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We The People
The most famous words ever written.
These words start the Preamble to the world’s most important document: The US Constitution
The Constitution is the world’s oldest written national governing document. Many countries have rewritten their Constitution multiple times whilst this document has been in existence.
It is the envy of the world.
It established the governance for the Unites States of America, a governance structure unique in the history of man. A structure which recognizes a founding principle that no other nation had ever utilized: Rights of the government are granted by the People. Since these Rights are granted by the People, they can NEVER be taken away by the government.
What is foundational to the American experience, and unique to America, is that these Rights were granted to the People by God, that these Rights are “endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The writers of the American Constitution were purposeful to balance the Rights of the People and States with the Rights of the Federal government. During the framing of the document, consideration was given to ensuring the Federal governments Rights were limited to those expressly provided. Any Right not expressly enumerated in the Constitution remained a Right of the States.
The Constitution starts with the famous Preamble. Not merely an Executive Summary but a statement establishing the People are creating a government to benefit the People. It is the guiding principle, to form a “more perfect union.”
The Constitution, thru its 7 Articles, establishes the Legislative Branch, it creates the Executive Branch which acknowledges the position of President, it sets up the Judicial Branch and its lower court structure. The last 4 Articles address important issues like federalism, Constitutional amendments, the Supremacy Clause and the process for the ratification of changes. Importantly, the use of the 3, coequal Branches of Government established the unique principal of “Checks and Balances.” The Electoral College was created to ensure the new President wasn’t elected by a simply majority…a means to ensure larger states didn’t hold power over smaller states.
In March 1789, 9 states ratified the new Constitution, creating a Constitutional Republic, a system whereby the People elect their representatives to serve the People with powers which are expressly limited.
Missing from the Constitution, and a source of much debate and angst, is the document America calls the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights, famously listing the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, was passed by Congress 6 months after the implementation of the Constitution. This document is so important and fundamental to the American experience that the Framers of the Constitution had to promise to pass this document after the implementation in order for the Constitution to become ratified.
The Framers of the Constitution took inspiration from great Philosophers. It considered the structure of previous great civilizations like that of the Romans and the Greeks. It incorporated the best ideals from other founding documents like the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact and the Virginia Declaration of Rights, amongst many others, of course.
Then, the Framers structured a completely unique government and a document that encompassed the brilliance that is the United States of America.
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