The most common things to talk about when it comes to the Constitution in the US are rights related to freedom of expression and the right to own weapons. Even though it seems to provide a lot of freedom and prioritize liberalism, we certainly need to look at the first sentence in the Constitution, where the Constitution upholds its commitment to provide certainty for “domestic tranquility.”
Then the question arises as to what is the function of this term in modern times like now? This concept will be discussed in more depth and talk about its important role in US society today. Read the review in full so that you don’t misunderstand and can apply it well as a support measure for the country.
The US is a great country and guarantees the rights and freedoms of every citizen, but of course, the highest right of all is the right to peace. So there is no point if freedom is given without restrictions which will ultimately be a disturbance to other people’s peace.
The unsettled conditions make it even less conducive and result in anarchic actions which may spread throughout the country. The existence of the right to freedom also needs to be emphasized that freedom is for every citizen, and this freedom is to achieve mutual peace, not to be selfish in prioritizing one’s freedom.
The US Constitution Establishes the Federal Government
The founding fathers of the United States wrote and approved the United States Constitution in the late 1700s. A framework was established through this treaty, namely to create a federal government that would unify the many divided governments of the many colonies.
This is in line with history where in the period before the independence of the United States, many powers formed their governments independently. Seeing the risk of weakness in each government, it was decided to create a larger and more structured government with a federal government.
This document is written in 4 pages to explain in detail the powers and organization or powers of the three branches of the federal government. It also contains an explanation of how each citizen is represented by each existing branch.
It becomes clear that the main objective of the formation of this Constitution is to guarantee the rights of every citizen with the aim of prosperity. It’s not just providing freedom that risks going too far and has negative effects that could threaten the balance in the country.
This constitution is divided into three parts, including:
- Opening
- Seven articles
- Amendments include 1 to 10, which is also known as the Bill of Rights, and then 11 to 27, which are additions made from time to time.
The preamble is understood as a paragraph containing an introduction that simply explains the importance of the formation of the Constitution, the reasons or background for its writing, and the final goal which is the common goal to be achieved by a great nation:
We the people of the United States, to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure to ourselves the blessings of liberty and our prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
This is followed by seven further articles which explain the organization of the newly formed federal government specifically and explain the process by which this Constitution is implemented.
Article I is about establishing the legislative branch. It consists of the House of Representatives which is divided into several states according to the number of citizens. Then the Senate, namely two representatives representing each state.
Article II is about executive-level powers, in which there are things related elected President. The president is the head of state who is the image displayed to the outside world, so we must all realize that maintaining the dignity of the head of state is very necessary. On the other hand, the head of state also needs to maintain his attitude and always prioritize justice.
Article III is about the establishment of the judicial branch, and the establishment of a Supreme Court that is independent and regulates the authority of courts at lower levels. With this, all legal regulations will always be monitored and ensured that they can run as they should.
Article IV and Article VI contain regulations regarding relations between states which are regulated in a federal framework. Article IV contains provisions for existing laws in each state. The contents may be different, but the application may apply nationally.
On the other hand, Article VI contains a statement regarding federal laws that can trump state laws. Meanwhile, in Article V there is the granting of authority to the legislative body which is the representative of the states whose task is to change the laws that apply in the federal state. All existing provisions clearly and directly have the aim of achieving peace for every citizen on a national scale.
What is Domestic Tranquility?
This concept has quite a lot of different definitions. In general, people will direct their thoughts to security at the home level or in this case related to the household. However, the parties involved in drafting this Constitution stated that the main responsibility of the federal government was to ensure the orderly operation of the peace system within a country.
1. Unification Amid Diversity
Broadly speaking, this means unifying the government which had previously been formed from at least 13 colonies classified based on various political views, religious beliefs, and social systems.
2. Navigating Ideological Conflicts
We can see that this is a mission or action that is not easy, especially with various points of view. Of course, there will be many conflicts and matters that need to be discussed ideologically in a consensus manner so that no party feels disadvantaged in the process or final result.
4. Responding to European Turmoil
This was further exacerbated by the political conditions in Europe which were chaotic at that time. So there needs to be quick and appropriate steps to get out of this situation. Europe, which previously had great power, could most likely drag its colonies or colonial countries into the same problems. The situation would be very bad if there were no positive movement initiatives.
