Eleanor Finch
The goals and purposes of the US Constitution are listed in the preamble, which introduces the document's seven articles and 27 amendments. The preamble outlines the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document, stating that the Constitution is created by We the People 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 preamble is not the law, but it guides the understanding and interpretation of the Constitution, which has three main functions: creating a national government with legislative, executive, and judicial branches and a system of checks and balances; dividing power between the federal government and states; and protecting individual liberties of citizens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Introduction to the Constitution | "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure 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." |
| Purpose | Clearly communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document |
| Separation of Powers | The Constitution divides power between the federal government and the states, and also separates the power of the government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial |
| Checks and Balances | The three branches of government have checks and balances to assure that no one branch of government gains supremacy |
| Amendments | The Constitution has been amended 27 times, with a specified process for making amendments to prevent arbitrary changes |
| Individual Liberties | Protects various individual liberties of American citizens, including freedom of speech, religion, and press, and the right to a jury trial and to keep and bear arms |
| Jurisdiction of Federal Courts | Federal courts may only hear "cases or controversies" and are subject to the will of Congress, which can distribute and limit their jurisdiction |
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What You'll Learn
The preamble outlines the intentions of the framers
The preamble begins with the words, "We the People of the United States", indicating that the people are sovereign. This sets the tone for the rest of the preamble, which outlines the reasons for the Constitution's enactment. The framers intended to create a government that would meet the needs of the people, with enough power to act on a national level, but without so much power that fundamental rights would be at risk.
The preamble outlines six intentions, or goals, which are to: form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. These intentions are reflected in the structure and content of the Constitution, which divides power between the federal government and the states, and includes protections for individual liberties.
The preamble is important because it provides insight into the framers' intentions and the values that should guide the understanding and interpretation of the Constitution. While it does not confer powers or rights, it assists in interpreting and applying the specific powers listed in the articles. It is a statement of the basic values of the United States as a democracy, and its role in guiding the creation of a fair and balanced government is significant.
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The constitution is the supreme law of the land
The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the land. It is the oldest and shortest written national constitution in the world, signed on September 17, 1787, by the Founding Fathers. The Constitution is called the "Supreme Law of the Land" because it lays out the fundamental rules of the government, and no other law supersedes it.
The preamble of the Constitution, comprising its famous first 52 words, introduces what is to follow in the Constitution's seven articles and 27 amendments. It states who is adopting the Constitution ("We the People of the United States"), why it is being adopted (the purposes behind the enactment of America's charter of government), and what is being adopted ("this Constitution"). The preamble sets the stage for the Constitution and communicates the intentions of its framers and the purpose of the document. It is not the law itself, but it guides the understanding of the Constitution.
The Constitution has three main functions. Firstly, it establishes a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch, with a system of checks and balances among the three branches. This system of checks and balances ensures that no one branch of government dominates the others. Secondly, it divides power between the federal government and the states. Thirdly, it protects the individual liberties of American citizens.
The Constitution's framework was influenced by the history that led to its drafting. The limitations placed on the federal government and each of its branches were a reaction to the tyranny of British rule and the single monarch. The Founding Fathers wanted to set up a fair and balanced government, and they understood that the Constitution should be able to change and grow over time. As such, they included a process for amending the Constitution, and it has since been amended 27 times.
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The constitution protects the personal liberty of citizens
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and it outlines the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. The Constitution has three main functions: firstly, it creates a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch, with a system of checks and balances among the three branches. Secondly, it divides power between the federal government and the states. Thirdly, it protects the personal liberty of citizens from government intrusion.
The Constitution establishes civil liberties, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms. Civil liberties protect individuals against government actions that infringe upon certain fundamental rights. The Constitution also protects civil rights, such as the equal right to vote. The Bill of Rights, which constitutes the first ten amendments to the Constitution, protects rights involving personal liberty and justice. The Fourth Amendment, for example, safeguards citizens' right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes through the requirement of a warrant.
The Fifth Amendment states that no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against themselves, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment also mentions that no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. The 'liberty' mentioned in the Fourteenth Amendment means the right of the citizen to be free from physical restraint and to be free in the enjoyment of all faculties. This includes the freedom to live and work where one chooses, to pursue a livelihood, and to enter into contracts.
