Briefly discuss the American tradition of representative government. Is representative government as strong as it was when the Constitution was framed? The idea of ​​representative government is deeply rooted in American history and tradition. It all began during the voyage of the Mayflower. The spirit of freedom, self-reliance, common law, and understanding of representation were brought by the colonists from their homes. Although many of our ideas about representative government developed from the English model of Parliament, the American tradition of representative government actually began in Jamestown with the “great Charter of 1618” and the First Representative Assembly of 1619 and continued with the Virginia House of Burgesses. , the Mayflower Compact, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut and so on until the drafting and signing of the Constitution of the United States. Representative government, today and in my opinion, is nowhere near as strong as it was when the Constitution was created. Why or why not? With the idea of ​​capitalism and greed, there are some at the top who are actually supposed to “represent” the rest at the bottom. Unfortunately, these few at the top have become so greedy and have become so deeply entrenched in America and Washington that they just do what they want when they want. When the Constitution was originally formed, people actually cared about others and when they attended these meetings where they “represented” their cities, they were actually fighting and pushing the agenda of their individual cities. Today, they only promote programs that best benefit themselves or their friends financially. In what specific ways does the Constitution incorporate checks and balances? Consider that two of the most important concepts underlying being an American, “civil liberties” and “civil rights,” have always been blurred. Many people, unfortunately, tend to use these concepts interchangeably. However, they refer to very different types of guaranteed protections (as outlined in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights). In their most basic and natural contexts, these two concepts can be simply defined as such: “Civil Rights,” refers to positive actions that the government should take to create a level playing field for all Americans. It is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for damages. Some examples of “civil rights” are freedom of the press, speech and assembly; the right to vote; and freedom from slavery or involuntary servitude.