The Constitution
Finally, on September 17, 1787, the delegates approved the Constitution and formally established the new government. A significant portion of the Constitution is its introduction, commonly referred to as the Preamble.
Essentially, the Preamble provided the goals of the Constitution.
Since the writers, or framers, of the Constitution wanted to make sure the government did not become too powerful, they created a system that was broken down into three sets of powers. The first set was the delegated powers, or those specifically granted to the national, or federal, government. The national government deals with issues that affect the whole country. The second set of powers consisted of the reserved powers, or those guaranteed to the state governments. State governments deal with issues that affect only the people within a state’s boundaries. Third, there were the concurrent powers. The concurrent powers are those that are exercised by both the state and national governments. The Constitution also set up a separation of powers within the government by officially creating the three distinct branches—Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Built into each branch’s power, the framers created a system of checks and balances, or the authority for any of the branches to oppose the actions of the others. For example, the President, who is the head of the Executive Branch, can veto a bill passed by Congress, the Legislative Branch.
Outline of the U.S. Constitution
- Preamble: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
- Article I: The Legislative Branch
- Article II: The Executive Branch
- Article III: The Judicial Branch
- Article IV: Relations Between the States
- Article V: The Amendment Process
- Article VI: General Provisions, Supremacy of the Constitution
- Article VII: Ratification Process
- Signers
- Amendments
To read the full text, search the Internet or visit your local library.