1. The constitution was crafted by the rich elite, the proprietors, the politicians, the merchants, the traders, and others. The lower class, such as the small farmers or laborers, was left out of the process. The elite crafted the Constitution to protect the elitist interests of power and wealth.

2. Social stratification in the early days of the United States is differed from today’s, but there is a certain similarity. During the formation of the political system in early America, political power was firmly in the hands of the wealthy owners of the land. Today, there is an enhanced opportunity for broader segments of society to engage in decision-making through government, but this still remains in the hands of the rich through political economy.

3. The writers despised democracy because they believed that the lowest ordinary bracket in society should not be empowered. They feared the people might take actions that would jeopardize their capital and investments. This fear of the lower classes is evident in the design of the Constitution, which restricted direct democracy as a form of governance.

1. Based on the arguments presented in Readings 6.1 and 6.2, which social class wrote the Constitution, and which class was excluded and not allowed to participate in this process? In your comment, make sure you clearly specify the difference between the two classes by giving examples from the readings. The social class that ended up writing the Constitution was the wealthy, property-owning class (or the “gentlemen”), which consisted of the founding fathers. The social class that was excluded and not allowed to participate in this process were the non-wealthy, poor, propertyless and working social class. What made these two classes radically different was that the wealthy social class had forms of property that marked their wealth and power, which therefore gave them the ability to affect the law. The working class had little to no form of property that they actually owned, which in turn made them have no form of power and gave them no ability to affect the law. 

2. Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain. I would say that the social class structure of early United States society is very similar to how it is today because just like in the past, the current era makes it so that the wealthy who own different forms of property that generate income for them have the ability to affect and change the law (since their money, power and influence grants them the ability to either run for positions of power or get the people that they desire to be elected into positions of power). While on the other hand, the working class, who have little to no property and no wealth don’t have the ability to affect the law due to their lack of power.  

3. Why were the people who wrote the Constitution so afraid of democracy? Hint: think about how to answer this question by discussing it in terms of social classes. The people who wrote the Constitution were so afraid of democracy because they felt that democracy would be the main catalyst of the wealthy losing their income and the social order that they have worked so hard to established being destroyed. Democracy is what would give the working class a way to get power and make change, which would hamper the interests of the wealthy and would allow the working class to be the ones affecting the laws since they are the majority. Essentially, the whole power dynamic between the two social classes (wealthy and working class) would be flipped on its head, which is something that the wealthy class would not want in any regard.

1. The Constitution was written by the wealthy elite. Those who owned large amounts of land, ran businesses, or were involved in banking and trade. This group had a lot of influence and wanted to make sure the new government protected their wealth and property. For example, Charles Beard explains that many of the people who wrote the Constitution were creditors and landowners who wanted laws to secure their investments. On the other hand, the “disenfranchised” class included enslaved people, indentured servants, propertyless men, women, and small farmers. They had no say in the creation of the Constitution because they didn’t own property or meet the qualifications needed to vote. Michael Parenti highlights that less than 10% of the adult population could actually participate in the political process during that time​. These groups were deliberately left out because the framers saw them as a threat to their own power and economic stability.
2. The social class structure in early American society was quite different from what it is today. Back then, only wealthy, property-owning White men had political power. The majority such as slaves, women, and those without property couldn’t vote or participate in government at all​. This created a strict divide between those who had power and those who didn’t. Today, while everyone (in theory) has the right to vote and participate in politics, wealth and property still play a major role in influencing power. Wealthy individuals and corporations can impact political decisions through lobbying and campaign contributions. So while the class structure isn’t as legally rigid as it was back then, economic power still creates a gap between the wealthy and the rest of society.
3. The people who wrote the Constitution were worried that too much democracy would allow the poor majority to pass laws that could hurt their own economic interests. They saw democracy as a potential threat to their wealth and property. For example, James Madison talked about the danger of “leveling impulses” from the masses—that is, the idea that poorer people might try to pass laws that would take away wealth from the rich. Charles Beard also points out that the framers built many safeguards into the Constitution to limit the influence of ordinary people. Things like the Electoral College and having Senators chosen by state legislatures were designed to keep decision-making power out of the hands of the general public. This fear of democracy was really about protecting the economic interests of the wealthy elite and making sure the lower classes couldn’t disrupt their hold on power​.

1. Based on the arguments presented in Readings 6.1 and 6.2, which social class wrote the Constitution, and which class was excluded and not allowed to participate in this process? In your comment, make sure you clearly specify the difference between the two classes by giving examples from the readings.
2. Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain.
3. Why were the people who wrote the Constitution so afraid of democracy? Hint: think about how to answer this question by discussing it in terms of social classes.