The Constitution of the United States - Assignment Example

The Constitution of the United s No document has given more hope to more people, more opportunity to people in need, and a greater sense of fairness, equality, and justice than the United States Constitution. The strength of the document is shown by its timelessness and its ability to withstand great social upheaval while remaining intact and nearly unchanged. While the framers left the door open to amendments and the inevitable need for change, they did it in a fashion that requires deliberation and careful thought. The words of the Constitution rest firmly on a foundation of principles and values. These principles were an extension of right and wrong and the inalienable rights that had been the underpinning of European documents and philosophies that had preceded it. While the principles and words of the Constitution have been debated and parsed in courtrooms and university classrooms, it has withstood the test of time and continues to convey the intentions justice and equality that the framers meant to convey to future generations. It has long been the tradition of rulers to have a constitution that is used to form the basis of governance. Since the earliest recorded history, constitutions were used to define who held authority to tax or hold property. Constitutions had the additional responsibility of defining what the public's rights were and designing a structure of law enforcement. The wording and intent of a constitution defines the nature that the government will have and the limits of its authority over individual freedom, free thought, free thought, and the ability of the people to make any necessary change. These traditions carried over to the US Constitution, which is a written document that defines the structure of government and its relationship to the people. As with the constitutions that preceded it, the document sets limits on power and provides a means to enact and enforce legislation. The US Constitution presents an agreed upon set of principles that are acknowledged to be universal and a system to implement these beliefs. The US Constitution spells out the rights that the people have and the legal recourse available when these rights are violated. The US constitution is based on the principle of separation of powers, which divides authority among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. These basic principles were adopted from earlier European thinkers and constitutions, and form the foundation of the more eloquent expression that the legislative process is based on. In addition, the US constitution embodies the philosophical beliefs in equality and fairness that Americans have come to take for granted. While these principles were written into the original text, additional elaboration on individual rights, and the need to accommodate a changing society, have necessitated the addition of amendments. America thinks of their constitution as an immovable document, but in fact it was written with provisions for modifications that foreseen the evolution of society. The forefathers of the US Constitution were able to design a system of government that could ensure a system of majority rule, while protecting the rights of the minority. The framers crafted a document that instilled a balance of power between the various branches of government to limit the ability of special interests or tyranny from taking control of the liberties that the document granted. The framers of the constitution provided a system of judicial review that could examine the acts of Congress and establish their constitutionality, and this system of judicial review by a Supreme Court would become increasingly important in a rapidly evolving world. They had been able to provide a system of government and law that was agreed upon by everyone, and has continued to be a model for similar documents around the world. In doing this they were able to take a set of principles that believed in majority rule, protected the rights of the minority, established federal authority, and maintained the rights of the individual states. The framers were able to embody all these seemingly contradictory views into a single document. The framers of the Constitution were also able to create a system of government that treasured the rights of the individual, while working to promote the public good. It also provided for the rights of states, while providing a stability that strict states' rights could not offer, as well as an avenue for resolving issues in the future as the need arose. For example, the issue of slavery was not addressed in the original wording of the constitution. However, the framers understood that this, and many other issues, would foment into future social movements. They crafted the document in such a fashion that it could be altered with deliberate and intentional thought. The Constitution cannot be amended on a whim or by an oppressive leader, but does respond to the massive and sustained force of public opinion. In addition, the framers were able to offer the hope of equality and fairness to future generations. Without the intelligent insight and forethought of the framers, there would not be an avenue to redress social ills such as slavery or child labor. The document would have grown stale and become outdated. However, they were able to write a document that described a government that was relevant in the present and had the flexibility to accommodate the future, and as yet unknown, forces of society. In conclusion, the US Constitution has been a lasting document that was modeled after historical traditions and given new life for an evolving modern world. The document is based on the philosophical beliefs in equality, fairness, and the restraint of unlimited power. Though it was constructed as a basic framework for governance, it also allowed for the inclusion of future alterations based on the changing social requirements. The US Constitution gives us our freedom, our individuality, and our concern for the minority opinion as well as addressing needs of the public good. The document has stood the test of time. The US Constitution is a set of principles based on the long held traditions of right and wrong, and continues to be a major force for the ideologies of fairness, equality, and justice. Read More