5. Ensuring National Security
Then, after successfully leaving the political climate on the European continent which was experiencing high turmoil, the founders of the US, who were the best statesmen, wanted to immediately form a centralized government that was expected to be able to protect its citizens from various threats from the outside world.
6. Balancing International Relations
Monitoring the movements of other countries is the scope of this policy. However, on the other hand, we also continue to seek good and strong relations with other foreign allies who have the same goals. This was an important step where individual movements would facilitate weakening which would threaten the country’s stability at a time when there was political turmoil in the world axis at that time, namely Europe.
7. Fostering Freedom of Expression
Another noble goal promoted by the founding fathers of the country at that time was to ensure that the government would always encourage every individual or citizen in their country to be open and express their views or opinions. They will still be able to voice differences of opinion in an important meeting, even in a group. Everything can be done with the guarantee of no oppression, restrictions, or criticism from the government itself.
All the old methods which were thought to place too high a value on the rulers. It is until the point of not paying attention to the fate and condition of the small people no longer applies. The era of kingdoms that used hierarchy to oppress lower classes will no longer apply. Now they think that it is time to prioritize the interests of the will and welfare of the people.
The founders of the country believed that protecting citizens by providing freedom of expression was a very important thing to uphold. Apart from that, the government also has the important task of encouraging demonstrations, protests, and demonstrations that are carried out peacefully without any anarchy which could damage state facilities and be detrimental.
8. Upholding Domestic Tranquility
Domestic tranquility has the two objectives stated above, including providing protection for the country and its citizens from enemy attacks from outside. The federal government derives the power from the Constitution to negotiate, draft and approve treaties, and even declare war to deal with threats from foreign powers.
9. Maintaining Interstate Harmony
Another thing that is also included in the peace efforts promoted by this Constitution is to maintain the peace that is already taking place between the existing states. The way to do this is by giving authority to the federal government to have a role as a mediator in disputes and conflicts that may occur.
State balance, which is the main priority of the Constitution, is something that needs to be done. Every war can occur because of the intention to control unilaterally, and this arises when we see that other countries are in an unstable situation and can easily be attacked at any time.
10. Conclusion: A Call to Collective Action
That is why the step in making the Constitution by the founders of our country is something that we must appreciate and we must participate in protecting the existing Constitution by becoming agents of peace in the country. In this way, domestic tranquility can be achieved more easily due to the cooperation of every element in the country.
Balancing Federal Authority and State Rights
The Constitution took the step of dividing the allocation of powers that limited the federal government, and on the other hand, provided other reserves of power that were mostly given to each colony that was formed as not united or separate states. This is a step that promotes the stability of existing colony formation. The passage of the Tenth Amendment, which is part of the Bill of Rights, addresses this applied principle specifically.
The contents of the Constitution are steps to prevent potential disputes and ultimately maintain peace on both sides. For example, the law prohibits any state from committing acts of discrimination based on residence in another state that may be deemed objectionable.
Furthermore, it is not permissible to impose tariffs on vehicles carrying goods or logistics that cross or enter a state. The regulations also regulate extradition steps that must be taken by each country when a state is accused or suspected of committing a crime that is detrimental to another state and then takes court steps.
This extradition step will make states want to give full respect or trust to the laws that apply in each state, this is also guaranteed in Article IV, but this has the potential to cause large and significant conflicts if not properly maintained.
What happens if a state decides not to accept a law that applies in another state because it considers the legal determination to be against morals and not following the values and norms they believe in? The Constitution will give the federal government the right to intervene directly and act as a mediator in these disputes.
Domestic Tranquility in the Modern Era
The size of the American territory is now expanding and the population is also increasing as a result of increasing birth rates or a significant increase in the number of immigrants. So trying to balance the rights and obligations of citizens is also an increasingly difficult challenge to face. Especially with the many social upheavals that occur over time.
The White House said that preventing arbitrary changes was made, and the process for making amendments to the Constitution is currently quite difficult. This is what makes the federal government limited in making changes, whether good or bad. A republic that has balance and security is something that must be maintained by balancing the autonomy of each state with the policies and values of a country as a whole.
That is the discussion regarding Domestic Tranquility which needs to be understood and maintained together as good US citizens. Hopefully, the review above can be useful and provide insight.