Eleanor Finch
The Preamble is the term used to refer to the introduction of the United States Constitution. The Preamble, which begins with the words We the People, sets out the Constitution's overarching goals and principles. It is followed by seven articles that outline the basic framework of the federal government, including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The first 10 of the 27 amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Preamble |
| First words | "We the People" |
| Number of words | 52 |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
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What You'll Learn
The Preamble
The Constitution, including the Preamble, was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, becoming the supreme law of the land. The Constitution consists of seven articles that define the basic framework of the federal government, along with 27 amendments, the first 10 of which are collectively known as the Bill of Rights.
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The Articles of Confederation
The term "preamble" is applied to the introduction to the Constitution.
The Articles were drafted by a committee composed of one representative from each colony, including Benjamin Franklin, who introduced his plan for "'Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union'" to Congress on July 21. While some delegates supported Franklin's proposal, others were strongly opposed, and Congress tabled the plan. The final draft of the Articles achieved consensus by guaranteeing each state's sovereignty, leaving the matter of western land claims to individual states, establishing state-by-state voting, and setting proportional state tax burdens based on land values.
Despite these compromises, most delegates recognized the Articles as a flawed compromise. By the mid-1780s, the limitations of the central government under the Articles became apparent, as it struggled with assembling delegates, raising funds, regulating commerce, and supporting the war effort. The states retained considerable power and the country was on the brink of economic disaster, with disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatening to tear the country apart. As a result, the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, ultimately resulting in the creation of the present-day Constitution that went into effect in 1789.
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The Bill of Rights
The introduction to the Constitution of the United States is known as the Preamble. The Preamble begins with the words "We the People" and sets out the intentions of the document, which is 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".
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791, and includes protections for many liberties, including the right to bear arms and the right to refuse quartering soldiers during peacetime. The Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, with the Supreme Court ruling that this right applies to individuals and not just militias. The Third Amendment prohibits the federal government from forcing citizens to provide lodging to soldiers without their consent during peacetime.
The Constitution provides the basic framework for the federal government, delineating its legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also outlines the rights and responsibilities of state governments in relation to the federal government and establishes the manner of election and qualifications for members of Congress.
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Amendments
The introduction to the US Constitution is known as the Preamble. It begins with the words "We the People of the United States..." and outlines the reasons for the Constitution, including the desire 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".
The US Constitution has 27 amendments, the first 10 of which are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. Amendments 11-27 were added later, with the most recent being added in 1992. The amendment process is outlined in Article V of the Constitution, which states that amendments can be proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress or by two-thirds of the state legislatures. For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by conventions in three-fourths of the states.
The Second Amendment (1791) protects the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, a right that has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as applying to individuals and not just collective militias. This amendment was requested by several states during the Constitutional ratification debates and reflected the resentment towards British attempts to confiscate colonists' firearms before the Revolutionary War. The Third Amendment (also from 1791) prohibits the federal government from forcing citizens to provide lodging to soldiers during peacetime without their consent.
The process of amending the Constitution has evolved over time, with the first several amendments being proposed and ratified within a few years of the Constitution's original ratification. More recent amendments have often involved longer periods of debate and discussion before being ratified. The amendment process is designed to be deliberate and challenging, recognising that constitutional changes should not be made lightly.
The specific process for proposing and ratifying amendments has also evolved. In the early years of the Constitution, Congress played a more significant role in the process, with both houses of Congress often proposing and ratifying amendments simultaneously. In more recent times, the proposal of amendments has typically come from the state legislatures, and ratification has often involved a more extended process of discussion and debate before the necessary three-fourths of state legislatures or conventions have approved the amendment.
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The Separation of Powers
The term "Preamble" is applied to the introduction of the US Constitution. The Preamble reads:
> "We the People of the United States, in Order 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
The US Constitution's Preamble sets out the intentions of the document, which acts as a "merger" of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. The Constitution united citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people.
Separation of Powers
The US Constitution divides governmental power among three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. The legislative power of the federal government is vested in Congress; the executive power in the President; and the judicial power in the Supreme Court and any lower courts created by Congress.
The purpose of this division of powers is to preserve individual liberty and prevent autocracy. Each branch has some independence, but they also share power and are interdependent. For example, the President can veto legislation passed by Congress, but Congress may overrule such vetoes with a supermajority vote of both houses.
To address concerns that one branch might attempt to exercise powers assigned to another, the Framers incorporated various checks that each branch could exercise against the actions of the others. For instance, Congress has the power to impeach and remove the President, Vice President, and civil officers of the United States.
> " [T]he accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
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Frequently asked questions
The term is the Preamble.
"We the People".
It introduces the articles and amendments that follow.
52.
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It acts as a merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures.
