ll taxes and literacy tests.
The normative aspects of the Constitution's elitist nature have to do with the inclination of the Framers toward order over equality. As we read in Janda, Berry and Goldman (1992), "Maintaining order is the oldest objective of government." This means "establishing the rule of law to preserve life and to protect property" (6). On the other hand, "the promotion of equality has not always been a major objective of government" (Janda, Berry & Goldman, 1992, 8). Normatively, the Framers perceived order as a much more desirable element of government and society than equality, and the document they created reflects this preference.
What the Framers meant by order is open to debate, but it is clear from a study of the background material that a major element of order was the protection and preservation of the economic power and property of the Framers themselves. Beard supports this basic argument with references to many background sources, including this quotation from Madison in The Federalist: "`The first object of go
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