American Institutions
The United States Constitution is the fundamental law of the United States and the oldest written constitution currently in use. It has effected significant change, such as the women’s suffrage and the abolition of slavery, without sacrificing much of its original intent.
Acting on the principle of a separation of powers, the Founders of the U.S. Constitution established a three-branch government in order to prevent a single man or institution from wielding complete power. In Article I, they established a legislative branch with the power to make laws. This took a bicameral structure (two-house legislature), in which the House of Representatives reflected the general population and the Senate reflected the states’ sovereignty. In Article II, the Founders created an executive branch, directed by a president, whose duty it was to enforce the laws. In Article III, they established a Supreme Court and lesser courts to interpret the laws in various cases and controversies.
The creation of these institutions was, on the one hand, the product of a compromise between the Founders, who represented their states at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. On the other hand, it also responded to an internal logic emerging from the Constitution. For example, by allocating to each institution a different term length and mode of election, the Founders ensured a governmental balance between frequent change (through elections) and overarching continuity (since not all offices are elected simultaneously).
In addition to a well-designed national government, the U.S. Constitution also affirms the principle of federalism – the division of power between a national government and state governments. Just as the Founders did not want all power to rest in one branch of government, they also wanted to ensure that not all power rested in a single government. This is why the Constitution protects state sovereignty. The states, which are older than the national government, are able to make any law that does not violate national law. The states are not sub-compartments of the national government but retain some meaningful sovereignty. Indeed, all national elections are filtered through state administration. Moreover, all elected national offices are filtered through the states, whether the House of Representatives (representing districts within each state), the Senate (representing an entire state), or the Electoral College (overseen by the states).
To learn more about each institution, please click below: