Omar Bennett
The US Constitution is a legal document that outlines the country's system of government and the rights of its citizens. It is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, beginning with the words We the People, which embody the idea that the people are the source of the government's legitimacy. The seven articles are divided into sections and cover topics such as the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, the relationship between states, the procedure for amending the Constitution, and the rights of individuals. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights and guarantee fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly. The US Constitution has changed structurally over time, with the Supreme Court interpreting and overturning laws, and the president and Congress sharing and checking each other's powers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Introduction | "We the People" |
| Purpose | "to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity" |
| Number of Articles | 7 |
| Nature of Articles | Each article is further divided into sections |
| Article I | Legislative branch of government |
| Article II | Executive branch of government |
| Article III | Establishes the Supreme Court as the highest judicial power |
| Article IV | Defines the relationship between the states |
| Article V | Describes the procedure for amending the Constitution |
| Article VI | Declares the Constitution as "the supreme Law of the Land" |
| Article VII | N/A |
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
| First 10 Amendments | Known as the Bill of Rights |
| Nature of the Constitution | Flexible and amenable to changes in the Government |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The US Constitution is divided into seven articles
The US Constitution is a "`living`" document that is flexible and allows for changes in the government. It is the foundation of the federal government and is often called the supreme law of the land. The US Constitution is divided into three parts, the first of which is the Preamble, which describes the purpose of the document and the federal government. The second part of the US Constitution consists of seven articles, which establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed.
Article I deals with the legislative branch of the government, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. Article II concerns the executive branch, which includes the President, Vice President, and their cabinet. Article III establishes the judiciary, with the Supreme Court as the highest judicial power in the United States.
Article IV defines the relationship between the states, while Article V describes the procedure for amending the Constitution. Article VI declares the Constitution as "the supreme Law of the Land," and Article VII outlines the process for ratifying the document.
The third and final part of the US Constitution is the Amendments, which list the changes made to the document. The first 10 amendments are called the Bill of Rights.
Cuba's Constitution: US Insisted on Anti-Communist Clause
You may want to see also
The legislative branch of government
The US Constitution is divided into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch, established by Article I of the Constitution, consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress.
The Constitution grants Congress the authority to enact legislation and declare war, confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and exercise investigative powers. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, with each state receiving representation in proportion to its total population. There are also 6 non-voting members representing various US territories. The Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives, is third in the line of succession to the Presidency.
Congress is responsible for establishing the government's annual budget, levying taxes and tariffs, and authorizing borrowing if necessary. It can also mandate specific spending through "earmarks." Both chambers of Congress have extensive investigative powers, holding hearings and investigations and compelling the production of evidence or testimony.
Congress plays a crucial role in providing checks and balances on the executive branch. It conducts oversight of the President's power through hearings and committees dedicated to overseeing and reforming government operations. Congress can also override a Presidential veto by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The legislative branch, as part of the US Constitution, ensures that legislative power is vested in Congress, allowing for the creation and modification of laws and providing a balance to the executive and judicial branches.
Louisiana's Constitution: Rewritten and Redrafted
You may want to see also
The executive branch of government
The US Constitution is divided into three parts: the Preamble, the seven Articles, and the Amendments. The seven Articles make up the structural constitution, and Article II of this structure concerns the executive branch of the government.
The executive branch is led by the President of the United States, who acts as both the head of state and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for executing and enforcing laws created by Congress. The power of the executive branch is vested in the President, who is supported by the Vice President and the Executive Office of the President (EOP). The President also appoints the heads of federal commissions, federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal officials.
The executive branch includes fifteen executive departments, each led by an appointed member of the President's Cabinet. These departments carry out the day-to-day administration of the federal government. The Cabinet serves as advisors to the President and includes the Vice President, heads of executive departments, and other high-ranking government officials.
In addition to the fifteen executive departments, the executive branch also includes other agencies, such as the CIA and the Environmental Protection Agency, whose leaders are under the full authority of the President. The executive branch also comprises independent agencies, boards, commissions, and committees. One notable example is the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which develops and executes policies related to farming, agriculture, and food. The USDA consists of 29 agencies working towards various aims, including meeting the needs of farmers, promoting agricultural trade, assuring food safety, and fostering rural communities.
The Right to Education: Is It in the US Constitution?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The judiciary branch of government
The US Constitution, often called the "'supreme law of the land', is divided into three parts: the Preamble, the seven Articles, and the Amendments. The seven Articles make up the structural constitution and encompass different topics, with Article III establishing the judiciary branch of government.
Article III of the Constitution establishes the Judicial Branch and grants Congress significant discretion in shaping the Federal judiciary. Congress has the power to determine the number of Supreme Court Justices, as well as the authority to establish inferior courts, such as the United States district courts and courts of appeals. The Judicial Branch is comprised of the Supreme Court and these lower federal courts.
The Supreme Court is the highest judicial power in the United States and is currently comprised of nine Justices, including one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. The Court's primary role is to interpret the law, determine its constitutionality, and apply it to individual cases. The inferior courts are bound by the Supreme Court's decisions and must apply its interpretations when ruling on specific cases.
Article III guarantees the right to a fair trial before a competent judge and a jury of one's peers. This article also outlines the procedure for removing federal judges, stating that they can only be removed through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction in the Senate. Judges and Justices serve until their death, retirement, or conviction by the Senate, with no fixed term.
The judiciary branch plays a crucial role in the system of checks and balances, ensuring that no individual or group holds too much power.
The Cougar Conundrum: What Makes a Woman "Cougar"?
You may want to see also
Amendments and the Bill of Rights
The US Constitution is often referred to as a "living" document because it can be amended. In over 200 years, there have been 27 amendments, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791. The first Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution on September 25, 1789. Ten of these 12 proposed amendments were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791, and constitute the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, or the US Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution because the original document lacked limits on government power. Federalists advocated for a strong national government, while Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments and favoured a bill of rights to safeguard individual liberty. James Madison, then a member of the US House of Representatives, wrote the amendments as a solution to limit government power and protect individual liberties through the Constitution.
The first 10 amendments, or the Bill of Rights, include:
- The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.
- The Second Amendment: The right to bear arms.
- The Fourth Amendment: Citizens' right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes through the requirement of a warrant.
- The Sixth Amendment: Criminal Prosecutions – Jury Trial, Right to Confront and to Counsel.
- The Seventh Amendment: Common Law Suits – Jury Trial.
- The Eighth Amendment: Excess Bail or Fines, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- The Ninth Amendment: Non-Enumerated Rights.
- The Tenth Amendment: Rights Reserved to States or People.
The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The Preamble describes the purpose of the document and the Federal Government. The seven Articles establish how the Government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. Article V, for example, describes the procedure for amending the Constitution. The third part, the Amendments, lists changes to the Constitution.
Constitution Achievements: Seven Key Victories for Democracy
You may want to see also
