The Constitution of the United States serves as the supreme law and fundamental framework for the country's system of government. It establishes a government that derives its power from the people and divides that power among three branches: the legislative branch (Congress), which makes laws; the executive branch (headed by the President), which enforces laws; and the judicial branch (the courts), which interprets laws
. Key functions of the Constitution include:
- Creating a government that puts power in the hands of the people.
- Separating government powers into three branches with a system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
- Dividing power between the federal government and the states.
- Defining the purposes and duties of government, such as establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting general welfare, and securing liberty for current and future generations (as stated in the Preamble)
- Establishing how representatives are elected and the processes for ratifying and amending the Constitution.
- Outlining many rights and freedoms of the people, including those in the Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments)
Overall, the Constitution organizes and limits government power, ensuring a democratic republic where the people govern themselves under a system that balances authority and protects individual rights
