We learn about the Articles of Confederation, our country’s first constitution. Because the government this first constitution created was too weak, the so-called “Founding Fathers” decided to write a new constitution that would establish a stronger, and hopefully more efficient government. They succeeded admirably. This second constitution—which we simply call “the Constitution”—remains the law of the land to this day. Many students are surprised to learn that the government the Articles of Constitution established didn’t include a President (it didn’t include a Supreme Court either, only a Congress, but that’s another topic altogether). It seems odd to think of the government of the United States operating without a chief executive, but that’s exactly how things worked before the second and current constitution replaced the Articles. Imagine if we had never changed this particular feature of our government. How different do you think it would work today? Would having only a Congress—as opposed to also having a President, who has so much more power than any other citizen—make for a more democratic country? The Founding Fathers had thought so initially. Before they changed their mind, the powers of a President seemed too much like those of a king or dictator to them. Or do you think that our country needs to have a President to run effectively? Explain.
