Early American Voting Demographics

[Paul Finkelman]

I think the problem here is that I using these terms as they were
understood in the 18th century by  the framers.  Bobby is either using
them as they are understood by modern politicians (Democratic
Party/Republican Party) or by people who talk in the modern world about
political philosophy.  Surely, when the Framers used the term
"Republican Form of Government" in Art. IV they were not talking about
George Bush and the GOP or about modern political philosophy; same when
during ratification the term democrat was often the equivalent to
anarchist.

Paul Finkelman
President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law
     and Public Policy
Albany Law School
80 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, New York   12208-3494

518-445-3386 
pfink at albanylaw.edu
>>> <RJLipkin at aol.com> 08/23/07 6:30 AM >>>
I appreciate Paul's  clarification. My only remaining quarrel is with
the 
first line of his post:  "This is not about political  philosophy, it is
about 
how laws are passed
or constitutions  ratifies." Later he uses the terms "republican form of
 
government," "'democratic' ratification," direct democracy, and so
forth,"  all 
of which are pregnant with political philosophical content. One cannot  
understand how laws are passed or constitutions are ratified without
reference  to 
some political philosophical conception of  government.  

Bobby

Robert  Justin Lipkin
Professor of Law
Widener University School of  Law
Delaware

Ratio  Juris
, Contributor: _  http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/_ 
(http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/) 
Essentially Contested America, Editor-In-Chief 
_http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/_
(http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/) 



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