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The '''United States Constitution''' is the supreme law of the [[United States of America]]. It was created during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 25 to September 17, 1787, and was ratified by the requisite nine states on June 21, 1788. It became the foundation of the American legal system and established the United States as a federal republic.
	The '''United States Constitution''' is the supreme law of the United States. It sets out the structure of the federal government, divides authority between national and state institutions, protects certain rights, and provides the process for constitutional amendment.

== Preamble ==
The Preamble to the Constitution outlines the purposes of the document and the goals of the United States government. It begins with the famous words:
	The Constitution was drafted at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, signed on 17 September 1787, and came into force after ratification by the required states. It replaced the Articles of Confederation with a stronger federal framework while retaining a system of divided powers.

''"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defence, 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."''
	== Structure ==
	The Constitution contains a preamble, seven original articles, and later amendments.

== Articles and Amendments ==
The Constitution is divided into seven articles and has been amended 27 times. The articles address different aspects of the government's structure and powers:
	The seven articles cover:

# Article I: Legislative Branch – Establishes the structure, powers, and limitations of the Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
# Article II: Executive Branch – Outlines the powers and responsibilities of the President and establishes the Electoral College.
# Article III: Judicial Branch – Defines the structure of the federal judiciary and creates the Supreme Court.
# Article IV: States' Relations – Specifies the rights and duties of the states and establishes the process for admitting new states.
# Article V: Amendments – Describes the process for amending the Constitution.
# Article VI: Supremacy Clause – States that the Constitution and federal laws made pursuant to it are the supreme law of the land.
# Article VII: Ratification – Outlines the process for ratifying the Constitution.
	* Congress and the legislative power.
	* The presidency and the executive power.
	* The federal judiciary.
	* Relations between states.
	* The amendment process.
	* Federal supremacy, public debts, oaths, and the rule that no religious test is required for federal office.
	* Ratification.

The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments, which guarantee individual rights and freedoms. Subsequent amendments address a wide range of topics, including voting rights, presidential succession, and prohibition.
	The National Archives describes the first three articles as establishing the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. That structure is linked with checks and balances, so that no single branch is meant to dominate the whole federal system.

== Principles and Features ==
	== Preamble ==
	The preamble begins with "We the People". It introduces the purposes of the Constitution, including forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, providing for defence, promoting general welfare, and securing liberty.

=== Separation of Powers ===
The Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances among the three branches of government – the legislative, executive, and judicial – to prevent the concentration of power in any one branch.
	The preamble is important symbolically because it frames the Constitution as an act of the people rather than a grant from a monarch, state legislature, or foreign authority. It does not itself create detailed powers, but it shapes how the document is understood.

=== Federalism ===
The Constitution divides powers between the federal government and the states, with certain powers reserved exclusively for the federal government and others reserved for the states.
	== Federal Government ==
	Article I vests legislative power in Congress, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress makes federal law, controls taxation and spending, confirms some appointments through the Senate, and has powers including declaring war.

=== Judicial Review ===
The power of the courts to review and declare laws and actions unconstitutional is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution but was established by the Supreme Court in ''Marbury v. Madison'' (1803).
	Article II vests executive power in the President. The President executes federal law, commands the armed forces, appoints officers with Senate involvement where required, negotiates treaties subject to Senate consent, and performs other constitutional duties.

=== Flexibility ===
The Constitution is a flexible document that can be amended to reflect changes in society and address new challenges.
	Article III creates the federal judiciary. It establishes the Supreme Court and allows Congress to create lower federal courts. Federal courts interpret federal law and decide cases within constitutional and statutory limits.

== Legacy and Impact ==
The United States Constitution has had a profound impact on the development of constitutional law and government structures around the world. It has served as a model for many other countries and is considered a cornerstone of democracy and the rule of law.
	== Federalism ==
	The Constitution divides authority between the federal government and the states. Some powers are given to the federal government, some are denied to states, and others remain with the states or the people.

== Challenges and Criticisms ==
Despite its many strengths, the Constitution has been criticised for being difficult to amend and for certain provisions that have been interpreted in ways that some argue are outdated or inadequate for addressing contemporary issues.
	The Tenth Amendment expresses this principle by reserving powers not delegated to the United States, and not prohibited to the states, to the states or the people.

	Federalism is not only a legal design. It affects elections, policing, criminal law, education, health policy, taxation, civil rights litigation, emergency powers, and disputes over state and federal authority.

	== Amendments ==
	The Constitution has 27 amendments. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. They protect rights including freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition, protections against unreasonable searches, due process, trial rights, and limits on federal power.

	Later amendments abolished slavery, defined birthright citizenship, addressed equal protection and due process, expanded voting rights, changed presidential elections and succession rules, allowed federal income tax, and limited presidents to two elected terms.

	The amendment process is deliberately difficult. It usually requires proposal by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states.

== Interpretation ==	== Interpretation ==
The interpretation of the Constitution has been the subject of extensive debate, with different schools of thought advocating for different approaches, including strict constructionism, originalism, and living constitutionalism.
	Constitutional interpretation is a central part of American law and politics. Courts, Congress, the President, states, lawyers, scholars, and voters all contest what constitutional language means in practice.

The Constitution is a living document that continues to shape the nation's legal and political landscape. It is studied and revered by scholars, politicians, and citizens alike, and remains a symbol of American democracy and the rule of law.
	Major interpretive approaches include originalism, textualism, structural reasoning, precedent-based interpretation, and living constitutionalism. The Supreme Court has final authority in cases before it, but constitutional meaning also develops through legislation, executive practice, state action, political conflict, and amendment.

	== Influence and Criticism ==
	The United States Constitution is one of the world's oldest written national constitutions still in force. It has influenced constitutional design elsewhere, especially federalism, judicial review, separation of powers, written rights, and presidential systems.

	It has also been criticised. Arguments focus on slavery in the founding settlement, unequal representation in the Senate, the Electoral College, difficulty of amendment, broad executive power, judicial appointment politics, and disputes over rights and state power.

	== See Also ==
	* [[President_of_the_United_States]]
	* [[House_of_Commons]]
	* [[Constitutional_monarchy]]
	* [[United_States]]

	== References ==
	* [https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution National Archives: The Constitution of the United States]
	* [https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution/what-does-it-say National Archives: The Constitution, what does it say?]
	* [https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/ Constitution Annotated: Constitution of the United States]
	* [https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights/what-does-it-say National Archives: The Bill of Rights, what does it say?]

	[[Category:Law]]
	[[Category:Politics]]
	[[Category:United States]]