The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the national frame of government. Its first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided 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). Article IV, Article V, and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relationship to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure subsequently used by the 13 States to ratify it. It is regarded as the oldest written and codified national constitution in force.
Since the Constitution came into force in 1789, it has been amended 27 times, including one amendment that repealed a previous one, in order to meet the needs of a nation that has profoundly changed since the 18th century. In general, the first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of government. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections. Others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures. Amendments to the United States Constitution, unlike ones made to many constitutions worldwide, are appended to the document. The original U.S. Constitution was written on four pages of parchment.
According to the United States Senate: "The Constitution's first three words—We the People—affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. For over two centuries the Constitution has remained in force because its framers wisely separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, and of the federal and state governments." The first permanent constitution, it is interpreted, supplemented, and implemented by a large body of federal constitutional law, and has influenced the constitutions of other nations.
RepuGNican "Justices" have commandeered the “original intent” of the writers of the Constitution, but the Founding Fathers did not plan to create the political system we have today: a democratic republic based on two national and permanent political parties. Indeed, “democracy” and “political parties” were dirty words to them. They did realize, however, that the world was likely to change, which is one reason they included an amendment process in the Constitution that has allowed this document to survive as the US frame of government for so long.
Since the Constitution came into force in 1789, it has been amended 27 times, including one amendment that repealed a previous one, in order to meet the needs of a nation that has profoundly changed since the 18th century. In general, the first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of government. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections. Others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures. Amendments to the United States Constitution, unlike ones made to many constitutions worldwide, are appended to the document. The original U.S. Constitution was written on four pages of parchment.
According to the United States Senate: "The Constitution's first three words—We the People—affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. For over two centuries the Constitution has remained in force because its framers wisely separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, and of the federal and state governments." The first permanent constitution, it is interpreted, supplemented, and implemented by a large body of federal constitutional law, and has influenced the constitutions of other nations.
1:00 Who Were the Founders of the Constitution?
3:24 The Ongoing Process of Historical Interpretation and Reinterpretation
4:05 The Process of Creating Governments Begins
4:30 Balance Government Rejected for Legislative Power
5:30 Articles of Confederation Replaced Second Continental Congress
7:50 Successes of the Articles of Confederation
9:30 Problems with the Articles of Confederation
12:05 What was Shays' Rebellion?
13:00 An Elite Definition of Liberty
15:00 Constitutional Convention of 1787
17:25 What It Means to Create an Empire of Liberty
19:00 How the Constitution Separates Sovereignty from Rule
19:35 What are Checks and Balances?
20:00 Combining Elements of Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy
22:27 The Bill of Rights
26:17 What was the Great Compromise?
28:57 The First Ten Amendments to the Constitution
3:24 The Ongoing Process of Historical Interpretation and Reinterpretation
4:05 The Process of Creating Governments Begins
4:30 Balance Government Rejected for Legislative Power
5:30 Articles of Confederation Replaced Second Continental Congress
7:50 Successes of the Articles of Confederation
9:30 Problems with the Articles of Confederation
12:05 What was Shays' Rebellion?
13:00 An Elite Definition of Liberty
15:00 Constitutional Convention of 1787
17:25 What It Means to Create an Empire of Liberty
19:00 How the Constitution Separates Sovereignty from Rule
19:35 What are Checks and Balances?
20:00 Combining Elements of Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy
22:27 The Bill of Rights
26:17 What was the Great Compromise?
28:57 The First Ten Amendments to the Constitution
