united states constitution facts
United States Constitution Facts
Check out some very interesting United States constitution facts in the following article, which will help you know much more about this amazing country and its laws.
The Constitution of the United States of America (USA) is the supreme statutory and regulatory framework of the US. It outlines the organization and functions of the federal government and determines and regulates the relations in which it stands with regards to the different states, citizens, and all other matters that come within the legal and regional jurisdiction of the country. The US Constitution demarcates the three prongs of the federal governmental fork - the Executive branch, the Bicameral Congress, which is the legislature, and a Judicial Branch. Some other United States constitution facts are given in the paragraphs below.
Vital Information
- The executive branch is headed by the President of the US who is vested with various legislative, executive, administrative, and juridical powers. He also plays the roles of a legislative facilitator and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
- The Judicial branch is helmed by the Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial body of the nation! It governs the federal judiciary and is constituted of the Chief Justice, accompanied by Associate Justices who are eight in number. The President nominates the Associate Justices and they are confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate.
- Ever wondered who wrote the Constitution? The leading man behind the construction is James Madison. However, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams along with 53 other people are also credited as co-compilers and co-authors.
- It was written in 1787. The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, adopted it in the year 1787, on September 17.
- It has undergone twenty-seven amendments (approved) till date. However, the total number of introduced amendments exceed eleven thousand in number! The first 10 amendments collectively form the Bill of Rights.
- The original document was handwritten by Jacob Shallus and it can be seen on display at the National Archives and Records Administration, which is located in Washington, D.C.
- The entire Constitution was framed in a period of a hundred days!
- It provided for women's right to vote in the year 1920.
- It is the second shortest constitution (after Iceland) in the entire world, having a word count of 4, 440 words excluding the amendments.
- It is divided into seven articles, excluding the Preamble, which serves as an introduction.
- Each article deals with a different aspect of the federal government. Article One deals with Legislative Power, Article Two covers Executive Power, Article Three handles Judicial Power, Article Four looks into States' Powers and Limits, Article Five deals with Amendments, Article Six is concerned with Federal Power, and Article Seven looks after Ratification.
- The list of rights got included in the year 1791.
- Voting rights were extended to Native Americans in the year 1924. Before that, they did not have the right to cast votes.