1. Who wrote the Constitution and who was left out? 

The Constitution was drafted by a group of wealthy landowners, merchants, bankers, and slave owners by their standards. However, these men were not only establishing the laws for the country but also protecting their wealth and interests. As Charles Beard points out, many of the framers had substantial property claims, government bonds, or other business interests; therefore, they wanted a strong government that would safeguard their investments.

But common people farmers, workers, women, Indigenous folks, and enslaved people were left out completely. They had no say in how the nation was to be ruled. For instance, the Shays’ Rebellion between 1786 and 87 had farmers who protested about high taxes and indebtedness. Instead of listening to them, the wealthy viewed them as a threat. The Constitution was drafted to centralize power and make it difficult to facilitate any major change such as providing relief to distressed farmers.

2. Is the class system back then the same as today? 

Some aspects changed while others remained the same. The wealthy white men of that era held the right to vote, while the common people largely had little political power. Nowadays, however, voting rights have been expanded to encompass more individuals, and we have laws to safeguard workers and combat discrimination.

However, money still dominates the game, and power rules politics, with lobbying and the influence of wealthy businessmen and corporations operating much like they did in the 1700s. This suggests that while there appear to be some improvements to the established structure, the system continues to be a paradise for millionaires. 

3. Why were the founders afraid of democracy?

The wealthy men who authored the Constitution were afraid that if the common people, especially the poor, were allowed too much power, they would vote in favor of the rich and increase the tax on the wealthy or cancel the debts of the farmers who were in distress. They saw democracy as a threat; to them, it could trigger major changes that were harmful to their wealth and power.

Therefore, they purposely erected barriers to stop this from happening. They designed these barriers to restrain direct democracy within the structure of their new government: for example, Regular people were not able to directly choose the president due to the Electoral College. Senators were not chosen by the people in the first place; they were picked by state legislatures. Supreme Court Justices were given lifetime appointments so that they wouldn’t have to fear being cast out of office by voters. 

Michael Parenti states that the Constitution was not made so that everyone would be equal in its providence was so that the rich would remain in control while pretending that there was a democracy.