Reason for Existence of United States Constitution Essay Example
The United States Constitution is the world longest government written charter written in 1787. It was ratified in 1788 and has been in operation since 1789. The government of the United States prevails to serve the citizens as affirmed by ‘we the people’ – the first three words of the Constitution (Donner 365). The Constitution has continued in force because the first makers intelligently balanced the powers of the government in an aim to protect the rules of the majority and minority rights promoting liberty and equality. The Constitutional law has greatly impacted other nations’ constitution due to the way it has been interpreted, reinforced and implemented.
Being the supreme law of the United States of America, the United States Constitution originally was composed of seven articles depicting the national structure of government. The first three articles define the
...proposition of the separation of powers dividing the federal government into three divisions; the legislature, the executive and the judicial. Article four, five and six define the notions of federalism which outline the rights and responsibilities of state governments and the accord to the federal government. The last article – seven enacts the measures used by the states to endorse it. The Constitution has been modified twenty-seven times to accommodate the dynamic needs of the citizens.
The Bill of Rights which is collectively the first ten amendments attempt to preserve liberty and justice for individuals and limit government powers. The bill was ratified on December 15th, 1791 following the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776. The rest of the amendments develop protection of individual civil rights. The primary reason that led to the creation of the U.S Constitution
was to administer the division of authority and limit the government. The aspect of a constitution involves both power hierarchy and hierarchy laws. The general nature of the document itself is built on founding principles controlling the content of the laws.
Impact of the U.S Constitution’s Amendments in Today’s Society
The United States has developed and changed over the last two centuries, the U.S Constitution too especially the amendments common one being a limitation of presidential terms in office. The 22nd Amendment limits a president to only two terms in office, a tradition that is still observed in today’s society. This amendment was ratified in 1951 when the 32nd president Franklin Roosevelt was in power for four consecutive terms that led the citizens to feel that he had attained too much power (Bach, Mark & Betsy 78). The amendment has played a great role since the concept balances the use of power and curtails power abuse. This prevents any branch of the government from becoming too powerful and influential. An opportunity is also given to other candidates which the American citizens enjoy exercising democracy.
The 13th Amendment which was ratified after the end of the American Civil War was significant in the abolishment of slavery and its trades which was commonly known as the America’s original sin. The Amendment was passed on January 31st, 1865 and was ratified on December 6th same year by the Congress. This amendment declared that slavery and servitude had been abolished and that any party that would practice the crime would be convicted. This Amendment proved to be pivotal in America’s society especially among African-American as it influenced the way human rights were
perceived, there was also a new dimension of commerce and the former slaves were able to acquire U.S citizenship.
Work Cited
- Bach, Mark, and Betsy Fitzgerald. Ap U.s. History. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.
- Donner, Irah. "The Copyright Clause of the US Constitution: Why Did the Framers Include It with Unanimous Approval?." The American Journal of Legal History 36.3 (1992): 361- 378.
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