Suchergebnisse

THE IDEA THAT CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS SHOULD BE ABOVE POLITICS DERIVES FROM THE JURISPRUDENTIAL NOTION THAT CONSTITUTIONS ARE HIGHER-LAW DOCUMENTS EMBODYING PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH SOCIETY APPROACHES CONSENSUS. AS SUCH CONSTITUTIONS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR ORGANIZING THE GOVERNMENT. THIS HIGHER LAW DESIGNATION EXPECTS DELEGATES TO STATE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS TO MAKE OBJECTIVE, RATIONAL DECISIONS FREE FROM THE NORMAL PULL AND SWAY OF PARTISAN POLITICS. AN ALTERNATIVE DELEGATE ROLE POSTULATES THAT CONSTITUTIONS ARE NOT NEUTRAL DOCUMENTS BUT INSTEAD MAKE PRELIMINARY DISTRIBUTIONS OF POWER AND SCARCE RESOURCES AMONG COMPETING INTERESTS. THIS "REALIST" APPROACH POSITS THAT CONVENTIONS ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM OTHER POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. REALISTS SEE PARTISAN FORCES AS A NORMAL AND ACCEPTABLE PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS WITHIN CONVENTIONS AND MAINTAIN THAT DECISIONS ARE BEST MADE WHEN THE MAJOR POLITICAL INTERESTS HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. THESE CONTRASTING ROLE ORIENTATIONS TOWARD CONSTITUTION MAKING HAVE BEEN OBSERVED AMONG DELEGATES TO STATE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS. A STUDY FOUND THAT A MAJORITY OF THE DELEGATES HELD "IDEALIST" ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR MISSION, ALTHOUGH THE CONVENTION ITSELF DID NOT SEEM TO DIFFER FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN THE PARTISANSHIP WHICH CHARACTERIZED ITS ACTUAL OPERATION.

The full title of this 16-page publication is "Alphabetical List of Members and Delegates of the House of Representatives and the Standing and Select Committees of which they are Members." The list refers to the first session of the 57th Congress in 1901. The Appalachian National Park Association worked with southern congressmen to pass various acts of legislation to promote a national park in the region.