The living constitution usa

A constitution – a set of rules which detail a country`s system of government.

The former colonies, now `the United States of America`, first operated under an agreement called the Articles of Confederation (1781). It was soon clear that this loose agreement among the states was not working well. The central, federal government was too weak with too few powers for defense, trade, and taxation. In 1787, therefore, delegates from the states met in Philadelphia (the city where the Declaration of Independence had been issued earlier). They wanted to revise the Articles, but they did much more than that. They wrote a completely new document, the Constitution, which after much argument, debate, and compromise was finished in the same year and officially adopted by the thirteen states by 1790.

The Constitution contains the preamble, seven basic articles and twenty seven amendments. The articles set the basic form of government: three separate branches, each one having powers that the two others do not have and each having powers over the others (checks and balances). The system of checks and balances works to keep one branch or another from making serious mistakes.

The Constitution specifies only the powers and duties of each federal branch of government.

Article V of the Constitution specifies the procedures to amend the Constitution and ratify amendments.

The US Constitution has been formally amended only twenty-seven times in more than two centuries. To all Americans, the first ten Constitutional Amendments known together as the Bill of Rights, adopted in 1791.

In the Bill of Rights, Americans are guaranteed freedom of religion, of speech and of the press. They have the right to assemble in public places, to protest government actions and to demand change. The Bill of Rights guarantees Americans the right to a speedy trial if accused of a crime. The trial must be by a jury and the accused person must be allowed representation by a lawyer and must be able to call in witnesses to speak for him or her. Cruel and unusual punishment is forbidden.

There were 17 other amendments to the Constitution as of 1991.

Congress usa

The legislative branches – Congress – consist of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Each of the 50 states elects two senators under a system in which one-third of the Senate is elected every two years. A senator must be older than 30 year old and must have been an American citizen for at least nine years. The senators represent all of the people in a state and their interests.

The House of Representatives has 435 members. Each state is divided into congressional districts of roughly civil population, and the voters of each district elect one representative to Congress. A member must be older 25 years of age and must have been an American citizen for at least seven years. They represent the population of “congressional districts” into which each state is divided.

Congress makes all laws, and each house of Congress has the power to introduce legislation. Congress decides upon taxes and how money is spent. In addition, it regulates commerce among the states and with foreign countries. It also sets rules for the naturalization of foreign citizens.

The Senate alone approves the President’s candidates for high-level official positions and ratifies treaties with other nations.