The Ninth Amendment states that the list of rights enumerated in the Constitution is not exhaustive, and that the people retain all rights not enumerated. The Constitution, therefore, protects the personal liberty of citizens by establishing civil liberties, safeguarding individual rights, and outlining a system of checks and balances to prevent government overreach.
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The constitution divides power between federal government and states
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land in the United States. It is a document that outlines the intentions of its framers and the purpose of the document. The Constitution has three main functions. Firstly, it creates a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch, with a system of checks and balances among the three branches. Secondly, it divides power between the federal government and the states. Finally, it protects various individual liberties of American citizens.
The Constitution's framework owes much to the history that led to its drafting. The limitations placed on the federal government and each of its branches were a reaction to the tyranny of British rule, especially the tyranny of a single monarch. The accumulation of all powers—legislative, executive, and judiciary—in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, may justly be pronounced as tyranny. Thus, the framers sought to ensure that a separate and independent branch of the federal government would exercise each of the three basic functions of the government.
The Constitution's preamble sets the stage for the document. It communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. The preamble is an introduction to the highest law of the land; however, it is not the law. It does not define government powers or individual rights. The first of the five objectives outlined in the preamble is to "establish justice".
The Constitution divides power between the federal government and the states. The federal government refers to the government at the national level, while the term "states" means governments at the subnational level. National matters are handled by the federal government, which is led by the President and members of Congress, all of whom are elected by voters across the country. Matters at the subnational level are the responsibility of the fifty states, each headed by an elected governor and legislature.
Article I, Sections 9 and 10, along with several constitutional amendments, lay out the restrictions on federal and state authority. The most important restriction Section 9 places on the national government is to prevent measures that cause the deprivation of personal liberty. For example, the government cannot suspend the writ of habeas corpus, which enables someone in custody to petition a judge to determine whether their detention is legal. Additionally, the government cannot pass a bill of attainder, a legislative action declaring someone guilty without a trial, or enact an ex post facto law, which criminalizes an act retroactively. The Bill of Rights affirms and expands these constitutional restrictions, ensuring that the government cannot encroach on personal freedoms.
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The constitution can be amended (27 times so far)
The US Constitution is a bold experiment in democracy that has proven stable and flexible enough to survive and remain effective in a world totally different from the one in which it was written. It has been amended 27 times since it was drafted in 1787. The first 10 amendments were adopted four years later as the Bill of Rights.
The process for making amendments is onerous to prevent arbitrary changes. An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or if two-thirds of the states request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or three-fourths of conventions called in each state for ratification. Amendments traditionally specify a timeframe in which this must be accomplished, usually several years.
The Constitution's framework owes much to the history that led to its drafting. The limitations placed on the federal government and each of its branches were a reaction to the tyranny of British rule, especially that of a single monarch. The Constitution's three main functions are to create a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch, with a system of checks and balances among the three branches; to divide power between the federal government and the states; and to protect the various individual liberties of American citizens.
The Bill of Rights constitutes the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. Most Constitutional protections for individual rights are contained in the Bill of Rights. The Ninth Amendment states that the list of rights enumerated in the Constitution is not exhaustive, and that the people retain all rights not enumerated. The third main purpose of the Constitution is to protect the personal liberty of citizens from intrusions by the government. A few of these protections are found in the main body of the Constitution itself. For example, Article I, sections 9 and 10 prohibit both ex post facto laws, which punish conduct that was not illegal at the time it was performed, and bills of attainder, which single out individuals or groups for punishment.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land in the United States. It lays out the basic rules of the government and is the source of all government powers. It also provides limitations on the government to protect the fundamental rights of US citizens.
The first function of the Constitution is to create a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch, with a system of checks and balances among the three branches. The second function is to divide power between the federal government and the states. The third function is to protect the personal liberty of citizens from government intrusion.
The goals and purposes of the Constitution are listed in the Preamble, which is an introduction to the document. The Preamble proclaims who is adopting the Constitution ("We the People of the United States"), why it is being adopted (the purposes behind the enactment of America's charter of government), and what is being adopted (a single authoritative written text to serve as the fundamental law of the land).
