"The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America."
The foundation document of the American political system, outlining the principles, framework, and powers of government.
The Founding Fathers: The group of individuals who created the Constitution and laid the foundation for the American political system.
The Articles of Confederation: The first constitution of the United States, which failed to provide a strong central government and led to the creation of the Constitution.
Separation of Powers: The division of government into three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to ensure that no one branch holds too much power.
Federalism: The system of government in which power is divided between the national government and state governments.
The Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual rights and limit government power.
Judicial Review: The power of the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution and strike down laws that are unconstitutional.
Executive Powers: The Constitution outlines the powers of the President and the role of the executive branch in enforcing laws.
The Legislative Process: How laws are proposed, debated, and passed by Congress.
The Electoral College: The system by which the President is elected in the United States.
Constitutional Amendments: The process by which the Constitution can be changed or amended.
The Commerce Clause: The constitutional provision that gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states.
Due Process: The protection of individual rights to a fair legal process, as outlined by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Equal Protection: The requirement that all citizens be treated equally under the law, as outlined by the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Supremacy Clause: The constitutional provision that gives federal laws priority over state laws.
The Necessary and Proper Clause: The constitutional provision that grants Congress broad powers to carry out its duties.
Interpretation of the Constitution: The various methods by which the Constitution is understood and applied by different individuals and groups.
Preamble: The introduction that explains the purpose of the Constitution and the goals of the government.
Article I: Outlines the structure of the legislative branch, including the House of Representatives and Senate, and their powers and responsibilities.
Article II: Describes the powers and duties of the executive branch, including the President and Vice President.
Article III: Establishes the judicial branch and defines the jurisdiction and powers of the federal court system.
Article IV: Addresses the relationship between states and the federal government, including the Full Faith and Credit Clause and Privileges and Immunities Clause.
Article V: Specifies the methods for amending the Constitution.
Article VI: Asserts the supremacy of the Constitution and federal law over state law and prohibits religious tests for holding office.
Article VII: Outlines the process for ratifying the Constitution.
"The Constitution's 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)."
"Originally comprising seven articles..."
"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."
"The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787."
"Delegates to the convention were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states; Rhode Island refused to send delegates."
"The convention's initial mandate was limited to amending the Articles of Confederation, which had proven highly ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs."
"The first proposal discussed, introduced by delegates from Virginia, called for a bicameral (two-house) Congress that was to be elected on a proportional basis based on state population, an elected chief executive, and an appointed judicial branch."
"An alternative to the Virginia Plan, known as the New Jersey Plan, also called for an elected executive but retained the legislative structure created by the Articles, a unicameral Congress where all states had one vote."
"The issue of proportional representation was of similar concern to less populous states, which under the Articles had the same power as larger states. To satisfy interests in the South, particularly in Georgia and South Carolina, the delegates agreed to protect the slave trade...Finally, the delegates adopted the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the upper house (the Senate) giving each state two senators."
"Since the Constitution was ratified in 1789, it has been amended 27 times."
"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 within the U.S. states."
"The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections."
"Amendments to the United States Constitution, unlike ones made to many constitutions worldwide, are appended to the document."
"The original U.S. Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus."
"It is interpreted, supplemented, and implemented by a large body of federal constitutional law and has influenced the constitutions of other nations."