There are many things in the Constitution that may be confusing for numerous reasons. Sometimes the way in which a sentence was written in 1787 may not parallel with our modern syntax, or the topic that is being addressed doesn’t make sense and the list goes on. Fortunately there is a website that can clear up many misunderstandings of the Constitution. Here the National Constitution Center offers an interactive Constitution. You can go through the whole Constitution and click on the highlighted parts (every sentence is highlighted) and it explains what the Framer is conveying. I clicked on this sentence: “The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.” This may seem vague, so here is what I got from the explanation that followed.
The Vice President is a member of the executive and legislative branch, thus he is a member of two branches and the only person who enjoys this duality. He is also the Senate’s “presiding officer” and has the ability to be a swing vote for when the House is divided. This “is one of the checks and balances the executive branch has over the legislative branch.” Now, read the selection from the Constitution. It should make more sense the second time through. I believe that this site (http://www.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/) is very useful and beneficial to the understanding of American government and of the document that binds a nation together. So next time you hear a reference to the Constitution, or have some research or just want some clarification, visit this website and it should be immensely helpful; it was for me.
The Vice President is a member of the executive and legislative branch, thus he is a member of two branches and the only person who enjoys this duality. He is also the Senate’s “presiding officer” and has the ability to be a swing vote for when the House is divided. This “is one of the checks and balances the executive branch has over the legislative branch.” Now, read the selection from the Constitution. It should make more sense the second time through. I believe that this site (http://www.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/) is very useful and beneficial to the understanding of American government and of the document that binds a nation together. So next time you hear a reference to the Constitution, or have some research or just want some clarification, visit this website and it should be immensely helpful; it was for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment