Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution, which came into force in 1789, is the supreme law of the United States of America. The document, which is four pages long, is dated 17 September 1787 and was ratified on 21 June 1788. The Constitution has been amended 27 times since its inception. But how many times is America mentioned in the Constitution?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times "American" is mentioned | 0 |
| Number of times "America" is mentioned | 1 |
| Number of times "United States" is mentioned | 7 |
| Number of times "States" is mentioned | 13 |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitution's influence on other nations
The United States Constitution has had a profound influence on the legal thinking and constitutions of other nations. Its impact transcends cultural, historical, and legal differences, and its principles have been a contributing factor in the search for freedom and self-governance worldwide.
The US Constitution was the first single-document constitution, and its influence can be seen in the adoption of one-document constitutions by most other nations. Beginning with Poland and France in 1791, the American idea of a constitution as the foundation of government quickly became the norm. The act of constitutional suspension, or the temporary removal of a constitution during transitional governments or martial rule, has become the most extreme political act of modern government, demonstrating the integral role of constitutions in the modern political landscape.
The US Constitution's introduction of novel concepts such as checks and balances, separation of powers, and the definition of those powers, has had a significant impact on emerging nations. The amendment process, allowing for a "living document" that can be changed with the support of the people and ratification by the states, has also influenced the legal thinking of other countries. The principles of rule by popular consent, with laws drafted by representatives of the people, and the recognition of individual rights, have been particularly influential.
The influence of the US Constitution can be seen in the similarities of phrasing and borrowed passages in other constitutions. For example, the Australian Constitution integrated federal ideas from the US Constitution. The English Bill of Rights and Magna Carta influenced the American Bill of Rights, and these principles were, in turn, reflected in the French Declaration of the Rights of Man. The US Constitution's impact can also be seen in the work of foreign scholars and advocates of the American system, such as Alexis de Tocqueville, whose work heightened interest in the US constitutional system in Europe and Latin America.
However, it is important to note that the influence of the US Constitution has been waning since the 1980s as countries have created new constitutions or updated older ones. Some critics, such as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, view the US Constitution as a relic of the 18th century rather than a model for new constitutions. The US Constitution guarantees relatively few rights compared to other countries' constitutions and contains less than half of the provisions listed in the average bill of rights. Despite this, the US Constitution's impact on legal thinking and its influence on the creation of constitutions in other nations cannot be overstated.
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The Constitution's authors
The United States Constitution was authored by the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention consisted of 55 delegates, ranging in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin. Of these 55 delegates, only 39 signed the Constitution.
The ideas and writings of several European Enlightenment thinkers influenced the Constitution. These included John Locke, Edward Coke, William Blackstone, David Hume, and Montesquieu. The Magna Carta and English common law also served as sources of inspiration.
The English Bill of Rights, which requires jury trials, the right to bear arms, and prohibits excessive bail and "cruel and unusual punishments", inspired the American Bill of Rights. The literature of republicanism in the United States, exemplified by the works of John Adams, who often quoted Blackstone and Montesquieu, also influenced the creation of state constitutions.
The opening words of the Constitution, "We the People", were coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. Morris' phrase improved upon the original draft, which listed the 13 states after "We the People". Instead, Morris substituted "of the United States" and listed the Constitution's six goals.
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The Constitution's amendments
The United States Constitution, the framework for the United States government, has been amended 27 times since it came into operation on March 4, 1789. The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article Five, which requires amendments to be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. This can be done through a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or by a national convention called by Congress on the application of two-thirds of state legislatures.
The first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. Inspired by the English Bill of Rights (1689), the Bill of Rights guarantees jury trials, the right to keep and bear arms, prohibits excessive bail and forbids cruel and unusual punishments. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, known as the Reconstruction Amendments, were also significant in shaping the Constitution.
The influence of the United States Constitution has been far-reaching, impacting the development of other nations' constitutions, including Australia's. However, since the 1980s, its influence has waned as countries have created new constitutions or updated older ones. Despite criticisms and the challenges of amending it, the United States Constitution remains a pivotal document in the nation's history, with its amendments reflecting the evolving nature of American government and society.
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The Constitution's role in the US
The Constitution of the United States forms the basis of the country's legal system and is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Constitution's main provisions include seven articles that define the framework of the federal government. The first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the President and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III).
The Constitution was authored by the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, with the original text drafted by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania. The English Bill of Rights (1689) and the Virginia Declaration of Rights were significant influences on the American Bill of Rights, with many of the liberties protected by these documents incorporated into the US Constitution. The political philosophies of Blackstone, Hume, Locke, and Montesquieu also played a role in shaping the thinking behind the Constitution.
The Supreme Court, as established by the Constitution, acts as a co-equal branch of government, with the power to declare acts of Congress as unconstitutional. It seeks to balance its role with that of the President and Congress, ensuring federal officers are held accountable while also minimising situations where it asserts superiority. The Constitution's role, therefore, extends beyond the written text, as the Supreme Court interprets and applies it to real-world situations, shaping the country's legal landscape.
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The Constitution's historical context
The United States Constitution, dated September 17, 1787, is one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. The document's historical context is rooted in the American Revolution and the subsequent creation of the Articles of Confederation, which served as the country's first constitution.
The Articles of Confederation established a "league of friendship" and a constitution for the 13 sovereign and independent states following the Revolution. However, it became clear that the Articles had significant shortcomings. They gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce, print money, or effectively resolve disputes between states. This led to concerns that the young nation was on the brink of collapse, prompting calls for a stronger central government.
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to address these issues. The delegates, representing a wide range of interests and views, initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, they soon decided to completely redesign the government, crafting a powerful central government with a new framework. One of the fiercest arguments during the Convention was over congressional representation, with delegates compromising by granting each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also grappled with the thorny issue of slavery, temporarily resolving it by allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808 and counting enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person.
The opening words of the Constitution, "We the People," represented a significant shift in thinking, emphasizing that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. This phrase, coined by Gouverneur Morris, set the tone for a document that defined the basic framework of the federal government and outlined its goals and provisions. The Constitution's creation was a painstaking process, with delegates methodically considering each section before finalizing it in September 1787.
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Frequently asked questions
The word "America" is mentioned 2 times in the US Constitution.
The phrase "United States" is mentioned 10 times in the US Constitution.
The phrase "United States of America" is mentioned 3 times in the US Constitution.
The word "America" is mentioned once in the first sentence of the US Constitution.
The phrase "United States" is mentioned once in the first sentence of the US Constitution.
