Iroquois Constitution & U.S. Constitution
The
Constitutions of both the
Iroquois and the United States have similarities and
differences between them. The Iroquois constitution came earlier in history than
the U.S one did. Some of the same ideas that were in the Iroquois’ constitution
were carried over to some of the ideas that we use in our government today. In
this paper I will compare and contrast these ideas as they relate with one
another. Ideas like Vito Power, When a Leader Gets Sick, 3 Branches of
Government, A Bicameral Legislature, and impeachment are portrayed in both of
these constitutions.
The power to veto something is defined as to refuse to
admit. In the Iroquois constitution they talk about how the procedure must be
followed to these exact steps. Once the Mohawk and Seneca Lords have unanimously
agreed upon a question, they shall report their decision to the Cayuga and
Oneida Lords who shall deliberate upon the question and report a unanimous
decision to the Mohawk Lords. The Mohawk Lords will then report the standing of
the case to the Fire Keepers, who shall render a decision as they see fit in
case of a disagreement by the two bodies, or confirm the decisions of the two
bodies if they are identical. The Fire Keepers shall then report their decision
to the Mohawk Lords who shall announce it to the open council. This is very
similar to the U.S. government process for making and vetoing laws and
regulations. As it talks about going through the different lords that is like
the House of Representatives, senate, and then the president, with the Fire
Keepers being the President. The Fire Keepers had the power to veto any decision
that the lower levels had made just as the president does in our government.
In America’s government if the president gets sick or ill where he/she
cannot fulfill his/her responsibilities then their spouse takes over for them
until they are able to return to office. In the Iroquois constitution it states
in article 21 that certain physical defects in a Confederate Lord make him
ineligible to sit in the Confederate Council. Such defects are infancy, idiocy,
blindness, deafness, dumbness and impotency. When a Confederate Lord is
restricted by any of these conditions, a deputy shall be appointed by his
sponsors to act for him, but in case of extreme necessity the restricted Lord
may exercise his rights. The Iroquois would appoint a deputy if the Lord had
specific defects.
The Division of government for America is divided up into
the Judicial, Executive, and Legislative Branches. In the Iroquois constitution
it also splits up the Mohawk Council into three parties: the Tekarihoken,
Ayonhwhathah and Shadekariwadeare the first party; Sharenhowaneh, Deyoenhegwenh
and Oghrenghrehgowah are the second party, and Dehennakrineh, Aghstawenserenthah
and Shoskoharowaneh are the third party. The Purpose of the third party is to
monitor what the first and second parties are discussing to make sure they don’t
make any mistakes. The way that there are 3 parties in the Iroquois government
and the division of powers of the United States government is very similar.
A bicameral legislature means that there are two different houses that
everything has to go through. In the Iroquois system of government they have two
sets of Confederate Lords: Mohawk and Seneca Lords; Oneida and Cayuga Lords. Any
questions will first be passed through the Mohawk and Seneca Lords, and then it
will be discussed by the Oneida and Cayuga Lords. When comparing this to the
U.S. constitution we use a two house system similar to this which is known as
the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The impeachment process is
a little different between the two different governments, but the basic idea is
the same. If a governmental official in America breaks a federal law, or is not
have his people best interest he can be impeached. In the Iroquois government
they say that if the leader does not have his people in mind, or disobeys the
rules of the great law then they can be removed from their position.
In
closing the U. S. constitution had a lot of the same basic principles as the
Iroquois constitution. So we can come to the conclusion that the founders of our
constitution had looked and like the ideas of the Iroquois’. Especially with all
the things that are in our government today like Vito Power, When a Leader Gets
Sick, 3 Branches of Government, A Bicameral Legislature, and impeachment.
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