Submitted by: Submitted by Stacimay21
Views: 551
Words: 843
Pages: 4
Category: US History
Date Submitted: 04/05/2010 07:21 PM
Background. The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States. It provides the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government to the states, to citizens, and to all people within the United States. The Constitution defines the three branches of government and the powers and duties of each of these three branches.
Synopsis. The U.S. Constitution is divided into seven articles and 27 amendments. The first Article discusses the legislative branch of government. The second Article discusses the executive branch of government. The third Article discusses the judicial branch of government. The fourth Article discusses state rights. The fifth Article discusses procedures for amendments to the Constitution. The sixth Article discusses the power reserved to the federal government. The seventh Article discusses requirements for ratification. The first ten amendments are considered the Bill of Rights. The 17 other amendments came after the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
Parallel Themes. In my opinion, there are 5 essential themes presented within the U.S. Constitution: (1) balance of power, (2) separation of powers, (3) reservation of powers, (4) flexibility, and (5)basic human freedoms.
Balance of Power. The writers of the Constitution came from a monarchy. They wanted to ensure that this new government would not have its power entrusted to just one individual or one branch of the government. With the first three Articles, they established three different branches of government. They gave each branch express powers to oversee the other branches. Article I, Section 9 clearly lists powers which the legislative branch is not to engage in. These powers are retained for the other branches. Article II, Sections 3 and...