•  In both readings, it is argued that the US Constitution was written primarily by and for the economic elite, excluding the working class, farmers and enslaved people from the process. Parenti suggests the constitution was created by wealthy property owners to protect their financial investments. He points out that many of them were creditors and land owners who designed a structure to limit popular influence through mechanisms such as the electoral college, and the appointment of senators rather than direct election. Parenti says “On these issues, there were no poor farmers, artisans, indentured servants or slaves, attending the convention to proffer an opposing viewpoint. Ordinary working people could not take off four months to go to Philadelphia and write a constitution.” Beard suggests how the constitution served the interests of the ruling class, reinforcing a system that maintained economic dominance over the wealthy elite. He discussed how the government suppressed Democratic uprising such as Shays rebellion, which was led by indebted farmers who demanded relief from economic oppression. He also emphasizes that enslaved people, women and indigenous groups were completely excluded from political participation. 
  • I would agree that the structure of social class is similar today than it was back then back then wealthy land owners mergers, and anybody with influence controlled the government while laborers, enslaved people and women had little to no political power. Today, the rich being big corporations or billionaires still hold most of the influence shaping laws to protect their wealth while many people struggle.
  • The people who wrote the constitution were afraid of democracy because they were the wealthy elites, the landowner‘s, merchants, and creditors who feared that too much power in the hands of the working class would threaten their wealth and control.

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