to do with the enumeration of powers.

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

The limited powers of the Federal government was part of what made the deal acceptable to the South. The limits even, weren't enough to satisfy the Southern delgations and specific concessions were written into the document as well--they even gave the South extra seats in the House for the non-voting slaves. The sense of entitlement of aristocrats, apparently, was hard at work.