The US constitution was written in 1787 after 13 former British colonies had declared independence and modeled themselves into a confederation of states (1776). Individual states held almost all the power in this system and the confederation was very loosely grouped together. By 1787 this confederation was restructured again into a planned system of joint central and state government under the first written constitution. This constitution of the United States was constructed by a powerful and wealthy group of men calling themselves the "Founding Fathers" and led by George Washington. Other notable contributors were Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. The "Founding Fathers" were a group of liberals with powerful economic interests, united by the great sense of American nationalism, which emerged from the revolution and the belief that America needed to be united to enable it to exercise power in world affairs. They set about writing the first ever constitution for the governing of a nation. It was based largely upon the belief that everyone had wide ranging civil rights deriving from their fundamental right to own property. The new constitution strengthened significantly central power but installed a system of checks and balances to
The provisions of the US constitution meet very adequately the needs of the late 20th century, and should provide a very sound governmental base for the future. The success of the constitution over time has had, perhaps, more to do with luck and the emergence of the US as a major force than its writer's forethought. The degree of flexibility taken from it over the years has served to prolong it as a viable document and it is this level of implied flexibility that will preserve it and allow it to adapt for modern life and any future eventualities. The American constitution was the first written constitution and contains the first Bill of Rights for a citizen. For these reasons it is tremendously important and its success is testament to its writer's vision.
The relative scarcity of amendments to the constitution (twenty-seven in total) shows how remarkably good the original was. When you consider the massive changes in lifestyle and shifts in economically and politically important sections of the economy, it is remarkable that a document governing people in the 18th century has remained capable of its task and is even revered now. That the constitution has remained so unchanged is partly due to the emphasis of the constitution being changed in certain key areas. There has been a high degree of flexibility within the constitution, with parts of it being ignored at times when the greater interest is thought to be paramount. These can be explained by the assertion that all courts are committed to upholding the prevailing order and they will not countenance activities to threaten that order. An example of this occurred in 1940 when congress passed t
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