The HBO miniseries on John Adams had examples of political jargon used in American Politics and Government Today's first chapters. John Adams struggled through every political vice imaginable, and truly defined many political ideologies that citizens of the United States have come to both love and hate. From the inalienable rights structured in writing for the declaration of independence by Jefferson to the fight and clever balance of freedom vs. equality, this series revealed partisan struggles with a lucidity and historical accuracy that is not only commendable for a television series but is also worth noting. Though the terms are not rigidly outlined in the series, a viewer could easily come to realize - or understand, the concepts by watching this series and that is an interesting thing to see.
"I hear that we are called Federalists now, because we believe in strong central government?"
(John Adams, John Adams Mini-series)
John Adams and many of the delegates of the early congress were concerned with the growing partisan groups - or factions as I'd like to refer to them as that's what they really are. People seemed more concerned with bickering and yammering with someone's minute differences of opinion rather than seeking compromise and union; concessions to their problems. This might have been caused more by the fact that all the American people had ever known was dispute. The founding of the early colonies in the Americas had always been in dispute with one superpower or another - namely those overbearing British jerks. And now just when they had won their battle for independence and could decide on their own business, they could not decide their own business.
John Adams preferred order because he didn't see many people as being competent enough to make their own decisions; he thought they needed a hand to move their pieces and be a guiding influence. How could John Adams' dreams become a reality? Well through big American government, of course! This thought pattern placed John Adams in the 'Federalist' camp - whether or not any of his other ideas fell into the boundaries outlined by the principal 'federalist,' ideologies. And then there were others like Thomas Jefferson that were caught up with the rights of the individuals and this view would group him with the 'anti-federalists' or the 'republicans.'
"You [John Adams] have a disconcerting lack of faith in your fellow man"
(Thomas Jefferson, John Adams Mini-series)
There are two sides to this coin though, it can be perceived as an outright detriment towards the progress of the early continental congress or this could be viewed as a necessary evil that helped shape the undeniably stable government that was kind to many viewpoints and stood the test of time. The constitution was a result of the bickering and its ambiguity has been its muscle in longevity.
"I dread a division of our republic into parties."
(John Adams, John Adams Mini-series)
The important thing to remember - and what John Adams understood, is that these arguments of belief came from individuals not from their parties. Political ideological points are too rigidly outlined to be grouping such large numbers of people into one group or another. To oversimplify, one might look at modern United States politics. Constituents either fall into the democratic or republican grouping when voting on presidential or state governmental candidates. But one of two parties can in no way hold each and every belief specific to its constituents - especially in the presidential races simply because of the broad base that they are to stand on.
These problems wrecked the career of the late John Adams as he was unable to find consensus on either side of the partisan fence. During this period is when politicians began taking seats in the continental congress, not the educated well meaning minds of that first congress. And one might find that to be one of the most strikingly interesting facts if they didn't already know it when watching this series; just how fast the congress was controlled by money/power hungry businessmen with agendas that fell far from their constituents.
Perhaps things would have been fairer if the government had worked as Jefferson saw it should have. Jefferson perceived the best working government to be one that would make radical adjustments every generation or so to fit the will and the needs of its constituents. A government for the union of every mind, a direct democracy. But there is no way to know how that might have turned out because the United States has chosen it's government archetype, or maybe it was chosen for them. Either way it's here to stay, and it's pretty solid even with its flaws.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
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