Why Is America Unfair

Vijay Pinson Professor O’Brien POL S102-04 4 March 2024 An Unfair America? Some have argued that the very design of Congress, the presidency, and the federal courts is geared to benefit those in American society who are wealthy, powerful, and organized. In other words, those with little wealth or power tend to have a weaker voice in our political system. Through this lens of political philosophy, the American government does not truly represent “the people” because of unequal access to and influence on members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. After diving deep into different ideas presented from both sides of the spectrum, I have concluded that I do not feel as though this claim is a fair assessment of American politics. …show more content…
This argument places the blame on the wrong subject, where they point the finger at the design of Congress, the presidency, and the federal courts, where they should be looking at how powers within those branches of government are being abused by corrupting the views the Founding Fathers intended for the United States. The Founding Fathers intended for the United States to be a republic with checks and balances precisely to prevent any one group, whether wealthy or otherwise, from dominating the political system. If there truly was an unfair advantage hand dealt to the wealthy in terms of receiving the majority of political and economic influence, people could impeach the political actors endorsing these policies and remove them from their positions. The specific provision in the United States Constitution regarding the impeachment of politicians from their positions can be found in Article II, Section 4 which states, "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and …show more content…
That being said, it is not the design nor the designers that should be blamed, but rather corruption within the system and abuse of power that should be exposed and therefore stripped of any political influence. Another crucial foundational idea used in the construction of the American government can be found in the Federalist Papers (specifically Federalist No. 10. James Madison discusses the importance of protecting minority rights and ensuring equal opportunity within a system of government designed to prevent the tyranny of the majority. Within this excerpt it states, "The protection of the diverse rights and faculties of individuals is the primary objective of government. This safeguarding leads to a recognition of different degrees and kinds of property ownership, which in turn fosters a division of society into various interests and parties." This section of the Federalist Papers underscores the importance of the importance that was placed upon protecting individuals' rights and liberties, including the ability to acquire and possess

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