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What Would the Founding Fathers Think of the United States Today?

The United States has changed dramatically since the founding. How would the Founding Fathers react to modern America?

Lauren Halak '24 | March 6, 2022

The Constitution is the foundation of the American government, outlining the liberties of the people “in order to form a more perfect Union.” But what if we showed the Founding Fathers the United States today? What might please them? Upset them? What reactions might we be unable to predict?

The United States Constitution was ratified 1789, almost 250 years ago. Many point to the writers of this document as the country’s “Founding Fathers,” including George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin.

According to history teacher Dr. Boger, the Constitution is “a basic blueprint for a centralized government that would be strong enough to hold the states together.” 

If the Constitution was a mere starting point for the United States, the Founding Fathers might be pleasantly surprised to see that their writings are still in use, with only 17 amendments (not including the Bill of Rights) added to it over more than 200 years. 

The Founders made it difficult to amend the Constitution by requiring a ⅔ majority vote from Congress to propose an amendment, and then ¾ of the states to ratify the amendment. Perhaps they would be pleased to see that only a few changes have been made to the original document. 

It is, however, essential to note that every author of the Constitution was a white man, many enslavers. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments (abolition of slavery, protection of civil rights under the Equal Protection Clause, and the right to vote regardless of race) were steps towards racial equality. Would the Founders be impressed by the progress made towards social equality, or would they be alarmed to see the rights of people other than white men enshrined in the Constitution?

The original text of the Constitution did not mention women until the 19th Amendment granted women suffrage in 1920. Might they be even more astonished to see women’s different roles in modern society?

Even if the Founders’ thoughts on social progress are difficult to predict, they would certainly be shocked by the technological developments of modern America. Dr. Boger said, “They would be astonished by the amount of information people have and can put out into the world at will. The internet and social media, and how that shapes politics… I don’t think they would know what to do.”

Digital media heavily influences the government’s political outcomes and public opinion by feeding the spread of misinformation and polarization between parties. When the Constitution was ratified, politicians typically campaigned by publishing information in newspapers. Now, citizens receive endless streams of polarized news and opinions curated by algorithms to fit their interests and beliefs. Had the Founding Fathers written the Constitution during the internet age, how might it differ from the original 18th-century document?

When Dr. Boger was asked to pick one Founding Father and imagine his reaction to 21st century America, she chose Benjamin Franklin and said, “[He] was such a tinkerer and inventor in his own time. It certainly would be fun to have him here and even walk around his own Philadelphia… and then bring him into our DREAM Lab.” 

All in all, while the Founding Fathers might be content to see their nation alive and well, they would certainly be full of questions and perhaps concern over the various amendments and advancements that have significantly changed our country. 

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Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics

5. money, power and the influence of ordinary people in american politics, table of contents.

• The impact of partisan polarization
• Persistent concerns over money in politics
• Views of the parties and possible changes to the two-party system
• Other important findings
• Explore chapters of this report
• In their own words: Americans on the political system’s biggest problems
• In their own words: Americans on the political system’s biggest strengths
• Are there clear solutions to the nation’s problems?
• Evaluations of the political system
• Trust in the federal government
• Feelings toward the federal government
• The relationship between the federal and state governments
• Americans’ ratings of their House member, governor and local officials
• Party favorability ratings
• Most characterize their party positively
• Quality of the parties’ ideas
• Influence in congressional decision-making
• Views on limiting the role of money in politics
• Views on what kinds of activities can change the country for the better
• How much can voting affect the future direction of the country?
• Views of members of Congress
• In their own words: Americans’ views of the major problems with today’s elected officials
• How much do elected officials care about people like me?
• What motivates people to run for office?
• Quality of recent political candidates
• In elections, is there usually at least one candidate who shares your views?
• What the public sees as most important in political candidates
• Impressions of the people who will be running for president in 2024
• Views about presidential campaigns
• How much of an impact does who is president have on your life?
• Whose priorities should the president focus on?
• How different are the Republican and Democratic parties?
• Views of how well the parties represent people’s interests
• What if there were more political parties?
• Would more parties make solving problems easier or harder?
• How likely is it that an independent candidate will become president?
• Americans who feel unrepresented by the parties have highly negative views of the political system
• Views of the Electoral College
• Should the size of the U.S. House of Representatives change?
• Senate seats and population size
• Younger adults more supportive of structural changes
• Politics in a single word or phrase: An outpouring of negative sentiments
• Negative emotions prevail when Americans think about politics
• Americans say the tone of political debate in the country has worsened
• Which political topics get too much – and too little – attention?
• Majority of Americans find it stressful to talk politics with people they disagree with
• Acknowledgments

