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Latest revision as of 11:08, 15 February 2025

Overview[edit]

The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. It was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later ratified by conventions in each state in the name of "The People". The Constitution delineates the national frame of government.

Structure[edit]

The Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and amendments. The first three articles establish the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral United States Congress; the executive, consisting of the President; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

Preamble[edit]

The preamble to the Constitution serves as an introductory statement of the document's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It begins with the phrase "We the People," affirming that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens.

Articles[edit]

Article I establishes the legislative branch, the United States Congress, which is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Article II establishes the executive branch, headed by the President.
Article III establishes the judicial branch, including the Supreme Court.
Article IV outlines the relationships between the states and the federal government.
Article V describes the process for amending the Constitution.
Article VI establishes the Constitution, and the laws and treaties of the United States made in accordance with it, as the supreme law of the land.
Article VII details the process for ratification of the Constitution.

Amendments[edit]

The Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and guarantee essential rights and civil liberties, such as the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the right to a fair trial. Subsequent amendments have addressed issues such as slavery, voting rights, and presidential term limits.

Significance[edit]

The United States Constitution is a landmark document in the history of democracy. It has served as a model for many other countries' constitutions and is considered a living document, meaning it can be interpreted and adapted to meet the needs of a changing society. The Supreme Court plays a crucial role in interpreting the Constitution and ensuring that laws and policies comply with its principles.

Related pages[edit]

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-'''Paragraph'''
+{{DISPLAYTITLE:United States Constitution}}
-A '''paragraph''' is a self-contained unit of discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. A paragraph consists of one or more sentences. Though not required by the syntax of any language, paragraphs are usually an expected part of formal writing, used to organize longer prose.
+== Overview ==
+[[File:United_States_Constitution.jpg|thumb|right|The original United States Constitution]]
+The '''United States Constitution''' is the supreme law of the [[United States]]. It was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the [[Constitutional Convention]] in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, and later ratified by conventions in each [[state]] in the name of "The People". The Constitution delineates the national frame of government.
-== Structure and usage ==
+== Structure ==
+The Constitution is composed of a [[preamble]], seven [[articles]], and [[amendments]]. The first three articles establish the doctrine of the [[separation of powers]], whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the [[legislative]], consisting of the [[bicameral]] [[United States Congress]]; the [[executive]], consisting of the [[President of the United States|President]]; and the [[judicial]], consisting of the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] and other federal courts.
-The '''structure''' of a paragraph depends on the type of writing, but a typical paragraph contains a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. The '''topic sentence''' is usually the first sentence, and it introduces the main idea of the paragraph. The '''supporting sentences''' develop the main idea, while the '''concluding sentence''' summarizes or concludes the paragraph and provides a transition to the next paragraph.
+=== Preamble ===
+The [[preamble]] to the Constitution serves as an introductory statement of the document's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It begins with the phrase "We the People," affirming that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens.
-In some languages, including English, paragraphs are used to organize text in many types of writing, including essays, business letters, and news stories. In English, paragraphs are also used to create a visual break in the text and make the text easier to read.
+=== Articles ===
+* '''Article I''' establishes the [[legislative branch]], the [[United States Congress]], which is a [[bicameral]] legislature consisting of the [[Senate]] and the [[House of Representatives]].
+* '''Article II''' establishes the [[executive branch]], headed by the [[President of the United States|President]].
+* '''Article III''' establishes the [[judicial branch]], including the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]].
+* '''Article IV''' outlines the relationships between the states and the federal government.
+* '''Article V''' describes the process for [[amendment|amending]] the Constitution.
+* '''Article VI''' establishes the Constitution, and the laws and treaties of the United States made in accordance with it, as the supreme law of the land.
+* '''Article VII''' details the process for [[ratification]] of the Constitution.
-== History ==
+=== Amendments ===
+[[File:United_States_Constitution.jpg|thumb|left|The Constitution has been amended 27 times.]]
+The Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first ten amendments, known as the [[Bill of Rights]], were ratified in 1791 and guarantee essential rights and civil liberties, such as the [[freedom of speech]], the [[right to bear arms]], and the [[right to a fair trial]]. Subsequent amendments have addressed issues such as [[slavery]], [[voting rights]], and [[presidential term limits]].
-The word '''paragraph''' comes from the Greek word ''paragraphos'', which means "to write beside". The concept of a paragraph as a unit of text was developed in ancient Greece, and paragraphs were used in the same way as they are today in Greek and Roman writing.
+== Significance ==
+The United States Constitution is a landmark document in the history of [[democracy]]. It has served as a model for many other countries' constitutions and is considered a living document, meaning it can be interpreted and adapted to meet the needs of a changing society. The [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] plays a crucial role in interpreting the Constitution and ensuring that laws and policies comply with its principles.
-In the Middle Ages, paragraphs were marked by a symbol called a '''pilcrow'''. The pilcrow was used to indicate a new train of thought, similar to how we use paragraphs today.
+== Related pages ==
+* [[Bill of Rights]]
+* [[Constitutional Convention (United States)]]
+* [[Federalism in the United States]]
+* [[Separation of powers under the United States Constitution]]
+* [[Supreme Court of the United States]]
-== See also ==
+[[Category:United States Constitution]]
+[[Category:1787 in the United States]]
-* [[Sentence (linguistics)|Sentence]]
+[[Category:Legal history of the United States]]
-* [[Essay]]
-* [[Pilcrow]]
-== References ==
-<references />
-[[Category:Writing]]
-[[Category:Linguistics]]
-[[Category:Rhetoric]]
-{{stub}}
-{{dictionary-stub1}}