Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It was written over two hundred years ago and continues to serve as the framework for the American government. The U.S. Constitution is a cornerstone of American governance and a blueprint for the country's democratic ideals. Worksheets on the U.S. Constitution are designed to offer students a deep, meaningful engagement with this pivotal document in American history. They are encouraged to question, analyze and appreciate the Constitution's enduring relevance in modern society.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Written over 200 years ago | Defines the framework for the American government |
| Written by 55 delegates from 12 states | Defines the rights of American citizens |
| Defines the three branches of government | Separation of powers |
| Legislative | |
| Executive | |
| Judicial | |
| Defines the rules for changing the Constitution | 27 amendments to date |
| First ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights | |
| Ratified in 1788 | |
| Safeguards citizens' rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness | |
| Oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force |
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What You'll Learn
The separation of powers and three branches of government
The United States Constitution was written over two hundred years ago and continues to serve as the framework for the American government. The writers of the Constitution wanted to ensure that their new country would preserve the freedoms that they had fought so hard to obtain. To achieve this, they included rules for changing the Constitution when needed, though it is not an easy process. The Constitution has been amended 27 times, with the last amendment being added in 1992.
The Constitution establishes a system of government with three separate branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. This system, known as the separation of powers, ensures that no one branch of government has too much power. Each branch has its own responsibilities and powers, which are defined in the Constitution.
The Legislative Branch is responsible for creating laws and consists of Congress, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Executive Branch is led by the President, who is responsible for upholding the law, and includes the Vice-President and various departments. The Judicial Branch, which includes the federal courts and the Supreme Court, is responsible for resolving ambiguities in the law and determining whether laws are constitutional.
The separation of powers provides a system of checks and balances, where each branch has the power to check the others and prevent them from becoming too powerful. For example, while Congress has the power to create laws, the President can veto them, and the Supreme Court can declare them unconstitutional. The Checks and Balances System also gives the branches some power to appoint or remove members from other branches.
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The amendment process
The writers of the Constitution foresaw that changes would be needed over time and built in rules for amending it. However, they also wanted to ensure that the document would endure, so they made the amendment process difficult. Indeed, the US Constitution has only been amended 27 times since it was drafted in 1787.
The authority to amend the Constitution comes from Article V of the Constitution. There are two ways to propose an amendment: firstly, Congress can propose an amendment with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate; secondly, two-thirds of state legislatures can ask Congress to call a Constitutional Convention to propose an amendment. Once an amendment has been proposed, it must be ratified. An amendment becomes part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-quarters of the states (38 out of 50).
The process is administered by the Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Archivist delegates many of the duties associated with this function to the Director of the Federal Register. The Director examines ratification documents for facial legal sufficiency and an authenticating signature. If the documents are in order, the Director acknowledges receipt and maintains custody of them. The OFR retains these documents until an amendment is adopted or fails. When the OFR verifies that it has received the required number of authenticated ratification documents, it drafts a formal proclamation for the Archivist to certify that the amendment is valid and has become part of the Constitution. This certification is published in the Federal Register and U.S. Statutes at Large and serves as official notice to the Congress and to the Nation that the amendment process has been completed.
Amendments must be of major impact, affecting all Americans or securing the rights of citizens. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. They include the First Amendment (Freedom of Religion, Press, Speech, Assembly, and the right to petition the Government) and the Fifth Amendment (US citizens may not be subject to criminal prosecution without due process and may not be tried for the same crime twice). The last amendment was added in 1992 (the 27th Amendment, which addresses members of Congress' compensation).
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The Bill of Rights
The Constitution of the United States was written over two hundred years ago and continues to serve as the framework of the American government. It was drafted in 1787 by 55 delegates from 12 states in Philadelphia. The Constitution was written to define the framework for the American government and the rights of its citizens, and to prevent any one part of the government from amassing too much authority. The three branches of government outlined in the Constitution are the legislative, executive, and judicial.
The first amendment guarantees freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly, and the right to petition the government. The second amendment outlines the right to keep and bear arms, and the third amendment states that no soldier shall be quartered in a house without the owner's consent. The fourth amendment safeguards citizens' right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes. The fifth amendment states that U.S. citizens may not be subject to criminal prosecution without due process and may not be tried for the same crime twice.
The ninth amendment outlines that the rights in the Constitution are not exhaustive and that people have additional rights that are not defined in the Constitution. The tenth amendment designates all powers not delegated to the federal government to either the states or the people. The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 and added clear limitations on the government's power, ensuring the preservation of individual liberties.
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The ratification of the Constitution
The US Constitution was written over 200 years ago and serves as the framework for the American government. The Founding Fathers included a mechanism for making changes to the document, known as the amendment process. This allows for amendments to be added or modified. The most common way to do this is for two-thirds of Congress to approve a proposed amendment, and then for three-quarters of the states to vote in favour of it. The US Constitution has been amended 27 times.
The Constitution was drafted in 1787 by 55 delegates from 12 states, and it was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present. The initial purpose of the convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ended up creating a new form of government. The new Constitution was designed to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which had no enforcement powers and couldn't regulate commerce or print money.
The delegates agreed that the document would not be binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 existing states. The first state to ratify was Delaware, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The ratification process was challenging, with some states voicing opposition due to concerns about centralised power and the lack of protection for certain rights. However, the "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory, and on June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the US government when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The last amendment was added in 1992, addressing members of Congress's compensation. The Constitution included rules for changing it when needed, and while it has been amended multiple times, the process is not easy. The amendments reflect changes in social thinking over the centuries, such as the inclusion of the Bill of Rights to protect freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
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The role of the Constitution in modern society
The Constitution of the United States is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It was written over two hundred years ago and continues to serve as the framework for the American government and the rights of its citizens. The document is centred around ideas such as forming a more perfect government, limited government, establishing three branches of government (the system of checks and balances), patriotism, and representation.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The Constitution's Framers also built into the document the rules for changing it when needed, through the amendment process.
The Constitution is not just an academic exercise, but a reflection of the collective aspirations of the people it serves. It is a living, breathing document that continues to shape the daily lives of Americans, providing a blueprint for the country's democratic ideals. Students are encouraged to understand the Constitution and its contents, not just to memorise facts but to question, analyse, and appreciate its enduring relevance in modern society.
The Constitution's role in modern society is to provide a framework for governance, delineating powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, thus creating a balance that prevents tyranny and fosters accountability. It also outlines the rights of citizens, such as freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly, and the right to petition the government. The intricate balance of powers and the system of checks and balances are essential to maintaining a functioning democracy.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution is a framework for the American government and the rights of its citizens. It is a set of rules that defines the three branches of government and their responsibilities.
The US Constitution was written to prevent any one part of the government from gaining too much power. It also aimed to preserve the freedoms that the country had fought for in the war.
The three branches of the US government are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
The system that prevents any one branch of the US government from becoming too powerful is called "checks and balances".
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
