A People's History of the United States

What I felt was most compelling about this reading was the factual evidence the author had about the Founding Fathers looking out for their own economic interest when writing the Constitution. Charles Beard made an interesting point when he said the rich either directly run the government or controls how the government operates. At first I thought it was a radical opinion, but he went on to back his opinion with fact-based answers. First off, the majority of the people who ratified the Constitution were wealthy, so they were keen on the idea of establishing a strong central government because taxes, tariffs, and all money issues could be in their favor. Obviously this was bad for small farmers which ended up starting Shays' Rebellion. The rebellion was quickly shot down by the wealthy politicians who were scared this example may spread.So they changed their ways to please everyone. Beard explained it best when he said the Constitution serves the interests of the wealthy elite, but does enough for the middle class to gain their popular support. This provides unity and a buffer between the lower class. The Bill of Rights was actually just a way to show the government cared about the citizens rights, even though those rights aren't fully protected. In conclusion, although the Constitution seems to be looking out for the well being of society, it actually is made for the well being of the upper class and the economic interests of the Founding Fathers.

Questions: 
1) Do you think politicians in today's society still look out for their own economic self interests?
2) What does the term "contending powers" mean?
3) How has the distribution of wealth changed over time?