Reflections on the U.S. Constitution

The question was simple: What does the U.S. Constitution mean to you?

Associate Professor of Philosophy Stephen Mathis asked that question of a group of recently graduated students who have experience in political science, public policy or the law.

His purpose in asking the question was to provoke reflection on the United States' founding document as a way to commemorate Constitution Day (Sept. 17). The former students' responses range from respectful to critical, with some humor as well.

"In recent years, I have had the honor of publishing some of my own thoughts on the Constitution as a means of drawing Wheaton’s attention to Constitution Day," said Mathis who serves as the college's pre-law advisor and co-coordinator of the minor in legal studies.  "In honor of Constitution Day this year, I am very pleased to present [former students'] very thoughtful responses."

When I was in my freshman year at Wheaton I watched an interview of Peter Jennings, the iconic ABC News anchorman.  Though Jennings was Canadian, he said that he always felt a deep respect and love for the United States, and so carried a copy of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence with him at all times in his pocket.  In spare minutes waiting for a plane or in between newscasts he would page through his dog-eared pamphlet to remind himself of that which has so significantly shaped the greatness of his adopted country.  This insight from Jennings that something so important can be carried in your pocket inspired me.  I found a copy of the Constitution and have carried it with me in my briefcase and school bag for the last six years, pausing in quiet moments to take in the words, ideas, and principles from which our nation has been crafted.

Myles Matteson '06
L.L.M. in International Law, University of Edinburgh, 2008
M.Sc. in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Oxford University, 2009

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The constitution is perhaps the greatest political accomplishment and most lasting contribution to political development made by the United States.  The idea of balancing the claims of individuals, communities, and the states against each other in a representative body of government was in its time a new and revolutionary idea that has inspired the political aspirations of many nations and even had a lasting effect on the conceptions enshrined in international law.  However, with the changes in political, social and economic context that have occurred since the document was written, the intentional flexibility and tolerance built into the idea of balancing these competing claims of autonomy, rights, governance and power between the actors at hand has begun to erode.  It is important to understand the motivations of the document rather than treat the Constitution’s proscriptions with zealous reverence.  Aspects of the Constitution are appealed to as a directional impetus for policy in an era and with a scope that the framers of the project and those who have amended it could never have conceived.  For this reason, the Constitution can act as a distinct obstacle in the political development of the United States.  But this is a problem that is derived in the interpretation of the aims of the project rather than the ideas and theories that motivated the Constitution.

Matthew Murray '02
M.Sc. in Political Theory, Cardiff University, 2007
Currently pursuing Ph.D. in Political Theory at Cardiff University

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The Constitution to me is not only the document upon which our laws and government are based, but, more importantly, it’s the document that allows our government and laws to adapt. I don’t necessarily think its authors could foresee the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Suffrage, or the abortion debate, but they did know that things would happen that they couldn’t foresee, and built that adaptability into the structure they were setting up.

Mandy Spaulding '02
J. D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2005

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From Family Guy (Season 4, Episode: I Take Thee Quagmire):

Founding Father 1: All right, we're done.

Founding Father 2: You think the language in the Second Amendment is clear enough? You know, about the right to bear arms?

Founding Father 3: Of course it's clear. Every American has the right to hang a pair of bear arms on their wall. How could that possibly be misconstrued?

If anything, the beauty of the Constitution is that it's a living document.  The greatest (or the richest) minds of the nascent United States came together to make lasting laws.  They fought, and for the most part weren't necessarily satisfied with their final product.  But, it's held up for the last 200+ years, despite all of that.  From “We the people...” to the Bill of Rights, we continue to formulate what all of this means, arguing over the definitions and understandings of words, and what is and isn't actually spelled out.  But what it has done is create the framework for an incredibly unique American government.

John Lovett '04
M.A. in Political Science, University of Massachusetts, 2006
Currently pursuing Ph.D. in Political Science at University of North Carolina

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I feel a deep sense of ambivalence about the U.S. Constitution.  From an academic perspective, tracing the threads of political philosophy through the events of the American founding is fascinating. This type of approach presents the Constitution as an embodied constellation of ideas and events that preceded it.  Unfortunately, I most often react with disgust when the U.S. Constitution is mentioned.  In contemporary political discourse, especially from certain conservatives, it is treated as a sacred text of clear and immutable laws.  This view freezes the Constitution in time and strips the historical and philosophical context from it.  It also has the dire consequence of stifling current political debates concerning the nature of our republic.

Michael Stein '03
M.A. in Political Science, The New School, 2008
Currently pursuing Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts

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The Constitution is THE legal authority in our system of law.  The alpha and omega.  The highest elected legal officials, the members of the Supreme Court refer to and defer to the Constitution when dealing with cases that diverge from the cookie cutter statutes in our system.  The Constitution is the framework for our legal system.  It gives us a direction in which to legislate in a way that can be both preservationist as well as expansive.  It protects our basic fundamental rights while also allowing for the possibility of untold others that are not enumerated within its text.  Its interpretation may change over time as different values become paramount during different eras, but its purpose remains the same: to guide us towards the upholding of the law.

Dan Taylor '09
Currently working as a Paralegal in the Labor Racketeering Unit
New York County District Attorney’s Office