Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for September 17, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
September 17, 2018: On September 17, 1787—231 years ago today—39 men signed the U.S. Constitution. Among the best known are the then-elder statesman of the group, Benjamin Franklin; the first president of the United States, George Washington; and the first treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton.[1]
It was signed 11 years after the issuance of the young nation’s founding document, the Declaration of Independence. However, the author of that document, Thomas Jefferson, was not present at the signing of the Constitution. At the time, he was serving as the U.S. ambassador to France.
The Declaration outlined the ideals of the new nation and famously stated that we are all created equal with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution focused more on how to create a government that might defend the unalienable rights. James Madison played a key role in drafting the latter document, which established an elaborate system of checks and balances based upon a separation of powers.
Dr. Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, has shown the strong correlation between the two documents. His book The Founders' Key: The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It argues that the provisions of the Constitution strongly mirrored the concerns and ideals expressed in the Declaration.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- September 14, 2018 – 10 years ago this weekend, Lehman Brothers collapsed
- September 13, 2018 – 180 female candidates nominated for House by Democrats
- September 12, 2018 – 21.1 out of every 100,000 U.S. men commit suicide
- September 11, 2018 – 2-meter-long unmanned boat crosses Atlantic
- September 10, 2018 – 1,190 state legislative incumbents not running for re-election
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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