American Political System

"Mr. President, in the excited times in which we live, there is found to exist a state of crimination and recrimination between the North and South. There are lists of grievances produced by each; and those grievances, real or supposed, alienate the minds of one portion of the country from the other, exasperate the feelings, and subdue the sense of fraternal affection, patriotic love, and mutual regard" (Webster).              In this quote, Webster is describing the acrimony between the North and the South. He talks about how both sides have complaints against each other and this animosity is threatening the unity of the country and dividing it. Webster goes on to discuss a specific grievance that the South has from the North, his opinion on which I found disappointing especially coming from a man who only thirty years prior to this speech stated that an “African slave-trader is a pirate and a felon; and in the sight of He...

“Most of the federal Constitution builds on state constitutional ideas and practices. Naturalized citizens are allowed to lead every state; the rules for the presidency should follow suit. Ultimately, America should be more than a land where every child can one day grow up to become … governor” (Amar). In this passage, the author is arguing that the federal Constitution is an extension of the constitutional ideas and practices of the states and if a naturalized citizen can run and get elected to the highest offices of every state, then the same logic should follow for the presidency. He argues that it’s about time that America afford the same opportunities to the naturalized citizens as it does to natural born citizens. I chose this specific quote to discuss because as a naturalized citizen of the United States, who hopes to pursue a career in public service, I find it very problematic that under the current Constitution, someone like me can never be elected to the highest office o...