In America, we elect individuals to office for the purpose of making decisions regarding our various governments and their actions. This is why our system of government is described as a democratic republic. What some people fail to realize, however, is that America is also a dictatorship.

This is not to say President Barack Obama or any other elected representative here is a dictator. Our dictator is no more than a centuries-old piece of paper: it is the Constitution of the United States of America.

Many people would disagree, because in America, the majority rules. This, however, is not the case.

It is the Constitution that rules. It simply delegates its authority in certain matters, such as the election of the members of the House of Representatives, to the people.

Note that I did not mention the election of the president as a right delegated to the people, because that right is given to the states, with each state sending a preselected number of voters known as the Electoral College.

There are also matters in which the majority doesn’t rule. Most matters, in fact, fall into this category. This is because the federal government has the power only to do a very limited number of things, which are described in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. These limited powers are:

“To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

“To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

“To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

“To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

“To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

“To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

“To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

“To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and

Discoveries;

“To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

“To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

“To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

“To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

“To provide and maintain a Navy;

“To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

“To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

“To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

“To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over … the Seat of the Government of the United States, and …

“To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers …”

What many people don’t understand is that, even if the majority wants the federal government to have additional powers, it cannot. Elected representatives are not allowed to “play God” with our government, passing whatever legislation they want, unless that legislations falls within the bounds of our Constitution.

The Constitution, in Article 1, Section 9, also outlines what the federal government cannot do, namely:

“The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

“The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

“No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

“No capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census

or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

“No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

“No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

“No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

“No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State.”

However, unlike most dictators, our Constitution — since it is only a piece of paper — is completely unable to brutally murder those who defy it.

That is how we end up in situations where our representatives feel the need, and are actually able, to steal and spend well over a trillion dollars from the people for the purpose of “stimulating the economy.”

— Blake Hasenmiller is a senior in industrial engineering and economics from De Witt.