Article I of the U.S. Constitution describes the Legislative branch of government. It is the first and is arguably the most important branch of government. Do you know what the founders actually set up and why? Do you think the current system is the original system?
Article I establishes the legislative branch. It defines the nature of the central government. Article I defines the relationship between the central government and the states. It enumerated the powers of the legislative branch. Article I contains some of the most contentious clauses in the constitution.
Article I Section I establishes a bicameral system. It carries the bicameral system forward from the Articles of Confederation. It is key to the central government.
The House of Representatives is, by design the only national and democratic element of the constitution. Election of members of the House is bye popular vote. The founders had a distrust of democracy.
The founders intended the Senate retain the federal nature of the government. Senators were States’ representatives. Each State had equal representation in the Senate. They were supportive of the importance of the “sovereignty of the states.”
House and Senate were to represent different factions
It was the founders belief there is better assurance of steadiness and wisdom in government when a second branch balances the first. They also saw state governments as the pillars upon which the government can extend over the immense territory.
By establishing House and Senate the founders balanced two interest groups. One group, the House, was directly elected by the people. The other group, the Senate, was appointed by the states.
This stood in contrast to parliamentary government where the people control unchecked. The legislative branch controls the executive branch directly.
Article I, Section I was an example of the wisdom of the founders. Their posterity has seen fit to tamper with the Senate. The seventeenth amendment to the constitution ended representation of the states.
It made the entire Legislative branch of government answerable to direct election by the people. It was an ill-thought-out change that removes a check for our system of government. There is not contravening gain in governmental balance.