By: Landon Young 8th Grade JMS
Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States of America, once said, “The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution,” emphasizing the importance it holds for America. The United States Constitution has structured our government since it was put into place on March 4, 1789. The four-page document is made up of three main parts: the Preamble, seven different articles, and the amendments. Writing for the Constitution began on May 25, 1787, and did not end until September 17 of the same year, when it was signed by various important revolutionary leaders in the “new world” such as: George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin. The U.S. Constitution has a strong significance in my life, as it clearly structures the federal government, ensures that no one official/group gets too much power, while also guaranteeing my individual freedoms and rights.
First, the United States Constitution was written mainly to clearly structure the federal government and the different branches within it. This is vital to how the government functions, as without it, there would be political and economical disorder in the country as a whole. There are certain rules, procedures, and regulations that are implemented. Without these rules, people would do whatever they wish, which would lead to total chaos and destruction. For an easy way to picture it, I personally think of a school handbook when thinking of what the Constitution does. In a school, students have a handbook which explains the rules and expectations they are to follow while on school campus. The Constitution, in this case, acts as that handbook, and the people in government act as the students. Without the handbook, students would go crazy doing whatever they desire, no matter the harm it could cause to themselves and others. Thankfully, the Constitution is in place to help explicitly state the guidelines needed for the government to properly run.
Additionally, the U.S. Constitution divides the government into three branches: the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Executive Branch. The Legislative Branch, which is made up of the United States Senate and House of Representatives (also known as Congress) was created to make laws and provide the budgets for the economy. The Judicial Branch is made up of federally appointed judges in the highest proctor of law, the Supreme Court. The Judicial Branch can decide whether a law is unconstitutional or not, while also dealing with court lawsuits and cases that go above the individual state levels. The Executive Branch consists of the President, Vice-President, Cabinet, and other federal agencies to lead and enforce the laws of the nation. The Executive Branch has the power to approve or veto the laws passed by Congress. Between the three branches, there is a system of checks and balances. These checks and balances ensure that no one branch gains too much power over the others. Going back to the example relating to schools, school districts have a very similar set up. School districts have the Superintendents and Assistant-Superintendents. They are similar to the President and Vice-President in the Executive branch. There is also the Board of Education. The board has a similar role to the role of Congress. The system of checks and balances and the division of power is very important to me. I would not want an official in a position of power where they could cause harm to my country. It is very important to me that the people in power are who they say they are, do what they say they are going to do, and help the individual citizens. Likewise, in a school system, I would not want a leader that makes the learning environment unenjoyable or unsafe. The system of checks and balances help ensure this, allowing for security throughout the country.
Finally, the last part of the Constitution is the amendments. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights explains the different rights that individual citizens are entitled to. One example of an amendment in the Bill of Rights is the first amendment; the first amendment is the freedom of expression, which includes: speech, religion, and the press. This amendment allows citizens to say what they want, believe what they want, and see what they want within the press/news. The Bill of Rights is extremely important to me as a citizen because it provides security to my rights. Without this, I would not be able to be true to my thoughts, feelings, and expression. The Bill of Rights allows me to publicly display my thoughts, including if I agree or disagree with something and why. Everyone should be able to have these basic human rights, and I am beyond grateful that the Constitution is in place to protect them.
The United States Constitution is very significant to my life, as it is the foundation for our government, it divides power between three branches of government, and entitles me to my rights as an American citizen. The U.S. Constitution has helped run our country for over 230 years, and will continue to do so for many more years to come. While it could change with more amendments added, it will always exist to help the United States of America function in the way the Founding Fathers of America intended it to. The Constitution has helped the U.S. become and stay the “land of the free, and the home of the brave.”
