U.s constitution?

Question

how democratic was the process to ratify the constitution and how democratic is the constitution itself?

Answer 1

Its important to understand that both the process and construction of the constitution is based on a democric repulbic, not a strict democracy. The difference is that in a Dem Rep the people directly elect officials who represent them in government, as opposed to a democracy where the people directly run their government, or a republic where the government is run more as an ologarchy.

Answer 2

There is some debate over how democratic the process to draft and ratify our Constitution was.  

The main argument of those who say it wasn't democratic is that women, blacks, non-property holding white men, etc. were all barred from voting on it back in the 1780s, either directly or indirectly.  

A counter argument to that is that you can't judge the past by the standards of the present.  At the time of its drafting and rafitication, only white property holding men could vote.  They weren't as "enlightened" as we are now, but that doesn't change the fact that at the time, America was the most free nation on earth.  The Constitution was drafted in such a way that it could accommodate changes to it - such as the Civil War Amendments (13-15) which made blacks equal to whites and the XIX Amendment (women's suffrage).  My opinion is that any defects with the Constitution's original drafting and ratification have been remedied by Amendments 13-15 and 19.

Answer 3

In the USA in 1787 1 out of 7 people could vote. Basically you had to be male, white, 21-over, protestant, and own property. most people hardly knew how to read or write, the most popularly signed name was X for example. The people

who were rich or were in the artisan/shop owners class, the merchants, and in the south the plantation owners realized that this Constitution was in their best interests. Most poor people were farmers and if the rich/middle class benefited from this new government so would they, trickle down maybe?

The new government was and STILL IS A REPUBLIC. A republic is where those who can vote can influence and control the government. We are NOT an INDIRECT DEMOCRACY. Not all people in the USA are eligible to vote.

Minors under 18 may be denied the right to vote, non citizens-aliens cannot vote nor may felons.

  The Constitution was ratified at State Conventions made up of representatives sent by the "voters". Let me remind you that the Constitution was only ratified because some state

conventions got those who wanted the Constitution, The Federalists, to agree to include a "Bill of rights" which guaranteed people civil liberties. The ratification of the Constitution for that time was about as "Democratic" as it could be. It worked.

   The Federal Constitution is the most "Democratic" system known to man many other countries have copied it. it guarentees people's rights and freedoms. people have rights and freedoms, but not absolute freedoms. For a system created by man it as good as it gets.