Article I - The Legislative Branch
Section 1: Congress
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Expert Interpretation
This section establishes the bicameral structure of the U.S. Congress, dividing it into two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. This design was a compromise between states with larger and smaller populations, ensuring a balance of power and representation.
According to constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar, "The bicameral structure was designed to create a 'double security' for the rights of the people, with each chamber serving as a check on the other."
Historical Context
The bicameral structure of Congress was established during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It was a result of the Great Compromise (also known as the Connecticut Compromise) between the Virginia Plan (which favored larger states) and the New Jersey Plan (which favored smaller states).
Article II - The Executive Branch
Section 1: The President
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows: [...]
Expert Interpretation
This section establishes the office of the President as the head of the executive branch. The four-year term was chosen as a balance between the need for stability and the desire to hold the executive accountable to the people.
Constitutional law professor Erwin Chemerinsky notes, "The Framers wanted a president with enough power to lead the nation effectively, but not so much power as to become a tyrant. The four-year term, with the possibility of re-election, was part of this balance."
Historical Context
The creation of a single executive was a departure from the Articles of Confederation, which had no separate executive branch. The Founders were influenced by both their experience under British rule and their concerns about the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Article III - The Judicial Branch
Section 1: Judicial Powers
The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. [...]
Expert Interpretation
This section establishes the federal judiciary, with the Supreme Court at its apex. It gives Congress the power to create lower federal courts, allowing for flexibility in the judicial system as the nation grows and evolves.
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor explained, "The Constitution's creation of an independent judiciary with the power to declare laws unconstitutional was a unique and powerful innovation in government structure."
Historical Context
The establishment of a separate judicial branch was influenced by the principle of separation of powers, as articulated by philosophers like Montesquieu. The Founders saw an independent judiciary as essential to protecting individual rights and limiting government power.
Bill of Rights
First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Expert Interpretation
The First Amendment protects several fundamental freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. These rights are considered cornerstones of American democracy.
Legal scholar Laurence Tribe argues, "The First Amendment's protections of speech and press were designed to create a marketplace of ideas, fostering the robust debate necessary for a functioning democracy."
Historical Context
The Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment, was added to the Constitution in 1791 in response to concerns that the original document did not adequately protect individual liberties. Many states made their ratification of the Constitution conditional on the addition of these protections.
Constitutional Amendments
14th Amendment
Section 1: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Expert Interpretation
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, is one of the most significant and far-reaching amendments. It addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law, and has been the basis for many landmark Supreme Court decisions.
Civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson notes, "The 14th Amendment's promise of equal protection has been a powerful tool in the fight against racial discrimination and other forms of unequal treatment by the government."
Historical Context
The 14th Amendment was one of three Reconstruction Amendments passed after the Civil War. It was designed to address issues of citizenship and civil rights for former slaves, but its impact has extended far beyond its original intent, shaping debates on issues from segregation to same-sex marriage.