Understanding The Constitution's First Three Words: We The People

what are the three first words of the constitution

The first three words of the US Constitution are We the People. These three words are part of the preamble, which is an introduction to the Constitution and sets out the intentions of the framers. The preamble is not the law, but it communicates the purpose of the document.

Characteristics Values
First three words We the People
What it introduces The Constitution
What it communicates The intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document
What it outlines The general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, an adequate national defence and a healthy, free nation

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The preamble to the US Constitution is an introduction to the highest law of the land, but it is not the law itself

The first three words of the US Constitution are "We the People". These words emphasise that the nation is to be ruled by the people, not a king or a dictator, nor the president, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress or state legislators. The preamble to the US Constitution is an introduction to the highest law of the land, but it is not the law itself. It communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. The preamble sets the stage for the Constitution, outlining the general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, an adequate national defence and a healthy, free nation. It also expresses the aspirations that "We the People" have for their government and their way of life as a nation.

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The first three words of the US Constitution are 'We the People', emphasising that the nation is to be ruled by the people, not a king or dictator

The first three words of the US Constitution are "We the People". These three words are part of the preamble, which is an introduction to the Constitution and communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. The preamble sets the stage for the Constitution, which is the highest law of the land. With these first three words, the preamble emphasises that the nation is to be ruled by the people, not a king or a dictator, not the president, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress or state legislators.

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The preamble sets out the aspirations that 'We the People' have for our government and our way of life as a nation

The first three words of the Constitution are "We the People". These three words are part of the preamble, which is an introduction to the Constitution and sets out the aspirations of the people for their government and their way of life as a nation. The preamble communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. It outlines the general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, an adequate national defence and a healthy, free nation. It emphasises that the nation is to be ruled by the people, not a king or a dictator, not the president, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress or state legislators.

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The preamble outlines the general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, an adequate national defence and a healthy, free nation

The preamble to the Constitution is an introduction to the document and the highest law of the land. It sets out the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. The first three words are "We the People", which emphasise that the nation is to be ruled by the people, not a king or a dictator, not the president, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress or state legislators. The preamble outlines the general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, an adequate national defence and a healthy, free nation.

The preamble sets the stage for the Constitution. It communicates the aspirations that "We the People" have for our government and for our way of life as a nation. It is an inspirational element, designed to stimulate conversation about the Constitution and the promises it makes.

The preamble is not a source of federal power or individuals' rights. Rather, all rights and powers are set out in the articles and amendments that follow. However, it does outline the general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, an adequate national defence and a healthy, free nation.

The framers wanted to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity. They wanted to form a more perfect union and establish a just government that would ensure peace and protect the nation.

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The US Supreme Court held in 1905 that the preamble is not a source of federal power or individuals' rights

The first three words of the US Constitution are "We the People". The preamble, which begins with these words, is an introduction to the Constitution and outlines the general goals of the framers. It is not the law, but it does communicate the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document.

In 1905, the US Supreme Court held that the preamble is not a source of federal power or individual rights. This decision, known as Jacobson v. Massachusetts, affirmed that all rights and powers are set out in the articles and amendments that follow the preamble. The Court's ruling emphasised that the nation is to be ruled by the people, not a king, dictator, president, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, or state legislators.

The preamble sets the stage for the Constitution and clearly communicates the intentions of the framers. While it is not a direct source of federal power or individual rights, it does play a role in shaping the interpretation of other provisions within the document. The Supreme Court has relied on the broad precepts of the preamble to confirm and reinforce its interpretation of other provisions, such as in the 2015 case of Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. In this case, the Court held that Arizona's process for redistricting, which was created by a popular initiative rather than an act of the state legislature, was constitutionally permissible. The Court declared that the "fundamental instrument of government derives its authority from 'We the People'".

The preamble also played a role in the case of Martin v. Hunter's Lessee, where the Court relied on it to conclude that the Constitution permitted the Court to exercise appellate jurisdiction over the final judgments of the highest court of a state when adjudicating questions of federal law. The Court noted that the Constitution was established by the "people of the United States" who had a right to prohibit the states from exercising any powers that were incompatible with the "objects of the general compact".

Frequently asked questions

The first three words of the constitution are "We the People".

"We the People" emphasises that the nation is to be ruled by the people, not a king or a dictator, not the president, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress or state legislators.

These words appear in the preamble, which is an introduction to the highest law of the land. It communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document.

No, the preamble is not a source of federal power or individuals' rights. All rights and powers are set out in the articles and amendments that follow.

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