Americans have long believed that major political donors and special interests have too much influence on politics and that ordinary people have too little influence. Most see voting as the best way for average Americans to impact the direction of the country.

But the belief that there is too much money in politics is widespread. References to the influence of money and concerns about corruption are some of the most frequently cited critiques of the political system , and many Americans see monetary gain as a reason why most elected officials seek office to begin with.

This chapter details that an overwhelming share of Americans hold the view that the amount of money individuals and organizations can spend on political campaigns should be limited – and a majority say they think it legally could be.

When it comes to the decisions made by members of Congress, large shares of Americans say major donors, lobbyists and special interests have too much influence.

By contrast, just 9% of adults say the people in lawmakers’ districts have too much influence; that compares with 70% who say the people in their districts have too little influence (19% say they have about the right amount).

Americans’ views on which groups have influence on the decisions made by members of Congress are similar across party lines:

• Around eight-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (83%) say people who donate a lot of money to campaigns have too much influence on decisions made by members of Congress. A nearly identical share of Democrats and Democratic leaners (80%) say the same.
• Majorities in both parties also say lobbyists, special interests and large employers in lawmakers’ districts have too much influence.
• Relatively small shares in both parties say people in lawmakers’ districts have too much influence. Nearly identical majorities of Republicans (72%) and Democrats (71%) say they have too little influence.

By a wide margin, the public supports limiting the amount of money spent on political campaigns: 72% say there should be limits on spending by individuals and organizations, while just 11% say they should be able to spend as much as they want.

Comparable majorities in both parties (76% of Democrats, 71% of Republicans) say there should be campaign spending limits.

Nearly six-in-ten Americans (58%) say it is possible to have laws that would effectively reduce the role of money in politics, while 21% say it is not; 20% are not sure.

Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say it is possible to have laws that reduce the influence of money on politics. About two-thirds of Democrats say this is possible (66%), while only 16% say it is not. Roughly half of Republicans (52%) think this is possible, while 29% say it is not.

Presented with a number of ways that someone might try to change the country for the better, Americans rate voting in elections as the most effective of these.

Just over four-in-ten U.S. adults (44%) say that voting is an extremely or very effective way to change the country for the better, while 34% say it is somewhat effective and 21% say it is not too or not at all effective.

About a quarter describe both running for political office (26%) and volunteering for an organization or association (24%) as at least very effective.

Fewer adults say this about other items included in the survey: donating money to a charity or nonprofit (17% say this is extremely or very effective), volunteering for a political campaign (15%), donating money to a political candidate or party (13%), and attending a political protest (10%) or rally (9%).

A majority of adults say that attending a political rally (60%) is not too or not at all effective as a way to change the country for the better. Nearly as many (56%) say the same about attending a political protest.

Republicans’ and Democrats’ views on the effectiveness of each of these items are similar, though slightly larger shares of Democrats than Republicans rate several as extremely or very effective.

Democrats are more likely than Republicans to view voting in elections (50% of Democrats, 39% of Republicans) and volunteering for an organization or association (30% vs. 19%) as extremely or very effective.

Overall, a 57% majority of Americans say that voting by people like them can affect the future direction of the country a lot (20%) or some (36%).

