U.S. Constitution

The codified constitution that defines and explains the function of government of the United States. It was written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and entered into force in 1789. It has been amended a total of 27 times, and the first ten amendments are the Bill of Rights, which define rights for all citizens of the United States. The constitution listed out many concepts that have allowed the United States to stand the test of time, and many these concepts have been adopted into other countries constitutions. These include popular sovereignty, separation of powers, individual rights, limited government, checks and balances, and representative democracy. Along with these concepts, the constitution also defined the limits of the federal government, and the powers that the state government. It should be noted that when the constitution was written, the States of the United States were considered more as countries unified under a federal government, somewhat like the United Kingdom of today. Therefore, the founders took great liberties ensuring a balance between the State government, Federal government, and the people themselves.