On May 14, 1787, the Federal Convention met in Independence Hall in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. Soon it became clear that, rather than revise the existing government, the Convention would draft a new form of government. "Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected--directly by the people or by the state legislators" (Constitution, n.d., par. 1).
Our United States Constitution is based on certain basic concepts that include three primary principles: inherent rights, government by the people, and separation of powers. Self-government is the most important principle in the U.S. Constitution. It was the intent of the Founders that voters would have a voice in local, state, and national government. They also wanted a system that could be changed in an orderly fashion, when necessary. The system of government established by our Constitution has lasted more than 215 years, despite many changes in our nation.
Our Constitution is the supreme law of the land: no laws may contradict any of its principles and no person or government is exempt from following it. The Constitution provides for:
- a republican form of government set up by free and independent states (America is an indirect democracy since many of the signing states retained voting qualifications based on considerations of sex, race, and property)
- a federation by which certain powers are allocated to the central government and other powers are reserved for the states, their subdivisions, or the people
- the separation of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, which provides checks and balances on each branch
Six basic principles are found in the Constitution. First, all states are equal. Second, three branches of government exist: one to make laws (the legislative branch), another to execute laws (the executive branch), and a third to settle disputes (the judicial branch). Third, all persons, whether rich or poor, are equal before the law. Fourth, no one is above the law. Fifth, the authority of the government can be changed by altering the Constitution. Finally, the highest law in the land is the Constitution—no state law that conflicts with the Constitution can be passed.
For a fuller picture of how our Constitution was created, see the link below.