Roughly three-in-ten (31%) say that voting by people like them has “not much” of an effect, and 11% say it has no effect at all.

About half of adults under age 50 (52%) say voting can have at least some effect on the country’s future direction, compared with a majority (61%) of those 50 and older.

And while Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say voting has at least some effect overall, those who identify as the strongest partisans within each party view voting as most effective.

Six-in-ten strong Republicans say that voting can have at least some effect; 53% of those who identify with the Republican Party, but not strongly and 40% of Republican leaners say the same. Among Democrats, 73% of strong Democrats say this, compared with 62% of not strong Democrats and 59% of Democratic leaners.

Age differences on the impact of voting are evident in both partisan coalitions. In both parties, those ages 50 and older are more likely than younger adults to say voting can have at least some effect on the country’s future direction. 

Among Republicans and Republican leaners, 60% of those 65 and older say voting can have at least some effect on the country’s future direction, compared with roughly half of those ages 50 to 64 (52%) and 30 to 49 (47%). Among Republicans under age 30, 44% say voting can have a lot or some effect on the country’s direction.

Age differences are similar among Democrats and Democratic leaners. Democrats 65 and older are 18 percentage points more likely than those under 30 to say voting can have at least some effect on the country’s direction. 

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts , its primary funder.

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How Relevant Is the Constitution to Our Government Today? Essay

The Constitution is the fundamental document following which the entire state functions, its most necessary aspects. Thanks to this document, the United States was finally settled in the form that the state has at the moment. On the one hand, the importance of such a text cannot be denied because, without it, the current United States could not exist. However, this document is more than 200 years old. Given how much the surrounding world has changed over the years, the question arises: does the Constitution retain its relevance in a modern government? From my point of view, even despite the extended period, the basis of this text is still relevant even in the modern world. First of all, it is worth noting that the Constitution should be considered together with all 27 amendments that are currently in place. The original text of the Constitution was not perfect, and not even all delegates were ready to sign this document due to the lack of a bill of rights (“The Constitution,” n.d.). However, through the joint work of politicians and philosophers, additional rights were formed, which people still refer to to this day.

For example, the first amendment provides the protection of freedom of speech and press, facts that remain relevant to this day, especially in the light of certain scandalous events. In addition, the importance of the Constitution and its relevance to government is expressed in the preamble, which refers to the guarantees of justice and order and the protection of freedom. Naturally, this document is not ideal, but it was not meant to be such. Even Dr. Franklin admitted mistakes in the text but hoped for a better society and future improvements (“The importance of Constitution Day,” n.d.). Thus, much of the Constitution is still relevant today, and the government should endeavor to implement it as diligently as it did during its creation. However, it should be noted that recently some actions of the government and authorities have run counter to the fundamental principles of the country. Nevertheless, the problem lies not in the relevance of the Constitution to power, since the document is correct, but in the government’s failure to comply with some of its provisions, which generates injustice and infringement of freedoms.

The Constitution (n.d.). The White House. 2021, Web.

The importance of Constitution Day (n.d.). New England Law. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, August 21). How Relevant Is the Constitution to Our Government Today? https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-relevant-is-the-constitution-to-our-government-today/

"How Relevant Is the Constitution to Our Government Today?" IvyPanda , 21 Aug. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/how-relevant-is-the-constitution-to-our-government-today/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'How Relevant Is the Constitution to Our Government Today'. 21 August.

IvyPanda . 2022. "How Relevant Is the Constitution to Our Government Today?" August 21, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-relevant-is-the-constitution-to-our-government-today/.

1. IvyPanda . "How Relevant Is the Constitution to Our Government Today?" August 21, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-relevant-is-the-constitution-to-our-government-today/.

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IvyPanda . "How Relevant Is the Constitution to Our Government Today?" August 21, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-relevant-is-the-constitution-to-our-government-today/.

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