What makes the U.S. Constitution so great?
The combination of brilliance, prudence and leadership of our Founding Fathers created the foundational structures of the American system and the self-governing way of life.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia is what brought about the three branches of government we have today. The outlined roles of the federal government were detailed within the seven articles of the Constitution.
The Constitution lays out the seven articles as follows:
- Article I – The Legislative Branch
- With 10 sections in Article I, the roles of the legislature, the House and Senate are laid out in detail. The requirements to hold these offices are set forth.
- Article II – The Executive Branch
- With four sections in this Article, powers are granted to the president, the cabinet and the military. The authority to recommend appointees and pardon Americans is also granted.
- Article III – The Judicial Branch
- This Article establishes the federal courts system and allows for lifetime appointment for federal judges. It lays out the jury system and trials for all criminal proceedings.
- Article IV – The States
- With four sections in this Article, the states are expected to honor one another as individual entities while also existing as 50 unified states. The procedure to admit new states is defined.
- Article V – Amendments
- Article V is what Convention of States is utilizing to call a 50-state convention. It gives both Congress and the states the ability to propose amendments to the Constitution. Only the congressional method has been used thus far. Ratification occurs in the states.
- Article VI – Oath
- This Article codifies the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. It also requires all elected officials to take an oath to adhere to Constitution.
- Article VII – Ratification
- This Article solidified the Constitution as law upon ratification of nine state.
On top of these articles are the 27 amendments to the Constitution, which we’ll cover in another Constitution Week blog.
In their wisdom, the Founding Fathers created a federal government with sufficient powers while also preserving the independence of the people. They knew from experience that too much government and oversight was not a desirable way to live.
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