US Constitution - The Preamble

A number of my students are this week studying thr principles behind Constitutional law. I'd like to welcome them to this short series on the US Constitution. But this blog is open to all - so even if you aren't a law student - I hope you find these brief pieces useful.

The US Constitution is an ideal document for studying the principles of constitutions. It is succinct - and logically deals with the key matters that a constitution should address - namely: who is to hold power - how are they chosen? who qualifies to be chosen? how long is their term of office? how can they be removed? what powers do they have? - and for what purposes? what limitations exist on the exercise of those powers? What are the 'checks and balances'? How can the rules be amended?

While this series concentrates on the US Constitution - I would encourage you to look at other constitutions - as a comparison - of structure, and of content? What do you think is essential? A database of constitutions can be accessed here. (Note - most have translations available - but you may need to look around the page of the national constitution to find the translated version link)

This first piece outlines the preamble.