Isabella Carter
A constitution is a set of rules that guide how a country, state, or other political organization works. The United States Constitution is the oldest written constitution still used today. It is the most basic law of the United States and all other laws must agree with it. The Constitution outlines the rights of citizens, such as the right to free speech and freedom of religion, and it establishes the different branches of government, like the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches, and gives them the power to govern.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Provides a framework for the federal government | Sets out the branches of government and their powers |
| Sets out the rights of citizens | Freedom of speech, religion, press, right to bear arms, protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, right to a fair trial, right to gather in public, right to vote |
| Is the highest law of the land | All other laws must align with it |
| Maintains balance and fairness in the legal system | Allows for judicial review of laws that violate the Constitution |
| Sets out a system of checks and balances | Separation of powers to ensure no individual or group has complete control over the government |
| Is amendable | Has been amended 17-27 times since 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution is the highest law of the land
The US Constitution was written to replace an older set of rules called the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were written when the United States first became a country, but they didn't give the central government enough power. So, in 1787, a group of people met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to change them. This meeting was called the Constitutional Convention. The people at the convention wrote a completely new document—the Constitution.
The Constitution has a section at the beginning called the Preamble. This explains the purpose of the Constitution. It says: "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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." This means that the people of the country were making the rules, together.
The US Constitution has been amended, or changed, 27 times since 1789. Some of the most significant amendments are the First, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth Amendments. The First Amendment protects the freedoms of speech, religion, and the press. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were approved after the American Civil War. They abolished slavery, gave citizenship and equal legal rights to African Americans and formerly enslaved people, and gave Black men the right to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote.
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The Constitution outlines citizens' rights and liberties
A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The United States Constitution is the oldest written constitution still used today. It was written in 1787 and is the supreme law of the United States. This means that all other laws, including local, state, and U.S. laws, must agree with it.
The concept of separation of powers is also a key aspect of the Constitution. It divides the government into three branches: the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial. Each branch has its unique powers and responsibilities, creating a system of checks and balances. This prevents any one individual or group from having complete control over the government. For instance, the Legislative branch, which includes Congress, is responsible for making laws, while the Executive branch, led by the President, enforces these laws. The Judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, interprets the laws and can declare a law unconstitutional if it violates the Constitution.
The Constitution can be amended or changed, but this process is generally more difficult than passing an ordinary law. Amendments to the Constitution have been made to address various issues, such as abolishing slavery, granting citizenship and equal rights to African Americans, and giving women the right to vote. These amendments further strengthened the rights and liberties outlined in the original document.
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The Constitution is amendable, but it's not easy
A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The United States Constitution is the most basic law of the United States. It is the framework for the federal government of the United States and the highest form of law in the country. The Constitution creates the branches of government, tells us what powers they have, and gives them the power to govern. It also protects the citizens of the United States and guarantees their basic rights, such as the right to speak freely and to gather in public.
The US Constitution is amendable, but it is not easy to make changes to it. The Constitution has been amended only 27 times since it was drafted in 1787. This includes the first 10 amendments, which were adopted four years later as the Bill of Rights. The process of amending the Constitution is very difficult and time-consuming. A proposed amendment must be passed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and then ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. For example, the ERA Amendment did not pass the necessary majority of state legislatures in the 1980s.
The US Constitution is the oldest written constitution still in use in the world today. It replaced an older set of rules called the Articles of Confederation, which had issues, including a lack of power for the central government and an inability to generate revenue. The Constitution was written to endure for ages to come, and its framers intentionally made it difficult to amend. This is to ensure that only significant changes that affect all Americans or secure the rights of citizens are made.
The number of proposed amendments is not uncommon, but it is important to consider whether a political fix belongs in the Constitution. The Constitution has been amended 18 times since 1791, with some of the most significant amendments being the First, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth Amendments. These amendments protected the freedoms of speech, religion, and the press, abolished slavery, gave citizenship and equal legal rights to African Americans and formerly enslaved people, gave Black men the right to vote, and gave women the right to vote, respectively.
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The Framers: the men who wrote the Constitution
A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The United States Constitution is the most basic law of the United States. All other laws, including local, state, and U.S. laws, must agree with it.
The Framers of the Constitution were delegates to the Constitutional Convention and helped draft the Constitution of the United States. The Founding Fathers of the United States were political leaders who participated in the American Revolution. They signed the Declaration of Independence, took part in the Revolutionary War, and established the Constitution. The Founding Fathers who were delegates to the Constitutional Convention included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Almost all of the delegates to the convention had taken part in the Revolution and had extensive political experience. Four-fifths of the delegates had been in the Continental Congress, and nearly all of the fifty-five delegates had experience in colonial and state government. The delegates practiced a wide range of high and middle-status occupations. The educational backgrounds of the Founding Fathers varied, with some like Franklin and Washington being largely self-taught or learning through apprenticeship, while others had obtained instruction from private tutors, at academies, or in college.
The Constitution that is on display at the National Archives was penned by Jacob Shallus, but Gouverneur Morris wrote the famous preamble. James Madison is often called the "Father of the Constitution" since so much of his work and ideas were incorporated into the final document.
The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1787 to replace the Articles of Confederation, which was the first Constitution. The Articles were problematic because they did not give the central government enough power, and the government had no means of generating money. The delegates to the convention wrote a new document—the Constitution—which went into effect after nine states had approved it.
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The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation
A constitution is a set of rules that guide how a country, state, or other political organization works. The US Constitution is the oldest written constitution still used today. It is the most basic law of the United States and all other laws must agree with it.
The US Constitution was written to replace the Articles of Confederation, which was the first US Constitution. The Articles of Confederation were written when the United States first became a country. However, there were several problems with the Articles. Firstly, they did not give the central government enough power. The government had no money and no way to get money, as they could not tax the states. The army was not being paid and was deserting, and debts to foreign countries were not being paid. The central government was too weak and could not settle quarrels between states.
Another issue with the Articles of Confederation was that they did not create separate branches of government. There was no executive or judicial branch, and the legislative body was a single body appointed by the state legislatures.
In 1787, a group of people met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to change the Articles of Confederation. This meeting was called the Constitutional Convention. The people at the convention wrote a completely new document—the Constitution. The Constitution created three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. This separation of powers ensured that power would not be concentrated in one particular branch. The new system of government also allowed Congress to control interstate commerce and gave them the power to tax individuals.
The Constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789, after nine states had approved it.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution is like a rule book for the country. It sets out how the country should be governed and makes sure that the government doesn't have too much power. It also protects the rights of the people living in the country.
The Preamble is the introduction to the Constitution. It explains what the writers of the Constitution wanted to achieve. It starts with "We the People of the United States" to show that the people of the country, not a king or queen, are in charge.
Yes, the Constitution can be changed. These changes are called amendments. It's hard to make changes to the Constitution because a lot of people have to agree. Two-thirds of Congress and three-quarters of the states must approve an amendment for it to be added to the Constitution.
