Government Power
~1 in a million
– The Constitution of the U.S. is the greatest legal document in our legal system
– Drafted in 1787, still successful today
– No law can conflict w/ it
– Short & easy to read (Founding Fathers wanted it to last for centuries)
– Allows interpretation
– Versatility
– 1st part: Provides an overview of the constitution, how it came to be, how it is organized
– 2nd Part: Describes the power given to the 3 branches of government
– 3rd Part: Individual rights guaranteed by Constitution to citizen (Amendments)
Overview
~1st nation in modern history founded on the idea that:
– People could govern themselves domestically
~13 American colonies in 1783 were governing themselves under the Articles of Confederation –
which gave the central gov’t no real power
~Framers set out to draft a new document & to create a gov’t
