american goverment

The Constitution

While it is true that the basis of all law in the United States is its constitution the fact remains that the constitution expands far beyond mere law and becomes the backbone of the entire American identity . So powerful is the United States constitution it has been studied by many of the world 's greatest minds so as to deduce why it succeeds and why it has experienced such longevity

What makes the constitution worthy of the various studies of it over the years has been its ability to endure

despite a number of catastrophes that have befallen the United States . The constitution has survived the assassination and impeachment of presidents , it has survived two world wars , it has survived inflation , recession and depression , it has survived the Cold War and it has survived a civil war that was the closest the United States had ever come to complete collapse and dissolution . Yet , despite all the turmoil , the constitution survives and has not been replaced

This is a significant achievement because many powerful nations have seen their entire systems of government collapse and replaced with complete new systems . The monarchies of Britain , the empire of Japan and the Soviet Union have all seen complete revamps of their political systems to the point what currently exists bears almost no relation to the previous model . Yet , the constitution which is the basis of all law in the United States remains as strong and as relevant in the modern era as it was when it was first devised

The Constitution was not created in a "top down " manner by elites so as to rule

The Constitution - Page 2

the masses . Instead , it was a social contract that empowered the people of the nation by providing with rights that were inalienable . In other words , you could not take these rights from them because they are absolute rights

The Constitution of the United States was created on September 17 , 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia , PA where it replaced the failed Articles of Confederation . While the Constitution was drafted on this date it did not become the law of the land until it was ratified (approved ) by the states . While this would sound like a rather simple process the reality is that the constitution took a little "hammering out " before it was finally agreed upon . In fact , the constitution was later amended 17 times as well as having a Bill of Rights added to it after the original signing

The history of the Constitution is a lengthy one and it involves a number of concepts that collectively create the whole . As such , it becomes important to examine the various facets of the constitution so as to understand it better and gain a clearer perspective of what it provides the populace and the government . As such , different aspects of the Constitution will be examined and defined

In to understand the Constitution , one must first understand the underlying philosophy that shapes it : the...