Constitution Quiz

The United States Constitution, ratified in 1788, is the supreme law of the land and one of the oldest written constitutions still in use. It established a federal government divided into three branches - Legislative, executive, and judicial - With a system of checks and balances designed to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power. The Framers, drawing on Enlightenment philosophy and their experience under British rule, created a document both principled and practical.

The Structure of the Constitution

The original Constitution has seven articles. Article I creates the legislative branch (Congress, with the Senate and House of Representatives). Article II establishes the executive branch (the President). Article III creates the judicial branch (the Supreme Court). The first ten amendments, ratified in 1791, are known as the Bill of Rights and guarantee fundamental freedoms including speech, religion, press, and the right to bear arms. All 50 states are bound by the Constitution as the supreme law.

The Constitution has been amended 27 times in total. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery; the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote; the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18. The process of amendment is intentionally difficult, requiring two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of states to ratify any change. European revolutions and Enlightenment thinkers like Locke and Montesquieu profoundly influenced the document's creation.