AP Govt

Free Response Question

M. Lynde

Name___________________________ Date____________ Pd______ Due____

The American Constitution
As students of the American Constitution, each of you is invited to participate in a panel
discussion of the Constitution and American Democracy. The keynote speaker, Professor
I. M. Skeptic, offers the following argument:
The fundamental characteristic of the Constitution is distrust. The Constitution was, in
fact, borne of distrust -- distrust of democracy, distrust of popularly elected legislatures,
and distrust of the public. This distrust is best seen in the electoral system, which keeps
the public at arm's length, and in the system of checks in which the popularly elected
House of Representatives is severely constrained by the Senate as well as the other
branches of government.
In sum, the Constitution does not create "real" democracy but simply presents a
veneer of democracy. It is a political illusion that has allowed elites of various kinds to
dominate the politics and policymaking of this country.

You are asked to write a well-organized response (three to four pagesdouble spaced- 12 Font- Times New Roman) to the argument put forth by
the speaker. Do you agree or disagree with this argument? You
should be able to explain and justify your position.