We the People of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,
do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America. [i]
These are the words of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. It communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the Constitution.[ii] The Constitution, ratified in 1788, replaced the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the country’s first written constitution. Under the Articles of Confederation, approved by the states in 1779, the states remained independent and with the central government unable to levy raise or regulate commerce. Moreover, there was no executive branch or judiciary branch.[iii]
The U.S. Constitution was intended to create and sustain a new government with the power to act on a national level which included a government divided into three co-equal branches.[iv]
It was designed to establish a democracy, where the government is answerable to the people, where there is a separation of powers, and where individual rights are protected.[v]
Why is this important?
Why do we need to know this?
To understand our present, we must have an accurate picture of the past so that we may learn from our mistakes and our successes. Our democracy has sustained multiple challenges, including slavery and Civil War, social and economic inequality, and a January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S Capitol, just to name a few. For a democracy to survive, the people must have faith in the government system.
But this faith continues to be challenged.
- Faith in our democratic form of government has been challenged, even as we watch the Russian invasion of a sovereign Ukraine. There are those in the U.S., in politics and the press, who praise and cheer Russia’s actions at the expense of U.S. policy and democracy. While such praise may be protected speech in the United States, in Russia, protesting against the invasion can lead to arrest and incarceration.
- Faith in our election process has been challenged as many still believe that the 2020 general election was stolen. The result is a multi-faceted and multi-pronged erosion of voting rights.
- Faith in our courts has been challenged, as the courts are sometimes viewed as being political rather than impartial.[vi]
- Faith in our elected officials has been challenged. Some politicians seem to be more interested in reelection at any cost rather than serving their constituents.
- Faith in our educational process has been challenged as various jurisdictions seek to ban books and limit information in an attempt to rewrite America’s history.
Knowledge is power. Each time America faces a challenge, it comes out stronger. Overcoming these challenges brings us ever closer to forming a more perfect Union.
But it takes time and vigilance because democracy is fragile.
Isn’t our country worth fighting for?
Isn’t our democracy worth fighting for?
Be Informed
Be Engaged
Be Involved
[i] https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/preamble/
[ii] https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/us
[iii] https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/early-us/articles-of-confederation
[iv] https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-constitution/
[v] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/11/yes-constitution-democracy/616949/