Sample Essay On The United States Constitution

On May 14, 1787 only two delegations, Virginia and Pennsylvania were in attendance to revise the Article of Confederation and 11 days later five more states were present. Over the course of time seven other states participated through 74 representatives, of which 39 actually placed their names upon the document that would be known as the United States Constitution. These four pieces of paper outline and clarify how the country is governed and are the oldest document of this nature still in effect throughout the world. It has become a model for other nations to heed and a symbol for Western culture.
When it was originally introduced more than 300 years ago, the Constitution consisted of seven articles and was eventually modified or amended 27 times since its implementation. It opens with the Preamble, which sets out the intent of what the document is intended to accomplish. The first three articles, however, are the segments that have endured the most scrutiny because they present the foundation for the three branches of power within a government and the checks and balances so that one area does not abuse or rise above what its true powers are.
Article I establishes the guidelines for the legislative branch of government and specifically creates a House of Representatives and the Senate. It states how these Representatives are eligible for election, meaning they must be at least 25 years of age, have
been an official U.S. citizen for seven years and live in the state they work for. Senators must be at least three decades old, be approved by the government as a U.S. citizen for nine years and reside in the area whose interests they will protect.
Article II creates the office of President or more generally the executive branch of government. The President and Vice President are allocated four years of service and the President must not be younger than 35. He or she must also have been officially living within U.S. borders for 14 years and that person’s main goal is to defend, safeguard and maintain the tenets of the Constitution. The rest of this particular Article outlines the payment, processes and specific functions the President must perform or receive, as well as how the President is supposed to interact with the other branches of government. It also allows for how a new President is determined if the current one happens to die while serving their country.
Article III defines and develops the judicial branch of government. It also presents the rules for what treason consists of and that how that is decided does not rely solely on Congress. This section also outlines the concept of judicial review which means the federal court system is responsible for hearing cases that involve citizens or entities of different states and they can overrule any law that does stand within the confines of the Constitution. Another topic it touches upon is the basic premise for a federal court to even hear a case. If there is not just cause for a plaintiff to act, then the case has no merit.
As mentioned previously, the Constitution has been altered through the years the United States has existed due to changing circumstances and legal requirements to address those alterations. Although all 27 amendments to this document are pertinent and relevant, there are a select few that have been prominent throughout the course of the Constitution’s
history. They would be the First Amendment, which endows citizens with all their basic freedoms such as the right to speak freely, to purse whatever religion of their choice and the right to do whatever brings happiness or fulfillment so long as it does not infringe on other people’s rights. It is part of the original Bill Of Rights and without it many of the other amendments or rules of the Constitution would not be valid. It completely supports this document’s enforcement and meaning, but the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery in 1863, when women were granted the right to cast a ballot by the 20th Amendment in 1920 and Fifth Amendment, which guarantees all citizens should be automatically presumed to be not at fault until they are proven to be, are also extremely important additions to the Constitution.
While the members of the Constitutional Convention were called to action to create modifications to the existing Articles of Confederation, they decided rather quickly that entire document must be set aside and a new law of the land should be introduced. Since it went into effect in 1789, the United States Constitution has become one of the most emulated, studied and respected documents in global history and many citizens can recite the Preamble from memory. It has become the model for democratic nations all over the world and has certainly withstood the test of time because of its durability as well as flexibility.