What did our founders really mean when they said “general welfare”?

[rightwinger]

He doesn't get that the Constitution is there to protects from voters, to limit the "will of the people".

We the People wrote t

 

[dblack]

We the People wrote t

And those people didn't trust unfettered majority rule. Thus all the limitations that you want to dismiss.

 

[rightwinger]

And those people didn't trust unfettered majority rule. Thus all the limitations that you want to dismiss.

They didn’t support minority rule either

 

[dblack]

They didn’t support minority rule either

No such thing, dipshit.

 

[MarathonMike]

Old thread, but a good one. The statement "promote the general welfare" in the Preamble of the Constitution refers to American citizens and their general well being, safety and happiness.

 

[PeterPilot]

Is providing for Post Offices and Post Roads an example of providing for the General Welfare? What about promoting the progress of Science and Useful Arts? They and others are mentioned in Section 8 of Article I

 

[Dante]

What did our founders really mean when they said “general welfare”?​

I have read quite a bit on British colonial America. I think you should start

 

[Dante]

I’m interested in YOUR opinions.

...

 

[Dante]

what you think our founders meant when they used the phrase “GENERAL WELFARE” in the constitution?

Nothing that goes to what you re inferring/suggesting. Nothing. Nothing at all. You...

Section. 8.​

The Congress shall have Power 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 Offences 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 such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;—And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

 

[BrokeLoser]

Nothing that goes to what you re inferring/suggesting. Nothing. Nothing at all. You...

Section. 8.​

The Congress shall have Power 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 Offences 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 such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;—And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

So say it…what does “provide for the general welfare” mean?
Define “general welfare”.

 

[Dante]

So say it…what does “provide for the general welfare” mean?
Define “general welfare”.

The real question is wtf do you imagine it means?

 

[dblack]

The real question is wtf do you imagine it means?

The real question is "Is the power to tax meant to be a broad 'implied' power to legislate and spend?"

If it is, the rest doesn't matter. Neither does most of the Constitution.

 

[BrokeLoser]

The real question is wtf do you imagine it means?

You obviously haven’t read through the thread…I’ve been crystal clear, you know what I think it means. It means every dollar spent must benefit the GENERAL public.

 

[Dante]

The real question is "Is the power to tax meant to be a broad 'implied' power to legislate and spend?"

If it is, the rest doesn't matter. Neither does most of the Constitution.

We have a few hundred years on this

 

[Dante]

You obviously haven’t read through the thread…I’ve been crystal clear, you know what I think it means. It means every dollar spent must benefit the GENERAL public.

really?

that's a new one

You obviously haven’t read through the thread…I’ve been crystal clear, you know what I think it means. It means every dollar spent must benefit the GENERAL public.

 

[BrokeLoser]

really?

that's a new one

Do you think our founders intended for our best citizens to pay our worst citizens to create more of their criminal taxpayer dependent same? Do you think our founders intended for our best citizens to pay Mexico’s people to drop litters of filth in our laps…do you think they wanted our best citizens paying for healthcare for Mexico’s people?

 

[dblack]

We have a few hundred years on this

Yep. What's that change?

 

[HikerGuy83]

They didn’t support minority rule either

They supported both in different instances.

A republic is still a democratic institution at it's most basic level.

You might try to understand what that means.

 

[80zephyr]

We have a few hundred years on this

We had a few hundred years of teaching religion in school too. And that changed.

 

[dblack]

They didn’t support minority rule either

There's no such thing. The minority can't pass laws and force its will on the majority. Liberals like to scream "minority rule" whenever the majority isn't allowed to force its will on the rest of us. Especially when the Constitution prevents them from doing so. They hate that shit.